Australian Story is a national weekly documentary series, produced and broadcast on ABC Television

ABC Television

ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....

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Since 1996 Australian Story has featured many Australians from diverse backgrounds and reputations. Examples include Hazel Hawke

Hazel Hawke

Hazel Hawke, AO is the former wife of Bob Hawke, Prime Minister of Australia 1983–91. They divorced after he left the prime ministership. She worked in social policy areas, and was an excellent amateur pianist and a patron of the arts...

, rugby league coach Wayne Bennett, Australia's first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard

Julia Gillard

Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...

, comedian & broadcaster Red Symons

Red Symons

Redmond Symons is an Australian musician, writer, actor and radio host, probably best known as lead guitarist with Skyhooks and as the snide judge of "Red Faces", a segment of the long-running Hey Hey It's Saturday variety television show...

, actor and author William McInnes

William McInnes

William McInnes is an Australian film and television actor and writer.-Television:After a recurring role on A Country Practice in 1990, McInnes appeared in series such as Bligh, Ocean Girl, and Snowy before making his name as Senior Constable Nick Schultz on Blue Heelers in 1994...

, former Governor-General Peter Hollingworth

Peter Hollingworth

Peter John Hollingworth AC, OBE is an Australian Anglican bishop. He served as the Archbishop of Brisbane for 11 years before becoming the 23rd Governor-General of Australia from 2001 until 2003....

, fashion designers Sass & Bide, art-activist Van Rudd

Van Thanh Rudd

Van Thanh Rudd is a Vietnamese Australian artist, activist and the nephew of Australian former-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. His artworks have created controversies due to their left-wing political content...

, the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin

Steve Irwin

Stephen Robert "Steve" Irwin , nicknamed "The Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian television personality, wildlife expert, and conservationist. Irwin achieved worldwide fame from the television series The Crocodile Hunter, an internationally broadcast wildlife documentary series which he co-hosted...

 and the late actress and singer Belinda Emmett

Belinda Emmett

Belinda 'Belle' Jane Emmett was an Australian actress and singer. She was married to television personality Rove McManus and was known for her roles in the TV drama series Home and Away and All Saints.-Early life:...

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There is no reporter narration – the stories are 'told' by the profile subjects and other individuals such as friends, family, colleagues and critics. The program aims to present a varied and contrasting picture of contemporary Australia and Australians, both known and unknown.

But on the whole, the personal approach to story-telling has been very well received with the program winning many professional awards including seven Walkley Awards

Walkley Awards

The annual Walkley Awards, under the administration of the Walkley Foundation for Journalism, are presented in Australia to recognise and reward excellence in journalism. Finalists are chosen by an independent board of eminent journalists and photographers. The awards cover all media including...

 for excellence in journalism and four consecutive Logie Award

Logie Award

The TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...

s.

It attracts an average audience of one million viewers each week making it one of the most popular programs on ABC Television.

Distinguished broadcaster Caroline Jones

Caroline Jones

Caroline Jones AO is a distinguished Australian television journalist and social commentator.She joined the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Canberra in 1963 and later became the first female reporter for This Day Tonight, and then the Four Corners presenter from 1973 to 1981...

 is a specialist contributor and occasional presenter. Most weeks the series has special guest presenters including Academy Award winners Nicole Kidman, Matt Damon, Mel Gibson and Russell Crowe; politicians John Howard – the former Prime Minister of Australia – and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter; supermodels Heidi Klum and Elle Macpherson; musicians Paul Kelly, Kylie Minogue, John Butler, Jimmy Barnes, Delta Goodrem and Elton John and elite sportspeople Harry Kewell, Mick Doohan, Craig Lowndes, Dawn Fraser and Shane Gould.

See also

• List of Australian television series
• List of Australian Broadcasting Corporation programs

External links

• Official website
• Australian Story at the National Film and Sound Archive
• Ric Richardson on Australian Story
  Ric Richardson
  Ric Richardson is an Australian inventor. He is the holder of multiple granted patents including the Uniloc patent and the Logarex patent . Although he spent twelve years in California to promote and develop products produced by Uniloc, Richardson grew up in Sydney and currently resides just...