Nowra.org.au Podcast — with Barron Hanson

Barron Hanson
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Nowra.org.au is a community-driven movement revitalising Nowra's CBD through arts, culture, evening economy initiatives, and local business support. Host Barron Hanson — a fifth-generation Nowra local — sits down with the people quietly shaping the Shoalhaven: business owners, community leaders, artists, local politicians, and everyday residents doing extraordinary things. Season 1 features 14 conversations exploring what makes Nowra tick, and where it's heading.

  1. Jun 23

    Barron Hanson: 14 Years in New York, Back to Nowra, and Teaching 1% of the Town to Meditate

    The microphone is turned back around on host Barron Hanson in this final episode of Season 1. After living in New York City for 8 years, what was it like to move back to Nowra? What are the most underrated parts of the town — and what does Barron's goal to teach one percent of Nowra to meditate actually mean? Jemma Tribe asks the questions in this reflective season finale. About Barron Hanson: Barron Hanson is a fifth-generation Nowra local, District Coordinator for nowra.org.au, and the founder of Be Here Nowra, a community wellbeing initiative built around the idea of connection, presence and local change. He is passionate about grassroots, bottom-up action and believes real transformation happens when ordinary people come together with shared purpose. Through Be Here Nowra, Barron has worked to build community happiness and connection, with an ambitious goal of teaching one percent of Nowra to meditate. Alongside his community leadership, Barron is also working on a documentary and hosts HERE in Nowra, a month-long festival of Vedic wisdom that brings people together around reflection, learning and personal growth. Learn more at www.barronhanson.com & www.beherenowra.com

    Barron Hanson: 14 Years in New York, Back to Nowra, and Teaching 1% of the Town to Meditate

  2. Jun 23

    Ory Purhonen: Backing Nowra with Your Own Money

    A vacant Junction Street shopfront, a renovation, and a commitment to hiring locals. Learn what it looks like to back a town with your own money — and why it matters. Barron Hanson speaks with Ory Purhonen, founder and creative director of Webics, about regional business, digital innovation, and genuine investment in community. About Ory Purhonen: Ory Purhonen is the Founder and Creative Director of Webics, a Nowra-based digital agency established in 2008. What began as a one-man web design business has grown into a full-service digital and IT company supporting hundreds of local and national clients across website design, hosting, SEO, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and business IT support. Ory is passionate about helping regional businesses compete at a national level while strengthening the local business community along the way. Under his leadership, Webics has been recognised through multiple industry awards for performance and innovation. He has also recently opened a prominent new location on Junction Street in Nowra, further cementing Webics' presence in the local business landscape. Learn more at https://www.webics.com.au/

    Ory Purhonen: Backing Nowra with Your Own Money

  3. Jun 23

    Pastor Jo Barnes-White: 150 Years of the Wesley Centre and a Free Monday Lunch

    The Wesley Centre has been part of Nowra for 150 years. Hear about how a free Monday lunch has become a quiet lifeline for dozens of people each week. Barron Hanson speaks with Pastor Jo Barnes-White of Shoalhaven Central Uniting Church about faith, community service, and what it looks like to show up for your neighbours — every single Monday. About Pastor Jo Barnes-White: Pastor Jo Barnes-White is a representative of Shoalhaven Central Uniting Church, a welcoming and community-minded presence in the heart of Nowra. Based at 29 Berry Street, the church hosts a free Community Lunch every Monday from 12pm to 2pm, offering not only a meal but also connection, companionship and a sense of belonging for anyone who attends. Shoalhaven Central Uniting Church marks an exciting new chapter for the Uniting Church in the central Shoalhaven, bringing together the Bay & Basin, Bomaderry and Nowra congregations. As part of the Uniting Church in Australia, Jo's work reflects a broader commitment to reconciliation, compassion and the common good. Learn more at nowra.org.au

    Pastor Jo Barnes-White: 150 Years of the Wesley Centre and a Free Monday Lunch

  4. Jun 23

    Chance Hanlon: Three Generations, One Family, and Four Years of Aerobics on Junction Street

    Three generations. One family. And somehow, four years of aerobics classes in the middle of Junction Street. Discover how one name has quietly woven itself into the fabric of Nowra over decades. Barron Hanson speaks with Chance Hanlon of Hanlon Windows — Shoalhaven Citizen of the Year 2024 — about family, community, manufacturing, and what it means to back a town for the long haul. About Chance Hanlon: Chance Hanlon is a second-generation leader of Hanlon Windows, a family business founded in Bomaderry in 1979 that has grown into a nationally recognised manufacturer of aluminium and timber windows and doors. Under his leadership, the company has continued to build on its strong reputation for quality, innovation and community contribution, earning more than a dozen national awards along the way. Chance is passionate about backing local trainees and apprentices, investing in sustainable technology and supporting the long-term strength of manufacturing in the Shoalhaven. His leadership has been recognised with major honours including Shoalhaven Business Person of the Year in 2010 and Illawarra Business Person of the Year in 2017. In 2024, he was named Shoalhaven Citizen of the Year for his outstanding contribution to the community. Learn more at nowra.org.au

    Chance Hanlon: Three Generations, One Family, and Four Years of Aerobics on Junction Street

