Guardian Australia Reads

Meet three Australian women pushing back on the expectations and stereotypes so often placed on them

The steel city once knew him as a migrant made good who contributed a great gift to the arts. But one man has been digging into the true identity of Bob Sredersas

What are the pleasures and pitfalls of driving an electric car from Sydney to Melbourne and back? Guardian Australia’s economics correspondent Peter Hannam goes for a test drive. Plus: we hear from a wrestling champ who can’t compete, and about a new island forming in the Pacific

These are some of our favourite stories from the Guardian Australia Reads audio library. A lion gets inside a London black cab, a son contemplates the future of his father’s ashes on a sinking island and Melbourne’s last video store resolutely stays open

Three stories of mystery this week: on the scent of platypus eggs, tracking Australia’s ‘most beautiful mammals’ and uncovering fabled Aboriginal art 40 years after its disappearance

Three stories about women at major points in their lives – challenging the stories they’ve been told about themselves. We take on combat sport, brave board burn and experience postpartum fury

The Yawuru people have finally had 530,000 hectares of their traditional country returned to them. We also hear suburban tales of electrifying our homes and discovering treasure on council cleanup days

For four extraordinary people, superpowers are not beyond the imagination – they are an ordinary reality that they smell, remember and see every day

The pandemic has made us re-evaluate what we took for granted. How have Australians made sense of the value of work, amidst all this change and chaos? We also hear about the digital preservation of a Sydney herbarium, and unlikely discoveries from Alexander Downer’s suitcase

Three stories take us into the animal kingdom. Meet communities around Australia ‘discovering’ animals on land and sea, both big and small

In a new format, Guardian Australia Reads presents three of our best features, read to you out loud. In this episode, we hear the stories behind Australia’s biggest bank heist, the (controversial) quiet sounds of electric motorcycles and 10-hour swims across the Channel

We take you to the beach and get among the sand and saltwater. Hear four very different stories about memorable moments at the beach. Together they celebrate and remember the feeling of elation – both big and small

Frances and Jan Newell painstakingly uncovered their mother’s role in facilitating the escape of Jews and political dissidents from Berlin to Britain. Head of news Mike Ticher recommends a story that starts with an old leather suitcase

In the mountain by Hobart a lake appears just after heavy rain, then vanishes. Features editor Lucy Clark recommends a story that takes us on a mysterious search

Witness K and lawyer Bernard Collaery helped correct what they saw as a gross injustice. Luke Henriques-Gomes introduces Christopher Knaus’ story about espionage, oil fields and diplomatic embarrassment for the Australian government

Food relief organisations say they are helping more people than ever before. But this is not a good news story. Head of news, Mike Ticher, introduces an investigation into underlying inequality in Australia that predates the Covid crisis

Indigenous communities argue that renaming landscapes should not be limited to removing overtly racist colonial names. Assistant news editor Shelley Hepworth recommends this story about truth-telling

Desic turned himself in to police in Sydney 30 years after escaping jail. Ben Doherty explores how his friends and family are pleading for the Australian government to show mercy and let him stay

Many in the Saposa Islands are wrestling with the dilemma of starting a new life on the mainland or staying to watch their homes vanish. Deputy editor, David Munk, introduces this story

Built in 1926 by a pharmaceutical company, the heritage-listed building has since become a hub for artists – who now fear it may be under threat. Culture editor, Steph Harmon, introduces Brigid Delaney’s story about eight of its past and present residents

Public confusion and distrust over vaccination have been fuelled by what experts say are crippling failures in authorities’ response to the pandemic. Pacific editor, Kate Lyons, introduces an investigation by Jo Chandler

In the charity’s storeroom sit the cremated remains of seven former visitors – unclaimed, contested or forgotten. Lifestyle editor Alyx Gorman introduces an intimate story about three of them

There is a growing effort to reconnect swimmers with city waterways once thought permanently lost to pollution. Assistant news editor Rosemary Bolger recommends a story about alternatives to ocean swims

Their shed may not be state-of-the art but a community-oriented approach to fitness is working out for Barbara and Peter Hill. Lifestyle editor Alyx Gorman introduces a heartwarming story that could get you moving

Luke Henriques-Gomes’s grandfather was one of 44 refugees to arrive in 1975 on the only RAAF plane ever hijacked. The official response still staggers him. Head of news, Mike Ticher, introduces this little known story

Nearly two years after fires devastated the NSW south coast, families still live in caravans as they struggle to rebuild in the face of red tape, a skills shortage and dwindling government support. Rural and regional editor, Gabrielle Chan, introduces this story

For three hours, writer Debbie Lustig fends off traffic and protects the ducklings like a crazy lollipop lady with a fishing net. Assistant news editor Rosemary Bolger introduces this gripping story

