Show Notes
The Silent Prison, Episode 1 of the podcast Look History in the Eye is about the convergence of ideology and design. Pentridge Prison in Melbourne, and its on-site panopticons, were the physical manifestation of criminal reform ideas in the 1800s. Radical concepts were designed into the architectural vision for the prison and introduced a method we now know as one of mankind’s most brutal forms of punishment. Interviews with Melbourne archaeologists Adam Ford and Geoff Hewitt. Pr...
More from Look History in the Eye, Melbourne
What can almost 1,000 inquest records tell us about dark history we should know more about? In the latest episode of Look History in the Eye podcast, Public Record Office Victoria speaks with Dr Jo Wainer AM, one of Australia's most influential feminist campaigners, about the fight to end Victoria's backyard abortion industry. She survived death threats and court challenges but wouldn’t rest until women stopped dying. Dr Wainer reflects on the campaign she and her husband Bertram led fr...
Behind Melbourne’s fading advertisements lie stories that were never meant to survive. In this talk, author and historian Sean Reynolds uncovers the hidden lives of women revealed through his Melbourne Ghost Signs research - stories found not only on walls, but in rate books, police files, directories, inquests, and the deep holdings of PROV. Recorded live at the Victorian Archives Centre in February 2026. This podcast is produced by Public Record Office Victoria, the archive of the state gov...
What secrets do Melbourne's ghost signs hold? Join us as Sean Reynolds, the Instagram-famous 'ghost sign guy' shares tales of roving North Melbourne unveiling the vibrant history embedded in every brush stroke. We pause at enchanting spots like the Maison Marnay Brandy sign, and learn about Sidney Albert Cheney, the automotive pioneer who helped bring Chevrolet and Morris to Australian roads. This is a recording from Rare Book Week 2024. This podcast is produced by Public Record Office ...
Unravel the enigma of the 'Sandy Point Man'. Discover how advanced forensic techniques combined with historical detective work put a name to a skeleton discovered off the coast of Victoria in 2017. With Victorian forensic experts Dr. Dadna Hartman and Dr. Runa Daniel leading the charge, hear how they applied complex methods like bomb pulse dating and forensic genetic genealogy to give the body a name and reveal what happened the day he disappeared. This podcast is produced by Public Record Of...
Join us as we journey into the profound stories of Australian women who ventured to the United States during the 1920s and 1930s, leaving their mark on the art world, sport, politics, and society. With historian Dr. Yves Rees as our guide, we uncover research into pioneering artist Mary Cecil Allen, Judge May Lahey, surfer and teacher Isabel Letham and social economist Persia Campbell, whose remarkable achievements built bridges across the Pacific before the second world war tied the knot. A ...