Uncurated

Egging Us On

Uncurated

Show Notes

At the very end of WWII, a group of UniMelb students threw eggs and other ingredients at the then Minister for War Organisation of Industry, John Dedman. The suit he wore, designed to cut corners and save fabric for the war effort, ironically became the target of an anti-rationing and conscription protest that day. Several Australian politicians have been egged since then, it might be worth asking why. Interviewees: Dr Elaine Pratley

Van T Rudd

Reporter: Siena Kinkela Show Host: Siena Kinkela. Executive Producer: Michael Saliba Sound Design: Xue Xue Marketing: Megan Yin, Leyla Arrykova. Supervising Producer: Louisa Lim See photos of our objects and more behind the scenes on Instagram at @‌uncuratedpod Uncurated is a Centre for Advancing Journalism podcast, produced at the University of Melbourne on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More from Uncurated

Oct 19, 2026

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Oct 12, 2026

In 1917, three years into World War One, student Guido Baracchi got into trouble with the University administration for publishing articles about Australia’s involvement in the war. This socialist, anti-war, anti-conscription student was seen as a traitor by the staff and other students, and his punishment was being thrown into a lake by his peers. Today, the University of Melbourne still tries to silence student protesters when their message pushes back against the system. Interviewees: Jeff Sparrow Philip Goad Zara Chauvin-Cunningham Reporter: Grace Gooda Show Host: Siena Kinkela. Executive Producer: Michael Saliba Sound Design: Xue Xue Marketing: Megan Yin, Leyla Arrykova. Supervising Producer: Louisa Lim See photos of our objects and more behind the scenes on Instagram at @‌uncuratedpod Uncurated is a Centre for Advancing Journalism podcast, produced at the University of Melbourne on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 12, 2026

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Oct 5, 2026

The porticoes, lawns and classrooms of the University of Melbourne have seen their fair share of unrest, spanning from eggings to dunkings through protest marches, barricades and occupations. Some of the most consequential protests in Australian history took place on this campus. In this new season, students from the Centre from Advancing Journalism explore the university's unruly past. Each episode we’ll dust off an object from the archives that tells a story about protest here on our campus, revealing the role played by students in the fight for labour rights, gay rights and women's rights, as well as in the anti-war movement. We will explore the story of forgotten protests as we explore the value of campus activism, and we ask what happens when the university tries to rule student unruliness. This series also asks: what do we lose when protest is stifled? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 28, 2024

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