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William Cooper: Activist

You are probably aware of NAIDOC week, a significant event in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders’ calendar and for all Australians. It is the time to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and an opportunity to recognise the contributions, both past and present, that Indigenous Australians have made and continue to make to […]

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William Dampier: ‘Buccaneer’ and Explorer

‘Who are they?’ Could the indigenous people of Australia’s rugged western coast believe what they were seeing? ‘They look human but they look so pale, so ghost-like. Where do they come from? What are they doing here? What do they want?’ How difficult it is for us to imagine what people were thinking and feeling […]

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Lord Shaftesbury: Protecting the Children

Think about a newborn baby. When we look at tiny babies, we are immediately struck by their complete and utter helplessness. They depend entirely on adults to give them what they need. And not just babies: children, too, are some of the most vulnerable of all human beings and are totally dependent on the adults […]

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Helen Cadbury: Founding member of the Pocket Testament League

Helen was only twelve when she went with her father, Richard Cadbury, and sat at the back of a hall watching volunteers talking with the people coming in from the local neighbourhood. Some of the people coming in looked poor and even hungry, and some, sadly, were affected by alcohol. Richard cared very much for […]

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John Cadbury: Founder of Cadbury Chocolates

It’s Cadbury Favourites, of course; the big purple box with its treasure of miniature confections inside. You’ll find a teeny tiny Crunchie bar, a Picnic, a Dream, a Cherry Ripe, a Timeout and a Boost – all of them invented by Cadbury, along with Roses chocolates and Freddo Frogs.  The Cadbury factory in Claremont, a suburb […]

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Old Charlie: A Rich Legacy

Murabuda Wurramarrba’s son, Tony, reached out and dropped his Order of Australia medal onto his father’s coffin. “He was the better man,” said Tony. “He taught me all I know, and he deserves it more than I do.” Why did Tony demonstrate such deep respect for his deceased father? Tony’s story goes back at least […]

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Elizabeth Fry: ‘I was in Prison and You Came to Visit Me’

In a dark, crammed room, the dampness rose like an invisible, oppressive enemy, piercing every joint and bone; while the foul stench of urine, faeces, dirt and sweat completely overwhelmed all the people in the room. Fear replaced sleep, as petty thieves and children endured these miserable conditions side-by-side with convicted murderers. This is what […]

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Evan Roberts: the Great Christmas Awakening

It was Boxing Day, 1903. Around 40,000 people, mainly coalminers, went to the city of Cardiff in Wales (in the United Kingdom) for a big celebration; but, as usually happened, thousands ended up the worse for wear because of their excessive drinking. There was violence and trouble in the streets, and police arrested many people […]

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Captain Mitsuo Fuchida: Leaving Pearl Harbor and Hatred Behind

Captain Mitsuo Fuchida was more excited than usual as he awoke that morning. As general commander of the air squadron, he made some last-minute checks on intelligence information, then went to warm up his plane. Three hundred and sixty Japanese planes, led by Captain Fuchida, headed towards Hawaii. He knew the goal of this mission: […]

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Mary MacKillop: Caring for Children and the Poor

The tiny face of the boy in the rowing boat was screwed up in fear. Every time Mary MacKillop visited the orphanage at Kincumber on the Central Coast of NSW, three boys were sent to Woy Woy to transport her the five kilometres across Brisbane Waters. Two boys rowed, and the other one had to […]