Australian Story
Series 2016
201643 episodes
Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2016, Australian Story returns with more unique stories that provide an insight into Australian life with all its complexities and challenges.
Episode 1
Phantom Of The Opera House
Feb 1, 201630m
The forgotten man: Peter Hall completed the Sydney Opera House after Danish architect Jorn Utzon resigned. But he was pilloried for his efforts. He died broken and destitute.
Episode 2
Sea Of Doubt
Feb 8, 201630m
Mystery at sea: Two men leave on the trip of a lifetime, but only one returns. Now family and friends embark on a quest to solve this baffling disappearance in the remote Pacific Ocean.
Episode 3
Nugget Of Gold
Feb 15, 201630m
The remarkable story of Barry 'Nugget' Rees, who rose from the most unlikely circumstances to become friend and trusted confidante of generations of Australia's elite cricketers.
Episode 4
True Grit (Part 1)
Feb 22, 201630m
Inside the private life of international rugby star David Pocock. We travel back to his homeland Zimbabwe where dramatic events shaped the passion that so famously drives him today, both on and off the field.
Episode 5
True Grit (Part 2)
Feb 29, 201630m
In the concluding episode of this television exclusive, David Pocock, his partner Emma and his family reveal the inside story of one of Australia's most remarkable contemporary sports stars.
Episode 6
My Conscience Tells Me
Mar 7, 201630m
Eighty-year-old Dr. Rodney Syme is prepared to defy the law to help a terminally ill man die, even if it means going to jail.
Episode 7
How I Met Your Father
Mar 14, 201630m
Former advertising executive Aminah Hart always wanted to be a mother, but no one expected the back-to-front romance that made it happen.
Episode 8
The Beauty Myth
Mar 21, 201630m
The woman on a mission to change the face of fashion: Model agent Chelsea Bonner is the daughter of famously beautiful parents but she's staked her career on changing our ideas of beauty and body image.
Episode 9
The Minister's Secret
Mar 28, 201630m
The surprising personal revelations of Australia's first Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence, Fiona Richardson MP.
Episode 10
Whitey's Way
Apr 4, 201630m
Paul White, or 'Whitey' to his mates, is an unstoppable force. He's the bush copper turned CEO of one of Australia's most successful sporting clubs. A shock diagnosis has left him fighting for his life.
Episode 11
Port Arthur
Apr 11, 201630m
The legacy of the Port Arthur massacre and the impact it had on survivors and witnesses.
Episode 12
Building Bridges
Apr 18, 201630m
For the first time on TV, Michelle Bridges and her family talk about her becoming a mum at 45, her relationship with 'Commando' Steve Willis and taking on the junk food industry.
Episode 13
Abby's Road
Apr 25, 201630m
Ten years ago, two-year-old Abby Walker was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and her parents made a controversial decision. Today she is fit and well. This is her family's remarkable journey.
Episode 14
A Kind Of Medicine
May 2, 201630m
Music as medicine: one of Australia's first Indigenous doctors, Mark Wenitong, pioneers music for healing after his family is shattered by a horrific accident involving his daughter, musician Naomi Wenitong.
Episode 15
Your Money Or Your Life
May 9, 201630m
After cheating death in her early twenties, Danielle Tindle is on a mission to improve treatment and care for other young cancer patients. Now she faces a greater challenge. Can she beat the odds again?
Episode 16
Dare To Dream
May 16, 201630m
The remarkable untold story behind the creation of Australia's newest opera and its composer George Palmer.
Episode 17
Into The Fog Of War (Part 1)
May 23, 201630m
The exclusive inside story of an elite Australian army commando charged with the manslaughter of five children after a horrific and controversial raid gone wrong in Afghanistan.
Episode 18
Into The Fog Of War (Part 2)
May 30, 201630m
Continuing the exclusive story of an elite Australian Army Commando charged with the manslaughter of five children after a horrific and controversial raid gone wrong in Afghanistan.
Episode 19
20th Anniversary Special (Part 1)
Jun 6, 201630m
This two-part anniversary special looks back over Australian Story's key themes, with participants and producers revealing the stories behind some of the show's most significant and popular programs.
Episode 20
20th Anniversary Special (Part 2)
Jun 13, 201630m
Celebrating 20 Years On Air, ABC's multi-award-winning program looks back on some of the most memorable moments and reveals the untold stories behind them.
Episode 21
When The Call Comes
Jun 20, 201630m
This week's episode focuses on Michele Perry's quest for justice and to understand why her homeless brother, Morgan Wayne Perry, was killed in a knife attack by a young private school graduate.
Episode 22
Limbo Land
Jun 27, 201630m
Actor John Wood introduces the story of Pat Murphy, a farmer who's doing it tough after a coal mine opened next to his property. Now Pat wants to leave the area, but that's easier said than done.
