Latitude 40: Stories from the Edge: Flinders Island, Tasmania

Furneaux Collective Inc
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Places & Travel

Latitude 40 : Stories from the Edge: is a podcast from the Furneaux Collective Inc, sharing conversations from Flinders Island at 40 degrees south. Through honest dialogue and local voices, the podcast explores what it means to live, lead and belong on a small island community navigating change. Born from the Islander Way regenerative tourism journey, Latitude 40 has grown into something more - a space where community members reflect on leadership, resilience, enterprise, inclusion and the evolving relationship between people, place and visitors. Each episode captures lived experience. Real conversations about how a remote island community shapes its own future - socially, economically and environmentally. The Furneaux Collectives Latitude 40 Podcast is supported by the Tasmanian Government.

  1. It's Twice as Important to Be Trusted - Tony Power & Will Broadbridge

    Jun 27

    It's Twice as Important to Be Trusted - Tony Power & Will Broadbridge

    Policing on a small island can’t hide behind job titles. When everyone knows your name and your face, trust becomes the first tool you reach for, long before paperwork or penalties. On Flinders Island in Tasmania’s Furneaux Group two men have worn the same uniform in very different eras: former Senior Sergeant Tony Power and current Senior Constable Will Broadbridge. Tony takes us back through the history of policing across the islands and the reality of a role shaped by necessity. We talk about the old days when the local officer might be called on as a surveyor, a health and food safety checker in the mutton birding sheds, an insurance assessor, a driving assessor, a tow truck driver, even a snake catcher. He shares the moments that stick and the ways officers used discretion to prevent harm in a remote community where backup isn’t just around the corner. Will brings the modern perspective, starting with a chance meeting that pulls him into policing, then a “sliding doors” boat fire that launches a career in Sydney Water Police. He explains the marine training, what it takes to keep a vessel operationally ready, and how those skills matter on Bass Strait when towing, sea rescue and marine enforcement can all land in the same week. We also dig into life off-duty on Flinders Island, where there’s no anonymity, and why coaching, umpiring, and turning up for kids can be just as important as enforcement. If you care about remote Australia, community policing, island life, or the work behind marine rescue, this one’s for you. Subscribe to Latitude 40, share it with someone who loves Flinders, and leave a review so more listeners can find these stories. Send us Fan Mail If you'd like to provide feedback on this podcast, we'd welcome your comments at crew@furneauxcollective.com

    33 min
  2. It's a Community Place - John Cooper

    Jun 5

    It's a Community Place - John Cooper

    A baby crosses Bass Strait to Flinders Island in a cupboard drawer, and eight decades later that same kid is still showing people what steady work, resilience and community look like. In this episode, Jacqui sits down with her dad, John Cooper, to explore a life shaped by the land, the sea, and the people who make island communities what they are. From his family roots at Woodlands near Emita, John shares memories of growing up in the dairy shed, supplies arriving on the cream truck, school days at Whitemark, and a time when neighbours quietly looked after one another through shared labour, produce and practical support. The conversation follows John's journey into stock work across Flinders Island and the Outer Islands, where days were spent mustering cattle through scrub, freshening country with patch burns, swimming bullocks ashore, and relying on local knowledge, signal fires and a healthy dose of ingenuity long before mobile phones and modern communications. Along the way, John reflects on the rise and fall of the wool industry, life in the shearing shed, building Wandella with his wife Jen, managing drought, training working dogs, and helping transform the sheep operation on Prime Seal Island. He also shares stories from decades of community involvement through sport, agricultural shows and the Lackrana Fire Brigade, including the challenges of the 2003 bushfires. If you care about island life, Tasmanian farming history, the Australian wool industry, working dogs, or community resilience, you’ll find something here that sticks. Subscribe, share this with someone who loves the bush and the coast, and leave a review. Send us Fan Mail If you'd like to provide feedback on this podcast, we'd welcome your comments at crew@furneauxcollective.com

    53 min
  3. There’s So Much Love Out There - Gwen Bailey

    May 16

    There’s So Much Love Out There - Gwen Bailey

    In this episode of Latitude 40 Season 2 - Stories from the Edge, Jacqui Cooper sits down with long-time Flinders Island local Gwen Bailey for a heartfelt conversation about family, faith, resilience and the deep connections that shape island life. From her family’s early ties to Vansittart Island and Badger Corner, to working in some of the island’s earliest stores and building a life through farming, business and community service, Gwen reflects on a lifetime of stories woven through the Furneaux Islands. The conversation explores growing up in a different era on Flinders Island, raising children while balancing work and family life, supporting others through nearly 30 years as a Lay Reader, and the quiet strength it takes to navigate life’s greatest joys and deepest losses. Gwen also shares stories of caregiving, community spirit, island dances, family traditions and the enduring faith that has carried her through life’s most challenging moments. If you enjoy honest conversations about island life, resilience and the people who quietly shape a community, subscribe to Latitude 40, share this episode with someone special, and leave a review so more listeners can discover these stories from the edge. “To me, it’s just a beautiful, beautiful place full of beautiful, beautiful people.” – Gwen Bailey Send us Fan Mail If you'd like to provide feedback on this podcast, we'd welcome your comments at crew@furneauxcollective.com

    48 min
  4. Island Leap of Faith - Dawn Zelman

    Apr 3

    Island Leap of Faith - Dawn Zelman

    A suburban newspaper ad. A leap of faith. A rough crossing filled with diesel fumes, cattle smells and the kind of uncertainty that tells you life is about to change. Jacqui sits down with Dawn Zelman, an accomplished artist, teacher, cook and storyteller who arrived on Flinders Island in 1987 and chose to stay. Dawn’s memories are sharply detailed, sometimes funny, sometimes confronting and always grounded in the real logistics of building a life on a remote Bass Strait island. We talk about buying affordable land at Lackrana and turning a shed into a home, complete with tanks, a dam and plenty of close calls with snakes. Dawn shares what it feels like to be a single woman living alone in the bush, the way locals test whether you will last and the stubborn steadiness it takes to keep going anyway. Dawn also takes us aboard the Lady Jillian, the locally owned supply ship that once connected Flinders to the mainland and outer islands. As a relief cook, she feeds the crew, earns trust and witnesses an extraordinary operation: wild cattle lassoed and swum out to a dinghy, then winched onto the ship near Hogan Island. From shipboard characters to the vital role of small town businesses as social hubs, Dawn reflects on how Flinders Island has changed across the decades, including the growing strength and enterprise of the Aboriginal community and the impact of Black Man’s Houses. If you enjoy Tasmania travel stories, Flinders Island history, Bass Strait shipping and the art of making a home in a hard place, press play, then subscribe, share with a friend and leave a review. Send us Fan Mail If you'd like to provide feedback on this podcast, we'd welcome your comments at crew@furneauxcollective.com

    24 min
  5. What Makes A Life Worth Building - Guy Ireland

    Mar 13

    What Makes A Life Worth Building - Guy Ireland

    In Episode 2 of Latitude 40 Season 2, Jamie West sits down with long-time island builder Guy Ireland for a warm and thoughtful conversation about life, resilience and community on Flinders Island. From an unexpected encounter with hitchhikers in New Zealand that eventually led him to the island, to decades spent building homes, mentoring apprentices and supporting local organisations, Guy reflects on a life shaped by hard work, connection and purpose. The conversation explores what it takes to build and run a business in a remote place, the importance of passing skills to the next generation, and the sense of community that keeps people anchored to island life. Guy also speaks openly about the life-changing accident that left him paralysed, and the determination that has helped him continue contributing to the community he cares deeply about. If you enjoy honest stories about resilience, island life, and the people who build more than houses, subscribe to Latitude 40, share this with a mate, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. What small decision ended up changing your life? -------------------------- Guy Ireland Long-time Flinders Island builder, mentor and community contributor who has spent more than three decades helping shape the island through his work, volunteering and support for younger generations. --------------------------- About Latitude 40 Latitude 40 is a podcast by the Furneaux Collective celebrating the people, stories and spirit of the Furneaux Islands. Each episode shares conversations with people whose lives and experiences help shape the character and future of our island community. Send us Fan Mail If you'd like to provide feedback on this podcast, we'd welcome your comments at crew@furneauxcollective.com

    38 min
  6. This is the place for me, this is home - Rachel Summers

    Feb 15

    This is the place for me, this is home - Rachel Summers

    In the first episode of Latitude 40 Season 2, Jacqui Cooper sits down with Flinders Mayor Rachel Summers for an honest and heartfelt conversation about community, leadership and life on a remote island. From accidentally moving to Flinders Island after confusing it with Bruny Island, to becoming Mayor, Rachel shares her journey, the challenges facing the island, and the power of community spirit. This episode explores volunteering, housing, ageing well, infrastructure projects and what the future of Flinders Island could look like — all grounded in the people and stories that make this place so special. What we talk about in this episode Finding home on Flinders IslandThe realities of remote island livingHonouring a friend through community fundraisingStepping into local government and leadershipWhy volunteering is declining — and how it could changeMajor infrastructure projects shaping the island’s futureHousing, workforce shortages and ageing wellVoluntourism and visitors giving backProtecting what makes Flinders Island uniqueShow notes and links Flinders Council - https://www.flinders.tas.gov.au Don’t try to change this place; let this place change you - The Islander Way Story - https://www.furneauxcollective.com/islander-way Guest Rachel Summers Mayor of Flinders Council and long-time community member passionate about transparency, participation and the future of the island. About Latitude 40 Latitude 40 is a podcast by the Furneaux Collective celebrating the people, stories and spirit of the Furneaux Islands. Each episode shares conversations with locals who help shape life on the island. Send us Fan Mail If you'd like to provide feedback on this podcast, we'd welcome your comments at crew@furneauxcollective.com