  5. Jun 23

    Avalon Bourne: What Happened When Young Nowra Residents Swapped Smartphones for Flip Phones

    What if the answer to youth anxiety started with a two-week ban on smartphones? Find out what happened when young Nowra residents swapped their smartphones for flip phones. Barron Hanson speaks with Avalon Bourne, CEO and Founder of Sonder Youth, about mental health, prevention, and how young people are being empowered to drive change in their own communities. About Avalon Bourne: Avalon Bourne is the CEO and Founder of Sonder Youth, a purpose-driven organisation improving youth mental health through positive action. She is passionate about helping young people build the tools, knowledge, experience and confidence to become agents of change in their own lives and communities. Through Sonder Youth, Avalon empowers young people to strengthen their wellbeing by focusing on prevention, self-efficacy, resilience, social connection and community connection. Her work is grounded in the values of kindness, hope and "doing the thing" — turning care into practical action. Sonder Youth won the 2024 NSW Youth Work Award for Outstanding Youth Participation. In 2025, Avalon was also awarded a prestigious Churchill Fellowship, recognising her commitment to youth wellbeing and community-led change. Learn more at nowra.org.au

    Avalon Bourne: What Happened When Young Nowra Residents Swapped Smartphones for Flip Phones

  6. Jun 23

    Uncle Gerry Moore: 40 Years Walking Between Cultures

    Forty years of walking between cultures, departments, and communities. Hear a Yuin elder's account of First Nations history in the Shoalhaven, and what genuine reconciliation looks like on the ground today. Barron Hanson speaks with Uncle Gerry Moore — a proud Yuin man from Wreck Bay and one of the most respected voices in Aboriginal affairs in Australia. About Uncle Gerry Moore: Uncle Gerry Moore is a proud Yuin man from Wreck Bay, here in the Shoalhaven, with more than 40 years of experience in Aboriginal affairs and community leadership. A former student of Nowra High School, his journey has taken him from local roots to national influence. Uncle Gerry has held a number of significant leadership roles, including Chair of the Nowra Local Aboriginal Land Council, Chief Executive Officer of the Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT, and CEO of SNAICC, the national peak body representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families. In 2020, his lifelong contribution was recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the Indigenous community. Through his leadership, he continues to guide conversations around respect, understanding, and what it truly means to belong. Learn more at nowra.org.au

    Uncle Gerry Moore: 40 Years Walking Between Cultures

  7. Jun 23

    Sasha Pierzo: Building Belonging, The Local Spotlight, and Planting More Flowers

    Sobriety, community, and a stage for local talent. This episode explores what it looks like to build belonging from scratch — and ends with one of the season's most refreshingly simple asks: plant more flowers. Barron Hanson speaks with Sasha Pierzo from Interchange Shoalhaven and The Local Spotlight. About Sasha Pierzo: Sasha Pierzo is part of the team at Interchange Shoalhaven, an organisation dedicated to supporting people with disabilities and their families through connection, independence, and everyday community participation. Their work spans social programs and activities, respite support for families, skill-building, and creating more inclusive pathways into community life. Sasha is also the founder of The Local Spotlight, an initiative that creates a safe, inclusive space where people of all abilities can share their talents, build confidence, and feel genuinely seen and celebrated. At its heart, The Local Spotlight is about belonging, opportunity, and giving local people the chance to step up and be part of something bigger. Learn more at nowra.org.au

    Sasha Pierzo: Building Belonging, The Local Spotlight, and Planting More Flowers

  8. Jun 23

    Captain Paul Hannigan: HMAS Albatross and Australia's Only Naval Air Station

    Did you know that Nowra is home to Australia's only naval air station? Barron Hanson speaks with Captain Paul Hannigan, Commanding Officer of HMAS Albatross, about the base's history, its role in the community, and why this remarkable piece of Australian defence history deserves a much bigger place in Nowra's story. About Captain Paul Hannigan: Captain Paul Hannigan has built a distinguished naval aviation career spanning more than four decades, marked by service, leadership and a deep commitment to community. Originally from Scotland, he graduated from Napier Polytechnic in Edinburgh with an engineering degree before entering Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, in 1989. He earned his Royal Navy pilot wings in 1991 and went on to serve for 17 years as a helicopter pilot, with operational deployments in Northern Ireland, the Former Yugoslavia and Iraq. In 2006, Paul emigrated to Australia with his wife and three daughters to join the Royal Australian Navy. One of his most notable contributions came during the devastating 2019–2020 South Coast bushfires, when as Commanding Officer of 808 Squadron he led MRH90 Taipan helicopter operations in support of affected communities. Now appointed as Commanding Officer HMAS Albatross, he is widely respected for his inclusive, decisive leadership. Learn more at nowra.org.au

    Captain Paul Hannigan: HMAS Albatross and Australia's Only Naval Air Station
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About

Nowra.org.au is a community-driven movement revitalising Nowra's CBD through arts, culture, evening economy initiatives, and local business support. Host Barron Hanson — a fifth-generation Nowra local — sits down with the people quietly shaping the Shoalhaven: business owners, community leaders, artists, local politicians, and everyday residents doing extraordinary things. Season 1 features 14 conversations exploring what makes Nowra tick, and where it's heading.

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