Stars and Stories: The Black Star Radio Podcast

Lesley Mallard RFDS

Interview between Mark Hogan and Lesley Mallard from the Royal Flying Doctors Service,
The Australian Government announces Flying Doctor 10 year partnership.
With the funding and support, more services can be made available and more people can be provided healthcare in remote regions.

Jessie Williams QLD Indigenous Leadership Programmes

Mark Hogan interviews Jessie Williams, The Senior Program Officer for the indigenous Youth Leadership Program.
Jessie explains the program, the importance of it and how it impacts the community as well as how to apply to be a part of the program.

Raelea Connolly Yarrabah Aboriginal Corporation for Women

A great interview between Mark Hogan and Raelea Connolly, Manager of the Yarrabah Aboriginal Corporation for Women. They discuss the Celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the Yarrabah Aboriginal Corporation for Women.

Ella Hartwig - New East Coast Tour

Local Cooktown Ella Hartwig is releasing a new single on the 8th April . This comes with more exciting news… of her debut East Coast Tour!
She will be heading all the way up here in Thursday Island, down to Brisbane! She has multiple regional venues she will be playing at including TI, Cooktown, Mission Beach, Mackay, Airlie Beach and Agnes Water! Ella is so excited for this and would love share her new music throughout the East Coast of Australia.

Davinder Hart, Spirit of Sound Book

Mark Hogan interviews Davinder Hart, author of new book, The Spirit of Sound.
Hearing Australia launched the Spirit of Sound children’s book to support First Nationals Children’s hearing health.
Artist Davinder Hart discusses what inspired him and the impact he hopes the book will have.

Craig Crawford - Cultural Heritage Laws

A very informative interview between Mark Hogan and Craig Crawford, Minister for Seniors and Disability Services
and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships. They discuss the Changes to the Cultural Heritage Laws.

Gayle De La Cruze - Project Manager of the Gulf Academy, Bynoe CACS

Mark Hogan interviews Gayle De La Cruze, Project Manager of the Gulf Academy.
The Gulf Academy is a project in the making to further education in the community.
They discuss the importance of this project and all that is currently in progress.

Gillian & Carmen from ICAN re Collapse Of Funeral Funds

Interview with Gillian and Carmen from ICAN about the collapse of the Aboriginal community funeral fund

Singer Songwriter Melody Lee Hayden

Melody Lee Hayden is a singer-songwriter from Malanda Far North Queensland. Born in Newcastle NSW, she studied piano, guitar and musical theory and modern, classical and tap dancing, before starting her career as a singer, dancer and model in Sydney.
Songwriting from the age of ten, Melody Lee has a positive and determined attitude despite huge adversity in her life. She was hit by a drunken driver and the accident ended her dancing and modelling career.
She is hoping to be able to share her music locally as well as on Black Star radio.

Rainbow Knowledge Survey with Lulkbudia McLean

Interview between Mark Hogan and Lulkbudia Mclean about the Aboriginal-led survey to better understand the mental health of young Aboriginal LGBTQA+ people
A project, lead by Aboriginal and Aboriginal LGBTQA+ researchers examining the mental health of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ people, is launching a nation-wide survey, to help drive meaningful change for the community.
The Walkern Katatdjin (Rainbow Knowledge) project was developed in response to concerns from the Aboriginal LGBTQA+ community about a lack of data on their mental health, and the fact that many do not receive the same level of social support and healthcare as others in their community.
The project aims to better understand what causes poor social emotional wellbeing and mental health in the community and what can be done to improve it, and then work with health services to remove barriers to accessing support.
Walkern Katatdjin is a partnership between Kulbardi Aboriginal Centre (Murdoch University), Kurongkurl Katitjin (Edith Cowan University), and Telethon Kids Institute.
The survey is now open to LGBTQA+ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people between the ages of 14 and 25 years.
Researcher and Yamatji woman, Shakara Liddelow-Hunt, said the results of the survey will be used to influence changes in service provision and better inform policy decisions.
“There’s currently no existing data on what the mental health situation is like for this population, even though in theory Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and LGBTIQA+ young people are both high-risk groups for poor mental health,” she said.
“We’re really keen to find out what the issues are, and what needs to change.”
Miriwoong woman Lulkbudia Mclean is a community researcher on the project and said as a Aboriginal young person, it can be difficult to find services that are relevant.
“I think for a lot of people their sexual identity and their cultural identity can be really separate for a time and this study is an opportunity to see them as one, which is really healing,” she said.
“It’s also hard to know if a service is a safe space for you when you walk into it. You might be accessing an Aboriginal health service but there’s no LGBTQA+ services that exist there.
“It can be really hard for people to get access to services that meet all of their needs.”
The survey aims to reach as many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people as possible over the coming months from all parts of Australia.
Ms Liddelow-Hunt said the project would work with service providers to co-design the way they offer support to young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ people.
“We’ll be working with the Aboriginal LGBTQA+ community and service providers, sitting down with them and working out what they need and how the services can support them, and co-designing some interventions that will be effective,” she said.
The Walkern Katatdjin project is overseen by a Youth Advisory Group made up of young Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ people, and a Governance Committee of respected Aboriginal LGBTQA+ people in the community.
The project is partnered with Wungening Aboriginal Corporation, Yorgum Healing Services, First Peoples Rainbow Mob WA, Sexual Health Headquarters, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strait Islander Community Health Service (ATSICHS) Brisbane and Elizabeth Morgan House.
The project has additional support from Nunkuwarrin Yunti and the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT).