A suburban newspaper ad. A leap of faith. A rough crossing filled with diesel fumes, cattle smells and the kind of uncertainty that tells you life is about to change. Jacqui sits down with Dawn Zelman, an accomplished artist, teacher, cook and storyteller who arrived on Flinders Island in 1987 and chose to stay.

Dawn’s memories are sharply detailed, sometimes funny, sometimes confronting and always grounded in the real logistics of building a life on a remote Bass Strait island.

We talk about buying affordable land at Lackrana and turning a shed into a home, complete with tanks, a dam and plenty of close calls with snakes. Dawn shares what it feels like to be a single woman living alone in the bush, the way locals test whether you will last and the stubborn steadiness it takes to keep going anyway.

Dawn also takes us aboard the Lady Jillian, the locally owned supply ship that once connected Flinders to the mainland and outer islands. As a relief cook, she feeds the crew, earns trust and witnesses an extraordinary operation: wild cattle lassoed and swum out to a dinghy, then winched onto the ship near Hogan Island.

From shipboard characters to the vital role of small town businesses as social hubs, Dawn reflects on how Flinders Island has changed across the decades, including the growing strength and enterprise of the Aboriginal community and the impact of Black Man’s Houses.

If you enjoy Tasmania travel stories, Flinders Island history, Bass Strait shipping and the art of making a home in a hard place, press play, then subscribe, share with a friend and leave a review.

Send us Fan Mail

If you'd like to provide feedback on this podcast, we'd welcome your comments at crew@furneauxcollective.com

In Episode 2 of Latitude 40 Season 2, Jamie West sits down with long-time island builder Guy Ireland for a warm and thoughtful conversation about life, resilience and community on Flinders Island.

From an unexpected encounter with hitchhikers in New Zealand that eventually led him to the island, to decades spent building homes, mentoring apprentices and supporting local organisations, Guy reflects on a life shaped by hard work, connection and purpose.

The conversation explores what it takes to build and run a business in a remote place, the importance of passing skills to the next generation, and the sense of community that keeps people anchored to island life.

Guy also speaks openly about the life-changing accident that left him paralysed, and the determination that has helped him continue contributing to the community he cares deeply about.

If you enjoy honest stories about resilience, island life, and the people who build more than houses, subscribe to Latitude 40, share this with a mate, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. What small decision ended up changing your life?

--------------------------

Guy Ireland
Long-time Flinders Island builder, mentor and community contributor who has spent more than three decades helping shape the island through his work, volunteering and support for younger generations.

---------------------------

About Latitude 40

Latitude 40 is a podcast by the Furneaux Collective celebrating the people, stories and spirit of the Furneaux Islands.

Each episode shares conversations with people whose lives and experiences help shape the character and future of our island community.

Send us Fan Mail

If you'd like to provide feedback on this podcast, we'd welcome your comments at crew@furneauxcollective.com

In the first episode of Latitude 40 Season 2, Jacqui Cooper sits down with Flinders Mayor Rachel Summers for an honest and heartfelt conversation about community, leadership and life on a remote island.

From accidentally moving to Flinders Island after confusing it with Bruny Island, to becoming Mayor, Rachel shares her journey, the challenges facing the island, and the power of community spirit.

This episode explores volunteering, housing, ageing well, infrastructure projects and what the future of Flinders Island could look like — all grounded in the people and stories that make this place so special.

What we talk about in this episode

• Finding home on Flinders Island
• The realities of remote island living
• Honouring a friend through community fundraising
• Stepping into local government and leadership
• Why volunteering is declining — and how it could change
• Major infrastructure projects shaping the island’s future
• Housing, workforce shortages and ageing well
• Voluntourism and visitors giving back
• Protecting what makes Flinders Island unique

Show notes and links

Flinders Council - https://www.flinders.tas.gov.au

Don’t try to change this place; let this place change you - The Islander Way Story - https://www.furneauxcollective.com/islander-way

Guest

Rachel Summers
Mayor of Flinders Council and long-time community member passionate about transparency, participation and the future of the island.

About Latitude 40

Latitude 40 is a podcast by the Furneaux Collective celebrating the people, stories and spirit of the Furneaux Islands. Each episode shares conversations with locals who help shape life on the island.

