Audio on demand

Researcher, author and Irishman Richard Reid and photographer Brendon Kelson examine the role of the Irish in Australia, to be featured in a forthcoming National Museum book, The Scattered Children of St Patrick.

Curator Kirsten Wehner outlines the themes of the new National Museum of Australia gallery, Creating a Country (now Landmarks). It will look broadly at the history of Australia since European colonisation of the continent in the late eighteenth century.

Historian Barry Butcher explores the work of four Australians who contributed to the growing corpus of Darwinian science from the 1860s to the 1890s: William Edward Hearn, Robert David Fitzgerald, Walter Baldwin Spencer and Alexander Sutherland.

Theologian Neil Ormerod examines debates over creationism, creation science and intelligent design, and how they muddied the waters of what was held in the Catholic Encyclopedia over 100 years ago regarding the theory of evolution.

Science journalist and broadcaster Robyn Williams presents a humorous summary of proceedings from the Charles Darwin symposium.

Historian Paul Turnbull summarises Charles Darwin’s arguments in Origin, its diverse reception in British and European circles from 1860 to 1900, and how the natural history of humanity came to be envisaged in Darwinian terms.

Historian Tom Frame explores Charles Darwin’s personal profile and describes the impact of his scientific views, his attitudes and opinions on religion.

Museum director Craddock Morton launches a symposium for examining and understanding the life and times of Charles Darwin, the impact of his published work and his scientific legacy. Includes an introduction by ABC Radio National science broadcaster Robyn Williams.

Archaeologist Colin Groves outlines the fossil history of human evolution. He examines how some parts of the human fossil record appear to depict gradual change, while others seem better interpreted by the model of punctuated equilibria.

Historian Tony Barta examines to what extent Charles Darwin’s ideas were misused by others and discusses the tragic effect of Darwinian eugenics in Australia and Germany.