All Episodes

Black Star Radio Mark Hogan talks with Senior Sargent Chris Flegg about being prepared for storms and cyclones this cyclone season.
Natural disasters happen in Queensland more than any other state. Understand your risk of being impacted by extreme weather and how to get ready.
If you have lived in Queensland all your life, have recently moved here or just landed for your holidays, it’s important to understand and keep reassessing your disaster risk, which varies depending on where you are in Queensland and your personal circumstances.

Ngamumu (For Mothers) and Minjil will be presenting the first ever, First Nations Children’s Festival.
Black Star Radio’s Mark Hogan talks with Lia Pa’apa’a about this event.
It’s a celebration of shared knowledge across the ages with workshops and activities lead by First Nations artists, knowledge keepers and elders.
There will also be a Yidinji Naming ceremony and a Welcoming our Children to Country Ceremony for all children up to 8 years of age.
The First Nations Children’s Festival is on Saturday the 12th of November at the Seville Mercy Conference Centre Bauhinia Avenue, Earlville

Normally it’s the announcers who are doing the interviews. This time around the tables are turned, it is members of the Cooktown State School Student Council who is asking the questions for Black Star Radio’s Mark Hogan to answer. This is all part of the Career Expo that the school is hosting in Cooktown.
#cooktownss #cooktownstateschool #cooktowncareerexpo

Black Star Radio’s Mark Hogan has a yarn with the Cooktown State Schools Deputy Principal Duncan Inglis about the Career Expo that is being held in Cooktown. Students from around the entire district are expected to attend and be able to meet up with business, both private and Government, as well as further study options, as they look to plan their future careers. Black Star Radio is one of the many proud sponsors of the event.
#cooktownss #cooktownstateschool

Recently, Apunipima Cape York Health Care Council experienced a cyber-security attack on their computer information systems.
To help support the communities, Apunipima and the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service have invited IDCARE to visit to the Cape York communities.
IDCARE are a cyber security charity who can provide the best advice on what you can do to protect your personal information.
Black Star Radio’s Mark Hogan talks to the ID Care Managing Director, David Lacey about the mobile clinics happening in Kowanyama, Pormpuraaw, Coen, Aurukun, Napranum, Mapoon, Lockhart River, Laura, Hope Vale and Wujal Wujal.

Savannah in the Round, this three-day festival had an impressive line-up of emerging and established musical talents from country to rock and indie, there was something for every-one. The line-up included Brad Paisley, Mackenzie Porter, Vanessa Amorosi, Jon Stevens, Black Sorrows, Tex Perkins and many other well-known as well as local home grown acts. Black Star Radio’s Mark Hogan chats to some of the artists who appeared at Savannah in the Round 2022

Black Star Radio’s Mark Hogan chats with Aurelle Brunjes about her stage performance at the Savanna In The Round this coming weekend.
Aurelle is a singer-songwriter from Dimbulah in Far North Queensland.
Aurelle is well known around the Atherton Tablelands. Her performance style has been described as engaging and honest, building rapport and empathy with her audience through her imagery and songs
She draws her inspiration from the picturesque landscape of the outback and world around her. Aurelle's songs are whimsical as she weaves stories and wild imaginings into her lyrics.
Aurelle’s debut single “Magpie” was released in 2021 and has been described as an “ode” to the notorious bird.
“Rain Song” is Aurelle’s second song release earlier this year. A song depicting the land in the savannah country around Dimbulah before the monsoon. Featuring a special collaboration with indigenous artist, David Hudson on didgeridoo.
Aurelle’s next release will be “Stumbling”, due out on the 10th of October.

Black Star Radio’s Mark Hogan talks with Aussie Country Superstar, Adam Brand about appearing at the 2022 Savannah In The Round and about his musical past.
Adam released his debut album in 1997. He has since released numerous studio albums and has won 12 Country Music Awards of Australia.
A massive concert draw he has played to millions of Australians and is one of this country’s top draw cards whether it’s solo or headlining a festival, armed with a huge catalogue of songs like “Dirt Track Cowboys”, “The Anzac”, “It’s Gonna Be OK”, though to his new song “All Or Nothing”.

Black Star Radio’s Mark Hogan chats with Vicki Thorn from The Waifs.
The Waifs are appearing on the Main Stage of Savannah In The Round on Saturday the 1st of October with what promises to be an amazing show.
The Waifs formed in Western Australia, as a folk-rock band. The Simpson sisters, Donna and Vikki (now Vikki Thorn) met up with Josh Cunningham during a ten-minute jam session. Since that moment, their career has spanned 30 years, multiple ARIA Awards, platinum albums and successful tours across the world.