    33 min
  7. Smell the Island air - Ben Backhaus

    10/05/2022

    Smell the Island air - Ben Backhaus

    Debbie and Josie speak with Ben Backhaus about his family business, Bush Pharmacy, where Ben distills essential oils grown and harvested on Flinders Island.  You can almost smell the aromas as Ben describes the range of oils. Ben attributes the unique properties of the oils to the geographic isolation of the Island created by the separation of the land bridge to the Australian mainland. Ben sees the support of the Island community as instrumental in allowing his business to develop and bloom. Tourism has a future on the Island according to Ben, but he also recognises the strong ownership Islanders feel towards their home and their desire to share it with people who come to visit, who appreciate and respect the Island as much as locals do. You can go to the beach, and there's no one going to be there for a few kilometres. You know, you have that isolation, you have that pureness and I think that, plays in a way, of the place thriving as well as people were considerate of this. Ben's love for the Island is evident when he speaks of his return from an overseas trip and his exhillaration upon returning to the wild terrain, the isolation, the beaches and the smell of the ocean breeze.  Show notes and links Bush Pharmacy | http://www.bushpharmacy.com | @bush.pharmacy  Kunzea ambigua | https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/gnp8/kunz-amb.html Melaleuca ericafolia | https://austplants.com.au/Melaleuca-ericifolia/  Leptospermum scoparium| https://www.anbg.gov.au/leptospermum/leptospermum-scoparium.html Smokey Tea Tree |  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptospermum_glaucescens Flinders Islannd Blue Gum | https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/179365 Separation of land bridge from mainland | https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/separation-of-tasmania Furneaux Distillery | https://www.furneauxdistillery.com.au/flinders-island-single-malt-peated This podcast is created for Designing Tourism by Debbie Clarke and Josie Major from GOOD Awaits. Audio Production is by Clarrie Macklin. Check out their podcast: https://www.good-travel.org/goodawaitspodcast Music by Judy Jacques, The Mesmerist; Wybalenna Prayer  from Making Wings  © 2002 with kind permission of the artist. Extract from the Islander Way read by Jana Monnone co-created by the local community with Brand Tasmania as part of the Flinders Island brand story. Original photography by Sammi Gowthorp. The Islander Way project is funded by the Tasmanian Government. We also acknowledge our partners, Flinders Council, Visit Northern Tasmania and The Tourism CoLab and the support of Flinders Island Business Inc. Send us Fan Mail If you'd like to provide feedback on this podcast, we'd welcome your comments at crew@furneauxcollective.com

    26 min
  8. Beyond the Purple Swamphen: Creating is living - Mel Telfer

    09/21/2022

    Beyond the Purple Swamphen: Creating is living - Mel Telfer

    In this espisode, Josie and Debbie talk with Mel Telfer:  dental assistant, ambulance service volunteer, school teacher, truck driver, and a maker and the driving force behind The Purple Swamphen, the makers' co-op on Flinders Island. To outsiders Mel's life might look daunting but for her, the multiple roles she fills provide opportunities to feel purpose,  structure and function in her life.  Mel talks about her connection to the Island community, and the honour she feels  to serve in her varied roles.  Mel's need to create drives her to make and inspires others: "I feel like being creative is so much a huge part of being human." Mel talks about the different makers who have embraced circular economy: salvaging found objects, creating new products and increasing their usefulness.  "We've got a few different makers  ... one particularly works with plastics and ropes she finds on the beach, and she'll turn them into either artworks like a wall hanging and a lighthouse made out of different bits of plastic from the beach, or she'll make cards or key rings from the beach rope. So she's really starting to explore what she can do with all this kind of waste products that keeps washing up. Yeah, I've got another maker who will use baling twine from the hay bales to crochet baskets." Show notes and links The Purple Swamphen | https://thepurpleswamphen.com.au/about/ The Purple Swamphen instagram page | https://www.instagram.com/thepurpleswamphen/ Kangaroo Island | https://southaustralia.com/destinations/kangaroo-island This podcast is created for Designing Tourism by Debbie Clarke and Josie Major from GOOD Awaits. Audio Production is by Clarrie Macklin. Check out their podcast: https://www.good-travel.org/goodawaitspodcast Music by Judy Jacques, The Mesmerist; Wybalenna Prayer  from Making Wings  © 2002 with kind permission of the artist. Extract from the Islander Way read by Jana Monnone co-created by the local community with Brand Tasmania as part of the Flinders Island brand story. Original photography by Sammi Gowthorp. The Islander Way project is funded by the Tasmanian Government. We also acknowledge our partners, Flinders Council, Visit Northern Tasmania and The Tourism CoLab and the support of Flinders Island Business Inc. Send us Fan Mail If you'd like to provide feedback on this podcast, we'd welcome your comments at crew@furneauxcollective.com

    28 min
See All (13)

About

Latitude 40 : Stories from the Edge: is a podcast from the Furneaux Collective Inc, sharing conversations from Flinders Island at 40 degrees south. Through honest dialogue and local voices, the podcast explores what it means to live, lead and belong on a small island community navigating change. Born from the Islander Way regenerative tourism journey, Latitude 40 has grown into something more - a space where community members reflect on leadership, resilience, enterprise, inclusion and the evolving relationship between people, place and visitors. Each episode captures lived experience. Real conversations about how a remote island community shapes its own future - socially, economically and environmentally. The Furneaux Collectives Latitude 40 Podcast is supported by the Tasmanian Government.

Information

You Might Also Like