Send us Fan Mail

If you'd like to provide feedback on this podcast, we'd welcome your comments at crew@furneauxcollective.com

Debbie and Josie speak with Ben Backhaus about his family business, Bush Pharmacy, where Ben distills essential oils grown and harvested on Flinders Island. You can almost smell the aromas as Ben describes the range of oils. Ben attributes the unique properties of the oils to the geographic isolation of the Island created by the separation of the land bridge to the Australian mainland. Ben sees the support of the Island community as instrumental in allowing his business to develop and bloom.

Tourism has a future on the Island according to Ben, but he also recognises the strong ownership Islanders feel towards their home and their desire to share it with people who come to visit, who appreciate and respect the Island as much as locals do.

You can go to the beach, and there's no one going to be there for a few kilometres. You know, you have that isolation, you have that pureness and I think that, plays in a way, of the place thriving as well as people were considerate of this.

Ben's love for the Island is evident when he speaks of his return from an overseas trip and his exhillaration upon returning to the wild terrain, the isolation, the beaches and the smell of the ocean breeze.

Show notes and links
Bush Pharmacy | http://www.bushpharmacy.com | @bush.pharmacy
Kunzea ambigua | https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/gnp8/kunz-amb.html
Melaleuca ericafolia | https://austplants.com.au/Melaleuca-ericifolia/
Leptospermum scoparium| https://www.anbg.gov.au/leptospermum/leptospermum-scoparium.html
Smokey Tea Tree | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptospermum_glaucescens
Flinders Islannd Blue Gum | https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/179365
Separation of land bridge from mainland | https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/separation-of-tasmania
Furneaux Distillery | https://www.furneauxdistillery.com.au/flinders-island-single-malt-peated

This podcast is created for Designing Tourism by Debbie Clarke and Josie Major from GOOD Awaits. Audio Production is by Clarrie Macklin. Check out their podcast: https://www.good-travel.org/goodawaitspodcast
Music by Judy Jacques, The Mesmerist; Wybalenna Prayer from Making Wings © 2002 with kind permission of the artist.
Extract from the Islander Way read by Jana Monnone co-created by the local community with Brand Tasmania as part of the Flinders Island brand story.
Original photography by Sammi Gowthorp.
The Islander Way project is funded by the Tasmanian Government. We also acknowledge our partners, Flinders Council, Visit Northern Tasmania and The Tourism CoLab and the support of Flinders Island Business Inc.

Send us Fan Mail

If you'd like to provide feedback on this podcast, we'd welcome your comments at crew@furneauxcollective.com

In this espisode, Josie and Debbie talk with Mel Telfer: dental assistant, ambulance service volunteer, school teacher, truck driver, and a maker and the driving force behind The Purple Swamphen, the makers' co-op on Flinders Island.

To outsiders Mel's life might look daunting but for her, the multiple roles she fills provide opportunities to feel purpose, structure and function in her life. Mel talks about her connection to the Island community, and the honour she feels to serve in her varied roles.

Mel's need to create drives her to make and inspires others: "I feel like being creative is so much a huge part of being human."

Mel talks about the different makers who have embraced circular economy: salvaging found objects, creating new products and increasing their usefulness.

"We've got a few different makers ... one particularly works with plastics and ropes she finds on the beach, and she'll turn them into either artworks like a wall hanging and a lighthouse made out of different bits of plastic from the beach, or she'll make cards or key rings from the beach rope. So she's really starting to explore what she can do with all this kind of waste products that keeps washing up. Yeah, I've got another maker who will use baling twine from the hay bales to crochet baskets."

Show notes and links
The Purple Swamphen | https://thepurpleswamphen.com.au/about/
The Purple Swamphen instagram page | https://www.instagram.com/thepurpleswamphen/
Kangaroo Island | https://southaustralia.com/destinations/kangaroo-island

This podcast is created for Designing Tourism by Debbie Clarke and Josie Major from GOOD Awaits. Audio Production is by Clarrie Macklin. Check out their podcast: https://www.good-travel.org/goodawaitspodcast
Music by Judy Jacques, The Mesmerist; Wybalenna Prayer from Making Wings © 2002 with kind permission of the artist.
Extract from the Islander Way read by Jana Monnone co-created by the local community with Brand Tasmania as part of the Flinders Island brand story.
Original photography by Sammi Gowthorp.
The Islander Way project is funded by the Tasmanian Government. We also acknowledge our partners, Flinders Council, Visit Northern Tasmania and The Tourism CoLab and the support of Flinders Island Business Inc.