Black Star Radio’s Mark Hogan chats to country music star Gina Jeffreys.
Gina and her good friend Tania Kernaghan are appearing live on stage at the Savannah in the Round music festival in Mareeba with their Girls Night Out tour.
Ginna Jeffreys and Tania Kernaghan between them have multiple Platinum records, Golden Guitar Awards and a swag of number hit songs between them. You’ll hear all their hits and some brand new ones with an all-star Band plus sensational special artists Max Jackson and Courtney Keil. Grab your girlfriends and get ready for A Country Girls Night Out, where the music, good times, and bubbles will flow!

Black Star Radio’s Mark Hogan speaks to Sen. Sgt. Warren Flegg, who is the Officer in Charge of the Weipa Police Station about road safety through the school holidays, tips for safe driving on the Cape, especially with the rising road toll on the Cape.
Crashes create huge ripple effects across small communities, not only does it affect first responders, who in most instances know the person or people involved, it affects the injured or deceased person’s family, friends, and work colleagues, it affects the injured person, and it affects the person who has caused the crash
And did you know that the gazetted speed limit on any dirt road in Queensland is 80kph? That and more is discussed in the interview.

Mark Hogan from Black Star Radio yarning with Dr. Allison Hempenstall from the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service about an increase of Diphtheriacases in the region, which is a serious bacterial disease. How to identify symptoms and what you need to do to prevent the disease or treat the disease.
Dr. Allison is a medical doctor, researcher and educator. She is a fellow with the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and has been working throughout the remote Torres Strait in Australia for the past four years. Allison currently works as both a primary care physician and public health medical officer for the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service in Far North Queensland, Australia.
Allison was awarded a Fulbright Queensland Scholarship to undertake her Masters of Public Health specialising in global health with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in 2020, where she received the 2021 James H. Ware Award for Public Health Practice.

Black Star Radio’s Mark Hogan talks with ICAN Director Daphne Naden about the ACBF/Youpla Funeral Benefits Program.
The Program is an important interim step along the road to provide financial assistance for funerals and Sorry Business to families left without funeral insurance due to the collapse of Youpla (formerly known as the Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund). It is not a compensation scheme.
First Nations communities need culturally appropriate options that recognise families and communities have different needs. This first step it will take a lot of pressure off the families that are suffering right now. There is more work to be done to ensure that the 30,000 other people who have been impacted receive an appropriate response.
Other useful contacts
● Mob Strong Debt Helpline - 1800 808 488 or www.facebook.com/mobstrongdebthelp
● Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network - 1800 369 878 or www.ican.org.au
● Financial Counselling Australia - www.financialcounsellingaustralia.org.au
Below is part of the press release from the Save Sorry Business Coalition
For almost 30 years, the Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund, trading as Youpla, aggressively sold poor-value funeral plans to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia.
Youpla actively preyed on the culturally significant practice of Sorry Business with many people paying tens of thousands of dollars to the company to ensure their families could afford a dignified and culturally appropriate Sorry Business. Successive federal governments and regulators have been aware of the exploitative practices of Youpla for many years.
First Nations and consumer groups warned the Federal Government in 2019 that the fund would collapse. Despite the warnings, policymakers chose to watch the fund collapse instead of stepping in.
The Save Sorry Business Coalition is a First Nations-led campaign supported by 130 organisations and over 20,000 Australians who are seeking a fair and enduring resolution for the 30,000 First Nations people harmed by the misleading and deceptive conduct of Youpla and the massive and prolonged failure of government and regulators over two decades.

Black Star Radio’s Mark Hogan talks to Professor Liz Reymond about at home Palliative Care.
Professor Liz Reymond is a Specialist Palliative Care Doctor and the Project Director for the caring@home Palliative Care Clinic Box.
Palliative care is about easing suffering and improving quality of life for people with serious, complex, and often terminal illnesses.
The Clinic Box contains a range of tailored, culturally appropriate resources for families, health professionals and clinical services, which supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to help manage symptoms for a loved one who chooses to be cared for at home.

Since Midnight Oil’s new album Resist debuted at #1 early this year, the legendary Australian band has toured around Australia, North America, and then Europe, on their last concert tour. The final leg of this epic includes a gig in Cairns, featuring a special guests – Busby Marou, to make up for various climate and Covid disruptions earlier this year.
Midnight Oil guitarist/keyboardist, Jim Moginie talks with Black Star’s Mark Hogan about the show.