Show notesBibliographer Carol Hetherington tells us her own tale of sleuthing through the To Be Continued database and Trove as she attempted to track down a mysterious author who wrote story after story…after story.How did she track down the enigmatically named Roland Quiz? And what do the stories behind the many pseudonyms found in Trove tell us about the people who wrote Australia’s fiction in the newspapers of the time?Mentioned in the episodeA Bush Race MeetingA Ghostly ChapterA Deaf CookHis Terrifying ExperienceThe Last Night of the CampFind all of Roland Quiz’s stories hereStories by Ivan DexterAuthor Vance PalmerThe stories in this episode were read by Perform AustraliaFind the transcript of this episode hereMain storyThe Story of the Three Photos Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to 'The Three Photos', produced by students from Perform Australia Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show notesThe scientific bushranger? Have you ever heard of such a thing?In this episode we look at the unexpected Bushranger stories Associate Professor Maggie Nolan from the University of Queensland and Professor Ronan McDonald from Melbourne University found in the To Be Continued database.Bushrangers are an iconic part of Australian post colonial history but what do we really know about them other than the iconic image of Ned Kelly?Mentioned in episodeSearch Trove for ‘Bushranger’The True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter CareyBushranger Martin CashBushranger Alexander PierceFemale Bushranger Jesse HickmanChinese Australian Bushranger Sam PooMain storiesHow Ubique Robbed TheMorganville Company’s SafeThe Helpful Bushranger Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to two stories of Australian bushrangers in full  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode we dive into the extraordinary world of fiction for children with Associate Professor Kristine Moruzi from Deakin University.When did we first start publishing material for children? And what do the wild adventures involving shipwrecks, kidnapping and toast water tell us about what it meant to be a child in this time?Mentioned in the episodeMary Grant BrucePrincess Spinaway’s DepartmentSomeone else thought the concept of toast water was interesting and attempted to recreate the recipe in this YouTube videoYou can find a full transcript of the episode here.Main storiesThe Marvellous IslandTheft of a dayThe Convalescence of Taffie FarndonA Little Bushmaid Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to four pieces of children's fiction from the late 19th and early 20th century. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to a full reading of 'The Wickham Aeroplane' by Francis Marlowe, republished in the Perth Daily News, February 15th, 1910. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much is our way of thinking shaped by technology? Associate Professor Roger Osborne from James Cook University joins us to delve into a story about high flying spying antics that raises a lot of questions about how new technological possibilities become integrated into stories.As history unfolds how do we imagine new futures? And when some of these come to pass, how are stories used to question and explore the ways our society changes?Mentioned in the episodeThe Flying Girl Eleanor DarkFeatured storiesThe Wickham Aeroplane by Francis Marlowe.Find a full transcript of this episode here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we look at the devastation that bushfires have wrought upon the Australian landscape, and their effect on early colonial literature with PhD candidate, Finnuala Morgan.Our featured story - Black Thursday - profiles the first recorded 'major' bushfire in Victoria in 1851.Mentioned in the episodeCharles Harpur’s 1851 poem called The Bush FireA collection of Australian bushfire stories published by Orbiter - Black Thursday and Other Lost Australian Bushfire StoriesMythologised, memorialised then forgotten: a history of Australia’s bushfire reporting by Finn MorganBlack Thursday bushfiresMain StoriesBlack ThursdayRia: A West Australian StoryTo Be Continued in Trove Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This appendix episode features two bushfire stories from Australia's early colonial life.One of the earliest bushfire narratives, William Howitt’s short story Black Thursday, is an adaptation of his own reporting on the fire disaster of the same name. Black Thursday (February 7, 1851) was perhaps the first great fire disaster in settler Australian history. Although no official records exist, it is estimated that almost a quarter of the Victorian colony was burned. Howitt’s literary account is partly a revision of his own reporting that drew together different newspaper accounts to present a sensational report of unprecedented destruction. Howitt’s narrative is ultimately a tale of settler endurance that features protagonist Robert Patterson successfully navigating the difficulties of bush life. Nonetheless, he draws heavily on these journalistic accounts for both the narrative setting and the description of the fire itself.Ria: A West Australian Story is notable as the only representation of a woman fighting a bushfire at the fire-front, rather than within the boundaried perimeter of the property or directly outside the homestead. This story presents the opportunity for discussion of gender norms and the gendered politics of fire-fighting Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.