Episode 23
One Of The Mob
Jul 4, 201630m
Filmmaker David Batty has been a White man in a Black world for 40 years. He struck gold with cult series 'Bush Mechanics'. Now despite a family tragedy he's back with a new screen adventure.
Episode 24
The Longest Expedition
Jul 11, 201630m
Renowned climber Paul Pritchard returns to Tasmania's notorious Totem Pole to tackle the climb that nearly killed him eighteen years earlier and left him partially paralysed with a massive head injury.
Episode 25
The Heart Bus
Jul 18, 201630m
Travel to the outback with innovative engineer-turned-cardiologist Dr Rolf Gomes who takes life-saving cardiac care to people in regional Australia.
Episode 26
Gone Girl
Jul 25, 201630m
Gone Girl: Two young people fall in love and marry, but are torn apart when one of them is taken into immigration detention. Supporters are determined to see the decision reversed.
Episode 27
The Two Of Us
Aug 1, 201630m
A heart-warming story of friendship between legendary jazz musician Don Burrows and the star he mentored, James Morrison. Now with Don Burrows about to turn 88, the roles have reversed.
Episode 28
The Olympic Spirit
Aug 8, 201630m
With all eyes on Rio, Ian Thorpe introduces a program marking the 60th anniversary of Australia's greatest ever Olympics Melbourne 1956 & the swimmer who inspired generations of Olympians - Murray Rose.
Episode 29
About A Girl
Aug 15, 201630m
Battling prejudice and legal challenges, 16-year-old transgender teenager Georgie Stone takes on the system to make life easier for other transgender kids and their families.
Episode 30
What A Wonderful World
Aug 22, 201630m
What A Wonderful World: Fifty years on, Patricia Amphlett (Little Pattie) returns to Vietnam where as a 17-year-old she was on stage performing for Australian troops when the Battle of Long Tan broke out.
Episode 31
A League Of Their Own
Aug 29, 201630m
Businesswoman Susan Alberti could only dream of playing AFL. Now she's supporting a new Women's League & has struck up an unlikely friendship with top player Moana Hope.
Episode 32
The Sugar Trip
Sep 5, 201630m
Filmmaker and actor Damon Gameau repays a debt of knowledge when he returns to Central Australia to help revitalise an Indigenous community's healthy eating initiative.
Episode 33
The Flow On Effect
Sep 12, 201630m
A year on, what's happening with Australia's most unlikely millionaires? Revisit Byron Bay's father and son beekeepers, the Andersons to see how the success of their company changed their lives.
Episode 34
When Beccy Met Libby
Sep 19, 201630m
An old fashioned love story with a modern day twist. Country singer Beccy Cole wants to tie the knot with her partner cabaret singer Libby O'Donovan. But will the law be changed to allow same-sex marriage?
Episode 35
Shadow Of Doubt
Sep 26, 201630m
When two cousins set out to find the truth about their grandfather, they uncover family secrets, a scandalous/shocking murder and more questions than answers.
Episode 36
Tough Love
Oct 3, 201630m
Taylor & Michael have Down syndrome. They plan to marry & have children, but their parents don't believe they have the skills to raise a family. Can their parents stop them or will their right to reproduce prevail?
Episode 37
The Big Dry
Oct 10, 201630m
For years TV newsreader Talitha Cummins masked her alcoholism, until her drinking spiralled out of control. Now four years sober, she describes herself as the modern face of alcoholism: young, professional & high functioning.
Episode 38
When Plans Change (Part 1)
Oct 17, 201630m
Brisbane mother Sally Faulkner reveals for the first time the story behind a desperate attempt to get her children back from Beirut, which landed her in jail along with a 60 Minutes crew.
Episode 39
When Plans Change (Part 2)
Oct 24, 201630m
The story of Brisbane mother Sally Faulkner continues, as she describes her desperate attempt to get her children back from Beirut, which landed her in jail along with a 60 Minutes crew.
Episode 40
The New Black
Oct 31, 201630m
Black Caviar captured the nation's imagination like no other horse since Phar Lap. Now her first offspring Oscietra is a promising two-year-old filly with top trainer David Hayes.
Episode 41
A Field Of Dreams
Nov 7, 201630m
In a bold social experiment, the tiny rural community of Mingoola on the NSW-Queensland border is looking to the past to secure the future.
Episode 42
Out Of The Water
Nov 14, 201630m
With summer fast approaching, the experience of a Queensland family is a timely warning of a hidden and deadly danger that can lurk in warm, fresh waters of regional Australia.
Episode 43
The Road From Damascus
Nov 21, 201630m
Medico Khaled Naanaa caused a global outcry by exposing the deliberate starvation of civilians in Syria. But doing so made him a target. Now he's been given a new life in Australia.