Patrick Bonello takes us to the 1970s and 80s, to the working-class suburb of Coburg, where his young self was destined to start his life’s journey as an identical twin. We venture through the ups and downs of childhood and into his passion for radio and all things gadgets. All the while, Patrick is learning that he must keep the secret that he is gay, to keep himself safe.

Come with us on this heady romp as we look at the politics of sexuality, the AIDS crisis and the prevalent homophobic views of the 80s, through the eyes of a young man who is trying to understand himself and find connection.

New podcast out now featuring Christine Nixon. Join us as we have a chuckle talking about childhood northern beaches summers, fierce independence, love of swimming and Brownies, before we get into Christine’s most impressive, change-making career. Imagine the burly world of policing in NSW in 1972 when there were only 130 women in the police force, and 8,000 men. Now imagine being asked at a job interview if you planned to get married and have kids. What would a young, educated, feminist do with a workplace that wasn’t moving with the times? Come along as Christine shares the wild ride of her incredible leadership career with humour, humility and an uncommon openness. I have deep respect for this beautiful human!

Thanks to Leadership Victoria for connecting Christine and I, so we could share this delightful conversation with you.

Dan shares the stories of his childhood, growing up in Melbourne’s northern suburb of Bundoora in the 1970s and 80s. Cricket and football in the street, boundless bike rides, the freedom he was given to roam and explore.

At fourteen Dan loses his sight. His parents fight to keep him in mainstream education and with the help of a few great teachers and aides, he learns new ways of learning. He continued his mission through his late teens and twenties to ensure that he could experience as much of the world as his sighted peers, which led him to overseas travel, skiing, scuba diving, surfing and bushwalking.

Dan talks openly of his journey, the challenges and supporters he has had through his long career in advocacy. Today Dan is the first Public Advocate in Victoria with an open disability, using all of his knowledge and life experience to support some of our most vulnerable people with disability.

This is a Memory Lane Life Stories production with host Nina Fromhold.

Recorded at the Narrm Ngarrgu library in Melbourne, Australia.

Music licensed through PremiumBeat.

Design by Pass the Salt Studio.

Learn more about the podcast or recording your own life story: www.memorylanestories.com

Fiona shares the stories of her childhood, growing up in Northern Ireland during the civil war known as The Troubles. Her life was on a steady path of fitting into the expectations set out for Irish Catholic women in the 1980 and 90s, until she went to Uni in Dublin and met a lovely girl from Australia. This friendship opened up the possibilities of the world to Fiona, and with some action and courage on her part, she changed the trajectory of her life.

Fiona now calls Melbourne home. She is a celebrant for funerals and weddings and has a podcast called Deadly Serious Conversations. Through her work, she noticed that people in Australia often aren’t talking about death, dying and legacy, and so may not know where to start when they lose a loved one. She has created a wonderful library of episodes that looks at all different aspects of death and dying with kindness, respect and compassion. Let’s find out how she got into the tender work of funerals.

This is a Memory Lane Life Stories production with host Nina Fromhold.

Recorded at the Narrm Ngarrgu library in Melbourne, Australia.

Kate is an innovative scientist who notices the systems in the natural world and applies this thinking to technology that supports people and communities. She is an entrepreneur with a med-tech start-up under her belt that achieved awards and grants for seven years, for technology advancement. During that time, her company raised more than $20 million in capital for technology development. Now Kate supports other Australian start-ups to find a pathway to the market. She talks with us about growing up in New Zealand, exploring the world in her twenties, taking risks, raising her sons and pursuing a life of research, knowledge and adventure. Kate says in the podcast, "Our greatest asset is our brain". Thank you Kate for inspiring us with your refreshing perspective on life.
This is a Memory Lane Life Stories production with host Nina Fromhold.
Recorded at the Narrm Ngarrgu library in Melbourne, Australia.
Music licensed through PremiumBeat.
Design by Pass the Salt Studio.

When I Was Young features Mathan Ratinam who shares his early life story in Sri Lanka, of being persecuted during the civil war, and immigrating to Australia to discover a whole new world. Mathan's teen years in the 1980s in Perth, learning English from TV shows like MacGuyver and the A Team. Discovering his tribe at Hip Hop concerts and later in Drum and Bass. Mathan studied architecture and worked at some outstanding studios in London and New York before switching his focus towards working on wicked social problems like poverty and social injustice. Mathan has worked with the UN and the World Bank, and he is now working in Aboriginal Youth Justice in Victoria, contributing to better justice outcomes for young people.
Mathan beautifully articulates the full-circle moments of his life that have been the fire behind his impressive career. This is an interview that you will not forget. Thank you Mathan for sharing your incredible story.
This is a Memory Lane Life Stories production with host Nina Fromhold.
Recorded at the Narrm Ngarrgu library in Melbourne, Australia.
Music licensed through PremiumBeat.
Design by Pass the Salt Studio.

When I Was Young features Merita Tabain who shares her journey as the child of new immigrants, growing up in the suburbs of Melbourne in the 1960s and 70s. Merita's story starts with the painful experience of being seen as different at school and moves into the mind-blowing moments of seeing the Sex Pistols on Count Down and discovering Australia's alternative music scene in the 1970s. With all the courage and grit of punk, as a young adult Merita pursued her dreams of travel, higher education and journalism. Over time her career moved into leadership roles in government and emergency management, something her young self never knew would be open to her. It all fits with her belief that "You don't know what life has in store for you", so she tries to appreciate what she has each day.
Thank you to Merita for sharing this heart-warming story.
This is a Memory Lane Life Stories production with host Nina Fromhold.
Recorded at the Narrm Ngarrgu library in Melbourne, Australia.
Music licensed through PremiumBeat.
Design by Pass the Salt Studio.

In this episode Dr Trishima Mitra-Kahn shares her early experiences of family violence and how this set her on a path to research the sociology question, 'Why do some people use violence?'. Come with us as we walk through Trishima's childhood and early adult years in New Delhi, London, and now in Melbourne. Trish is a remarkable person who has spent her whole career working towards a goal of eliminating all forms of family violence. She is now the Chairperson of Body Safety Australia and a Group Director with Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre where she continues to use research and evidence to inform this critical work.
This is a Memory Lane Life Stories production. Recorded at the Narrm Ngarrgu library in Melbourne, Australia. Music licensed through PremiumBeat. Design by Pass the Salt Studio.