Nancy Bird Walton – Angel of the Outback
Nancy Bird Walton, Australia’s pioneering female aviator, became the youngest woman in the British Empire to gain a commercial pilot’s licence at 19. Her passion for flying started at 13 with a joyride in a de Havilland Gipsy Moth, prompting training with Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, purchase of her own plane, and barnstorming tours across New South Wales with Peggy McKillop to offer joyrides and charters that brought aviation and women pilots to rural areas. She is best known as the “Angel of the Outback” for her 1930s humanitarian flights with the Far West Children’s Health Scheme, transporting doctors, nurses, supplies, and baby health services to remote outback communities, often navigating by road maps and landing in rough paddocks, to provide life-saving care to isolated families. With remarkable courage, she broke gender barriers in aviation while revolutionising healthcare access in regional Australia.
Henry Lawson
Henry Lawson was one of Australia’s most celebrated literary giants. Best known for his stark and striking poetry and short stories, Lawson’s raw depictions of life in the Australian bush strike a chord in the hearts of anyone who reads his work. As we look at the life and times of this renowned Australian poet, we might learn some lessons from his life and work.
Ophir – The Hunt for Solomon’s Gold Mines
King Solomon of the royal House of David is considered the richest human being the world has ever known. For centuries, the legend of King Solomon’s gold mines, said to be the source of much of his immense wealth, has captured the imagination of Arabs and Europeans alike. According to the Bible, Solomon, the wise son of King David, ruled from Jerusalem from 970 to 930 BC. As Israel’s third king, he presided over the nation’s Golden Age and became renowned not only for his extraordinary wisdom, but also for his unmatched riches.
Ned Kelly – The Outlaw
In June 1880, the Kelly gang clashed with the Victoria Police in a long-anticipated shootout. When the police arrived in the small town of Glenrowan, where the gang was holed up, they quickly donned their homemade iron armour, crafted from stolen ploughboards. Whatever else Ned Kelly may have been; he was undoubtedly innovative. Join us this week as we explore his story and examine the Biblical armour that God has prepared for each of us.
King Herod – A Legacy of Blood and Stone
He is one of the most reviled and hated men in history. He was the king of the Holy Land during the time of Jesus and is best known for ordering the massacre in Bethlehem of all male children under 2 years old. His name? Herod the Great.
Charlotte Elliot – A Journey of Faith and Redemption
Charlotte Elliot’s story is one of resilience, faith, and grace. Born in 1789 in England, she faced lifelong physical and emotional struggles that left her questioning her worth before God. A turning point came when Dr. Cesar Malan visited her and encouraged her to come to God just as she was. This profound moment inspired her to write the hymn Just As I Am in 1835—a reflection of her personal journey of surrender and faith. The hymn’s simple yet powerful message of approaching God without pretence has touched millions. It influenced figures like C.S. Lewis, who found comfort in its words during his spiritual journey, and Billy Graham, who regularly used it in his evangelistic altar calls. Just As I Am endures as a timeless reminder of God’s unconditional love and grace—welcoming all who come to Him, just as they are.
Walking With Reindeer
The Sami are known as the people ‘who walk with reindeer’, but they not only walk with reindeer, they also rest with them, and they bring us a reminder of an…
When the Bridge Fell – The Tangiwai Train Disaster
On Christmas Eve, 1953, New Zealand’s holiday celebrations were shattered by tragedy. The Wellington to Auckland night express, filled with passengers eager to be home for Christmas, was making its way north when disaster struck. A lahar (volcanic mudflow) had swept away the Tangiwai Rail Bridge, plunging the train into the raging Whangaehu River below. The result was catastrophic — lives were lost, and the nation was left in shock. It was one of the darkest moments in New Zealand’s history. At the time, it ranked as the eighth-deadliest rail disaster in the world and captured international headlines. With a population of just over two million, nearly everyone in the country knew someone affected. The fact that it occurred on Christmas Eve only deepened the collective sorrow. To this day, it remains far more than a local railway accident — it is a national tragedy. Join Gary Kent as he explores the story of the Tangiwai disaster, uncovering its profound impact on the people involved and the country as a whole. In the midst of grief and loss, perhaps we too can find comfort and strength as we reflect on how to navigate sorrow and hardship in our own lives.
The Christmas Truce of 1914
World War I, often called the war to end all wars, began in 1914 after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, an event that ignited the already rising tensions among European nations. The war commenced in August with widespread enthusiasm, as young men rushed to enlist, believing they would return home by Christmas. However, by December, the optimism for a swift victory had vanished, replaced by the harsh reality of trench warfare. Millions of soldiers found themselves in muddy trenches, separated by a deadly no man’s land filled with barbed wire and the fallen. As the cold winter of 1914 settled over the Western Front and Christmas approached, the mood was sombre, with many experiencing their first Christmas away from home. The contrast between the season’s message of peace and the brutal daily realities of war was stark. Yet, on Christmas Day 1914, something extraordinary occurred—a moment of unexpected humanity as the guns fell silent. Join Gary Kent as we explore the trenches of the Western Front and uncover the story of this remarkable day.
Escape from North Korea
Step into one of the most volatile places on earth: the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Despite its name, the DMZ is the most militarised border in the world, a tense strip of land dividing North and South Korea since the 1953 armistice. Join Gary Kent at the DMZ as he uncovers the stories behind this high-stakes border, the human cost of division, and the universal longing for freedom shared by people in every place and every time.