As part of a Guardian series about chronic pain and long Covid, Linda Geddes explores the growing realisation that pain can be a disease in and of itself. Gabrielle Jackson, associate editor of audio and visual, introduces this story

Australian consumers have invested tens of millions in early-stage start-ups since the practice was approved in 2018, but experts advise caution. Lifestyle editor, Alyx Gorman, introduces this story about a trend that has boomed during the pandemic

Laramba’s Indigenous residents fear they are at risk of long-term illness and say they need to know who is responsible for fixing the problem. Features editor, Lucy Clark, introduces this story about contaminated drinking water

From alkaline waters to beauty elixirs, added oxygen and probiotics, many brands claim they have ‘enhanced’ water – but what do the experts think? The lifestyle editor, Alyx Gorman, introduces an investigation into the truest properties of water

For most, our previous pandemic is a distant memory. But for these five polio survivors, new health problems have just begun. Features editor Lucy Clark introduces personal stories that take us around the country

The Q-League is a far cry from the refugee camps where some of its players learned to play football using scrunched up plastic bags. Guardian Australia’s sport editor Mike Hytner introduces this story about the inclusiveness of sport and a player’s memory of holding a real football for the first time

Traditional owners are standing together to protect the Fitzroy – a ‘beautiful, living water system’. Gabrielle Jackson, associate editor of audio and visual, introduces this story and its bird-sized spiders

Once fast enough to earn a place in the Stawell Gift hall of fame, the former VFL footballer now lives with Parkinson’s disease. Sport editor Mike Hytner introduces Alan Lynch’s honest and candid account of concussion from sport

A rural community of 5,500 people, with an under-resourced health system, came together to take on Covid. International news editor Bonnie Malkin introduces this story about a community effort to confront Delta

After a decade embroiled in public controversies, one of Australia’s most high-profile feminists is exposing a softer side with her new book, How We Love. Culture editor Steph Harmon introduces this profile on someone who describes herself as wilfully misunderstood

It’s the “mystery that must be solved”. Seven-and-a-half years after the Malaysia Airlines flight disappeared with 239 people on board, head of news Mike Ticher recommends this story as he remembers covering the tragedy when the news broke

Repeat surgeries for endometriosis could be exacerbating pain symptoms, experts say. Gabrielle Jackson, associate editor of audio and visual, introduces a story about a chronic inflammatory condition that affects one in 10 women globally

Finding love across the back fence or apartment corridor is a high-risk, high-reward proposition. Convenient? Yes. But also, potentially, mortifying. Lifestyle editor Alyx Gorman recommends this story about neighbourhood matches and disasters

To fall just short? To never know how it feels to get close? To land between, avoiding either pole? Emma Kemp, deputy sport editor, recommends Geoff Lemon’s treatise on the losing team

Low Covid vaccination rates reflect practical barriers – but Māori have good reason to distrust the government. International news editor Bonnie Malkin introduces Morgan Godfery’s personal investigation of this fraught history

It might be difficult to choose literature for a sheep. Lifestyle editor, Alyx Gorman, recommends this hopeful story about the rehabilitative effects of a reading program at an animal shelter

Dozens of West Papuans were tortured and thrown into the sea 23 years ago. Days later, Australia knew details of the attack, yet remained silent. Evening news editor Julian Drape introduces this story about survivors and campaigners still fighting for accountability

Ranging in age from eight to 87, Scrabblers hit the boards in western Sydney earlier this year vying for national supremacy. Sport editor Mike Hytner recommends this match report on a competitive board game with mind-bending wordplay

Australia’s plant-based meat market is booming, with increasingly sophisticated production techniques aiming to earn a place on carnivores’ plates. Assistant news editor Shelley Hepworth recommends this story about meat alternatives

Two decades ago Richard Stiles escaped an avalanche in New Zealand, but friend Steve Robinson wasn’t so lucky. Now the mountain has given up some of its secrets. Features editor Lucy Clark introduces this unexpected tale about a moment that was captured on film and buried for more than 20 years before resurfacing

When Gadia Zrihan’s family were forced to leave their dog behind, they left a part of themselves too – a part they feared they could never get back. Lifestyle editor Alyx Gorman recommends this story about a heartwarming family reunion during uncertain times

‘Only when you become one of those numbers, when you’re in it, do you realise how serious it is.’ Live news editor Patrick Keneally recommends this story about personal loss and grief behind the Covid headlines

Derek de Vreught runs the last video store in Melbourne. He’s sticking around as streaming takes over television and browsing for DVDs becomes a ‘decidedly niche experience’. Culture editor Steph Harmon recommends this story about a stalwart

The last known thylacine died in 1936, but many are still fixated on proving it lives on. Assistant news editor Rosemary Bolger recommends Gary Nunn’s story about why some are still searching for this animal

Australia’s low death rate from the rare syndrome linked to the AstraZeneca shot is in no small part due to a ‘huge collaborative effort’. Evening news editor Julian Drape recommends a good news story that happened in the midst of the challenging vaccine rollout

