Sun, Feb 25, 2001
Former members of the East Timorese resistance have revealed a secret plan to bust their leader Xanana Gusmao from his Jakarta prison cell in the 1990s. Jose Ramos Horta, now East Timor's Foreign Minister, says he planned a commando raid on the prison, using British special forces veterans, when it appeared Gusmao was unlikely to be released. Interviewed for the ABC's Australian Story program, Mr Horta said he had never spoken publicly about the plan, which would also have used veterans from the war in Bosnia. The program profiles Xanana Gusmao's Australian-born wife Kirsty Sword, at the time an undercover agent for the Timorese resistance, and the conduit for the plan to raid the prison. Kirsty Sword spent four years in Jakarta secretly helping the campaign for East Timor's independence, while working for an Australian aid agency and teaching English. She first met Gusmao at Jakarta's Cipinang prison in 1994, and the pair married in Dili after his release in 1999. With Xanana Gusmao tipped to become East Timor's first President after elections in April, Kirsty Sword Gusmao will be First Lady of the newly independent country.
Mon, May 27, 2002
We occasionally hear of an act of extraordinary generosity when a family member donates an organ to save a life. So how much more extraordinary is it when the live donor is not related, when the gift is based on friendship and an understanding of the life saving difference it will make. This week's Australian Story is about such an act of generosity. Jim Gaston worked with Charmaine Mansfield in the Queensland coastal town of Bowen. Charmaine had a rare kidney disease and her health was failing when Jim stepped in. None of her own family were able to provide a suitable match. However his decision to donate his healthy kidney to restore Charmaine's quality of life was fraught with serious considerations for his own family and their future health. This remarkable story reveals the issues exposed by live organ donation and the remarkable bond now forged by Jim's gift to Charmaine
Mon, Sep 2, 2002
Chairman of the ACCC, Prof. Allan Fels is one of the most powerful men in Australia. He has copped a lot of flak from big business which fears the country's best known regulator. For the ordinary consumer he's a hero. This week Australian Story delves into the unusual private life of an enigma. For the first time, Professor Fels tells of the impact his professional life has had on him and his family.
Mon, Oct 28, 2002
For the first time this week one of the program's team of producers is stepping in front of the camera to tell her own story. She's Vanessa Gorman and during her time with Australian Story she has produced some of the program's most acclaimed stories. They have included "Man for All Seasons" with Wayne Bennett, "Raising the Rafters" with Pat Rafter's family and this year "Happy as Garry" with Garry McDonald. Vanessa GormanBut behind the scenes Vanessa was undergoing an ordeal of her own. Despite the opposition of her then partner, she was determined to become a mother. Two and a half years ago she lost her longed for baby daughter shortly after birth. That experience was turned into a powerful and moving one hour independent documentary "Losing Layla" which screened on the ABC. Vanessa says: "After Layla died I just wanted to read stories about this happening to other people and the message that I kept coming across was that people didn't see it as a big death. And I thought I've got this film footage. I can do something here to let the community know that this is actually as a big a death as any other death in your life." "Losing Layla" generated a massive and heartfelt audience response but it left many viewers wanting to know more and, in particular, wanting to know what had happened to Vanessa in subsequent months. "Regarding Raphael" provides the answers. It's the story of Vanessa's life after "Losing Layla". It tells of the break up of Vanessa's long term relationship with her partner Michael Shaw in the aftermath of the death of their baby. And it tells of a new relationship, another pregnancy ... and finally a healthy baby boy, Raphael.