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Explore powerful stories at the intersection of history, culture, and music—from Aboriginal cricket pioneers and war heroes to legendary albums by Hendrix, Miles Davis, and Gurrumul. This blog dives deep into First Nations resilience, iconic protest music, and untold truths that shaped Australia and the world. Engaging, thoughtful, and unapologetically real—where powerful voices from the past meet today's social conversation.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this page contains images and names of deceased persons.
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Music Spotlight: Saltwater Band, Gapu Damurrun.
There’s a special kind of magic when music comes from a deep connection to Country, language and culture. For Saltwater Band, from Galiwin’ku on Elcho Island in northeast Arnhem Land, that connection is at the heart of everything they do. Their debut album, Gapu Damurrun, brought the sounds and stories of Yolŋu life to a wider audience, blending contemporary rock and reggae with traditional influences and songs sung in Yolŋu languages. The band was formed around the late Dr.
Groote Broadcasting
6 days ago1 min read
A First Nations actor, a legendary civil rights family, and the biggest bank heist in British history.
Madeleine Madden is one of the brightest stars in Australian screen acting right now and she carries one of the most significant names in this country’s history. She’s the granddaughter of Charlie Perkins, one of Australia’s most important civil rights leaders, who led the famous 1965 Freedom Rides and became the first Aboriginal man to graduate from an Australian university. Her aunt is director Rachel Perkins. Activism and courage are in her blood. And Madeleine has carried
Groote Broadcasting
Oct 142 min read
A powerful First Nations voice takes to the stage: Leonie Whyman
You might already know her face without realising it. Leonie Whyman currently features on the hit ABC TV series Deadloch, the sharp, funny, much-loved crime comedy set in Tasmania...appearing both on screen and on its soundtrack. But acting is only one string to her bow. Under the name LEO, she’s a genuinely captivating musician. A proud Makwarra-Barkindji and Wiradjuri songstress, LEO is a multi-disciplinary artist who builds her sound live and raw, looping her guitar and he
Groote Broadcasting
Oct 121 min read
Music Spotlight: Nabarlek Band, Munwurrk (1999)
Hailing from the Northern Territory, Nabarlek emerged from the community of Maningrida in Arnhem Land, bringing together traditional cultural influences with the energy of contemporary rock. Their debut album Munwurrk, meaning “Bushfire” became an important early recording in the story of Indigenous Australian rock. The title track, ‘Munwurrk’, captures much of what made the band distinctive. Guitar-driven rock meets the rhythms, language and cultural identity of Arnhem Land,
Groote Broadcasting
Oct 101 min read
Music Spotlight: 'Countryman' by Frank Yamma.
There is something elemental about Frank Yamma’s voice...deep, weathered and full of lived experience. On Countryman, released in 2010, the Pitjantjatjara singer-songwriter delivers a powerful collection of songs about Country, family, love, loss, identity and the realities of contemporary Aboriginal life. Produced by David Bridie and Tim Cole with Bart Willoughby on drums, the album is beautifully restrained. Acoustic and electric guitars, piano, keys and understated percuss
Groote Broadcasting
Oct 31 min read
Kardajala Kirridarra — Kardajala Kirridarra (2017)
Released in July 2017, Kardajala Kirridarra introduced the world to an extraordinary collaboration of Mudburra women from Marlinja and Kulumindini in the Northern Territory, joined by Melbourne-based producer and multi-instrumentalist Beatrice Lewis. The name translates roughly as “Sandhill Women”, referring to a mysterious bush woman from the sandhills behind Marlinja whose descendants are part of the group’s story. Musically, the album occupies a fascinating space between a
Groote Broadcasting
Sep 262 min read
Deborah Mailman: A Career That Changed Australian Television.
From a young actor growing up in Mount Isa to one of Australia's most respected performers, Deborah Mailman has spent more than three decades helping change the way Aboriginal people and stories are seen on Australian screens. And now, she's made history. At the 2026 TV WEEK Logie Awards, Mailman became the first Indigenous person inducted into the Logies Hall of Fame—an extraordinary honour and one that was a long time coming. She is also only the sixth woman to receive the
Groote Broadcasting
Sep 112 min read
Alexis Wright: Writing from an unshakeable Waanyi worldview.
Alexis Wright is a member of the Waanyi nation, from the southern highlands of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Born in Cloncurry in 1950, she grew up to become not just one of Australia's finest writers, but arguably one of the most important literary voices this continent has ever produced. And that's not us being generous. Before the novels, there was the activism. Wright worked for decades across Aboriginal organisations and campaigns...on land rights, on mining, on community. Th
Groote Broadcasting
Sep 12 min read
Little J & Big Cuz.
What do you get when you mix two cheeky cousins, a wise Nanna, a mischievous dog and plenty of imagination? Little J & Big Cuz! The much-loved Australian animated series follows Little J and his older cousin Big Cuz as they navigate school, family, friendship and life in their Aboriginal community. Along the way, they learn about culture, Country, language, history and the importance of listening to their Elders—but the clever part is that it never feels like a lesson. It's f
Groote Broadcasting
Aug 281 min read
“Black Boy” by Coloured Stone.
