In this special live recording of Hey History! host Axel Clark asks historians Clare Wright, Anna Clark and Kiera Lindsey what historical objects can tell us about the past?

What can a piece of ochre tell us about Australia’s Deep Time History?

Can an old gold pan help us to hear the past?

And what about a pair of South Australian pink shorts?

We ask kids what objects are special to them, and play guessing games with objects - including one that's in the Guinness Book of World Records!

This episode of Hey History! was recorded on Kaurna Country for the 2025 Schools Day of Adelaide Writers Week.

Many thanks to Adelaide Festival, especially Suzanne Critchley, and Tahlia Greco.

Many thanks to the History Trust of South Australia for the use of an image of Don Dunstan's shorts, and the National Museum of Australia for kindly granting permission and usage of images from their collection including:

• The water bottle of Robert O'Hara Bourke
• A gold panning dish
• Chris the sheep

Voices

• Anna Clark is a Professor of History at the University of Technology, Sydney.
• Clare Wright is a Professor of History and Public Engagement at La Trobe University.
• Kiera Lindsey is South Australia's History Advocate and an award-winning historian.

Episode image

Photo of Hey History on stage live in front of primary school students in the Women's Pioneer Memorial Garden in Adelaide, South Australia.

Credits

• Hosted by Axel Clark.
• Produced on Gadigal Country by Anna Clark, Clare Wright and Jane Curtis.
• Executive producers are Clare Wright and Anna Clark.
• Podcast concept, design and development by Anna Clark.

Thanks to all the students whose voices you hear in this episode and their schools and teachers.

Hey History! is produced by the Australian Centre for Public History at UTS and UTS Impact Studios.

Impact Studios' executive producer is Sarah Gilbert.