Small town residents couldn’t do without them, especially now. Rural and regional editor Gabrielle Chan recommends this story about finding shelter among the shelves of a 90-year-old general store

Despite nearly 18 months of lost income due to border closures, some in the Cook Islands say they have enjoyed the peace while the environment recovers. Pacific editor Kate Lyons recommends this piece about crabs reclaiming beaches

After the black summer bushfires it is time for politicians to act on global heating, Greg Mullins says. Assistant news editor Rosemary Bolger recommends Calla Wahlquist’s profile about courage and crisis on the fire front

Farhad Bandesh made wine in Iran before he was forced to flee. He has now brought that ancient tradition to Australia. Lifestyle editor, Alyx Gorman, recommends this story about one of the many ways that asylum seekers and refugees contribute to Australia’s vibrant food and wine culture

The director says his film was sympathetic to Mark Brandon Read and ‘on his side’. It had to be – to understand his violence. Culture editor Steph Harmon recommends this story about the depiction of a notorious Australian criminal

Louie has been in and out of juvenile detention most of his young adult life. He tells of how he’d pretend to be on the phone to family just to stay out of solitary a few minutes longer. Indigenous affairs editor Lorena Allam recommends this story from Guardian Australia’s reporting on childhood in custody

The space cemetery, named for the fictional captain in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, is where the International Space Station is likely to end up. Deputy editor, David Munk, recommends this story about deep and dark spaces

With no way of knowing how long her fertility would prevail, Madison Griffiths did what she felt she had to, with the tools she was afforded. Lifestyle editor Alyx Gorman recommends this personal story

Gifted as a cub by a maharajah to a young British boy, Singh lived at a house in Surrey before outgrowing his home and being driven in a black cab to the zoo. Head of news, Mike Ticher, recommends this surprising story by Ben Doherty

Mohammad Zaman Khadimi was forced to make an impossible choice as he fled the Taliban for sanctuary in Australia. Assistant news editor Shelley Hepworth recommends this profile by Ben Doherty about Khadimi, a young Hazara man who walked out of class one morning and into a world entirely changed

He has the most evoked name in Australia thanks to the Covid-19 modelling that bears it. Features editor Lucy Clark recommends Paul Daley’s profile on Peter Doherty, which ranges from politics, books, misinformation and that tweet

Celebrities have been sued for it, and tattoo artists get shunned for doing it. So how do people wind up with identical tattoos? Lifestyle editor, Alyx Gorman, recommends this piece by James Shackell about a predictable mishap that left a not-so-unique mark on his arm

Celebrating a birthday, within Covid guidelines, was enough to put three 18-year-olds in quarantine. Then one ended up in hospital unable to breathe or walk. Gabrielle Jackson, Guardian Australia associate editor of visual and audio, recommends this piece by Rafqa Touma about teenagers suffering from Covid

Some models of autism frame special interest as something unsettling and obsessive. Guardian Australia’s culture editor, Steph Harmon, recommends a piece by Clem Bastow about this unfair double standard

In a country where nurses are forced to use rice packets as gloves and laundry detergent as disinfectant, treating coronavirus has been an enormously difficult task. Pacific editor Kate Lyons recommends this article about how Australia’s closest neighbour experienced the early days of the pandemic

Beloved by journalists and increasingly used by a wider public, Tveeder is still run from Franco Trimboli’s Melbourne bedroom, in his spare time, out of his own pocket. Head of news, Mike Ticher, recommends this piece by Naaman Zhou about how this homegrown feed helps us keep up with breaking news

By striving for tranquility, rather than gratification, you are less likely to ruin your own day and you’ll be more pleasant to others. Guardian Australia’s lifestyle editor, Alyx Gorman, recommends this piece by Brigid Delaney on an ancient way to pursue happiness

Some farmers see a vicious pest that should be shot on sight, others a native species that plays a vital role in Australia’s ecosystem. Head of news Mike Ticher recommends this piece by Adam Morton on the conflicting views of what to do about the dingo

Their discovery proved millennia of continuous Indigenous existence but now time is running out for those who want to stop them being buried again. Features editor Lucy Clark recommends Paul Daley’s piece that showcases the tension between three different groups as they tackle with difficult questions

Picturing western Queensland as the floor of an ocean takes imagination – but it doesn’t take long to find evidence of prehistoric plenty. Guardian Australia lifestyle editor Alyx Gorman recommends this story where we go back to a time when dinosaurs roamed the countryside

The Covid pandemic has highlighted that we still cling to old state rivalries. Lenore Taylor, Guardian Australia’s editor, recommends Thomas Keneally’s essay that explores the history of Australia’s federation and what is pulling us apart

Guardian Australia’s editors pick the best of our journalism to be read out loud for you. Hosted by Jane Lee