Released in the early 1980s, the track helped bring the voice of Aboriginal Australia into the mainstream through the infectious sound of one of the country's pioneering Indigenous rock bands. Led by Bunna Lawrie, Coloured Stone brought together rock, reggae, pop and traditional Indigenous influences, creating a sound that was unmistakably Australian — but unlike anything else on the radio at the time. “Black Boy” has an irresistible groove, but underneath the rhythm is somet
Groote Broadcasting
Aug 211 min read
Yothu Yindi — Treaty and the Moment Everything Changed.
If you want a single moment that represents the breakthrough of Indigenous music into the Australian mainstream, this is it. Yothu Yindi — a band of Yolŋu and non-Indigenous musicians from Arnhem Land — released Treaty in 1991, a powerful protest against the Australian Government's failure to honour Prime Minister Bob Hawke's promise of a treaty, made at the Barunga Festival in 1988. The original version struggled for commercial airtime. Then a Melbourne DJ remixed it into a
Groote Broadcasting
Aug 151 min read
The media has enormous power to shape what people know.
What happens when the stories we hear about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are overwhelmingly stories about crime, disadvantage and conflict? We start to believe that those stories are the whole story. That was one of the concerns raised during the Australian Parliament's current inquiry into racism, hate and violence directed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The inquiry is examining not only racism itself, but also the influence of social media
Groote Broadcasting
Aug 132 min read
Album Spotlight: Christine Anu — Waku – Minaral A Minalay.
After two decades without a new album of original material, Christine Anu returned with something far more meaningful than a comeback record. Waku – Minaral A Minalay is a beautiful journey into family, Country, language and memory, drawing heavily on songs passed down from Anu’s grandfather, Saibai Island songman Nadi Anu. Working with longtime collaborator David Bridie, Anu blends traditional Torres Strait Islander music with contemporary production, creating something that
Groote Broadcasting
Aug 81 min read
Our closing story for Blak History Month: Amethea Mamarika.
Amethea Mamarika is one of the leading voices on Groote Eylandt, combining a passion for community, language and culture with a remarkable career in broadcasting. A proud member of the Mamarika Clan—one of the 14 major clan groups of Groote Eylandt—Amethea joined Groote Broadcasting's Anindilyakwa Radio in 2019. Her natural leadership, commitment to community and exceptional broadcasting skills quickly saw her rise through the ranks, and in April 2021 she was appointed Statio
Groote Broadcasting
Jul 312 min read
Blak History Month: Jimmy Little
Jimmy Little — a proud Yorta Yorta man from Cummerangunja Mission in New South Wales — holds a distinction that should be far more widely known: he was the first Indigenous Australian to achieve mainstream chart success. His 1963 recording Royal Telephone was the first recording by an Indigenous Australian to achieve mainstream chart success, reaching number one on the Sydney charts and number ten nationally. To fully grasp how remarkable that was, consider the context — in t
Groote Broadcasting
Jul 251 min read
Blak History Month: The Central Australian Aboriginal Women's Choir. Voices That Carry Culture Across Generations.
Music has always been a powerful way to share stories, preserve culture and bring people together. Few groups embody that spirit more beautifully than the Central Australian Aboriginal Women's Choir. Made up of women from remote communities across Central Australia, the choir is unlike any other. Their performances blend centuries-old Lutheran hymns with the rich sounds of Aboriginal languages including Arrarnta and Pitjantjatjara, creating a musical tradition that is both de
Groote Broadcasting
Jul 112 min read
Blak History Month: Warumpi Band; The Sound of a New Australia.
Before Indigenous music was regularly heard on mainstream radio, four young men from the remote community of Papunya were quietly changing Australian music forever. Formed in 1980, Warumpi Band became one of the country's first Aboriginal rock bands to achieve national recognition. Their music blended infectious rock rhythms with stories of Country, family and identity, creating a sound that was unmistakably Australian. What made Warumpi Band truly groundbreaking was their fe
Groote Broadcasting
Jul 42 min read
Blak History Month 2026.
This July 2026, we celebrate Blak History Month — a powerful time to honour the strength, survival, and sovereignty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It’s more than a look back — it’s a spotlight on the truth, brilliance, and resistance that continues to shape this country. Blak History Month is about truth-telling — unfiltered, unapologetic, and proud. This is a time to remember our warriors, our artists, our trailblazers. A time to reflect on injustices, cel
Groote Broadcasting
Jul 11 min read
NAIDOC Week is almost here — and this year is a big one. The 50th.
Most people know NAIDOC Week as a time of celebration. Flags flying, art, dancing, community events, kids learning culture at school. And it absolutely is all of that. But the story of how it began? That's something every Australian should know. Because NAIDOC didn't start as a party. It started as a protest. Back in 1938, on the 150th anniversary of British colonisation, Aboriginal leaders organised what they called the Day of Mourning. While the rest of the country celebrat
Groote Broadcasting
Jun 262 min read
Artist Spotlight: Emma Donovan.
Emma Donovan is one of those artists that has the rare ability to make you feel every word they sing. A proud Gumbaynggirr and Yamatji woman, Emma has spent more than two decades establishing herself as one of Australia's most respected and beloved performers. Whether she's singing soul, country, gospel or blues, there's an authenticity to her music that can't be taught. It comes from culture, family, experience and a deep connection to story. Born into the renowned Donovan m
Groote Broadcasting
Jun 201 min read
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