Send us Fan Mail

If you'd like to provide feedback on this podcast, we'd welcome your comments at crew@furneauxcollective.com

In this final episode of Season 1, Debbie and Josie speak with Wendy Jubb-Stoney who owns and operates Flinders Island Retreat. Wendy talks about her childhood on Flinders Island and her deep attachment to the Furneaux islands.

Returning to Flinders Island after years away, Wendy brings together her experience in food and hospitality, and her strong connection to the Island, to create a special guesthouse and cooking school at Cooma House. You can almost taste the flavours as Wendy describes the fruit and vegetables she lovingly grows and then harvests from her kitchen garden at Badger Corner.

Wendy takes genuine pleasure in hosting guests and sharing the stories of her island home. She recommends that visitors bring a good coat and hat, and a sturdy pair of boots. Wendy reflects on the importance of visitors understanding that "they are coming to a place that is remote. That is beautiful because it is remote. And as a result, the kinds of services that you may wish to have on a holiday elsewhere are not going to be necessarily at your fingertips on Flinders Island. You have to be resilient."

Show notes and links
Flinders Island Retreat | https://flindersislandretreat.com.au/
Long Island | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Island_(Tasmania)
Cape Barren Island | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Barren_Island
Wybalenna | https://www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_to_tasmanian_history
/W/Wybalenna.htm
Howqua Dale Gourmet Retreat | https://australianfoodtimeline.com.au/howqua-dale/
Truganini | https://www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_to_tasmanian_history/T
/Truganini.htm
George Augustus Robinson | https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/robinson-george-augustus-2596
Boadicea | https://www.britannica.com/biography/Boudicca
Soldier Settlement Schemes | https://www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_
to_tasmanian_history/S/Soldier%20settlement.htm
Memana, Flinders Island, Tasmania | https://www.flindersisland.net/memana/
Babel Island, Tasmania | https://www.niaa.gov.au/indigenous-affairs/environment/babel-island-ipa-and-tasmanian-aboriginal-centre-rangers

This podcast is created for Designing Tourism by Debbie Clarke and Josie Major from GOOD Awaits. Audio Production is by Clarrie Macklin. Check out their podcast: https://www.good-travel.org/goodawaitspodcast
Music by Judy Jacques, The Mesmerist; Wybalenna Prayer from Making Wings © 2002 with kind permission of the artist.
Extract from the Islander Way read by Jana Monnone co-created by the local community with Brand Tasmania as part of the Flinders Island brand story.
Original photography by Sammi Gowthorp.
The Islander Way project is funded by the

Send us Fan Mail

If you'd like to provide feedback on this podcast, we'd welcome your comments at crew@furneauxcollective.com

Lois Ireland shares her unique family heritage on Flinders Island as a member of the third generation of the Bowman family owning and running the general store. Lois reflects on the "pull of the mutton bird" that has drawn her and others back to live on the Island in Bass Strait.

Lois describes the sort of visitor she’d like to see on the Island,"people who come with a genuine interest in finding out about how the place ticks … someone who's got an inquiring mind and is interested in what happens ... more like your family visitor than a tourist who just comes and takes the last fish.”

Lois believes the Island's negative experience with tourism several years ago has served as a catalyst for regenerative tourism. Feeling the effects of an excessive number of people with their boats and campervans who descended on the Island, Lois says locals felt affronted by visitors who were not respectful of their environment and community.

Lois talks about the inevitability of change and the need for the community to embrace change, to shape the future of the Island, to control their own future, and guide government decisions.

Show notes and links
'Bowman's General Store Celebrating 100 years' in The Tasmanian Tuxedo, 4 November 2021| https://www.thetasmaniantuxedo.com/all-stories/92-bowmans-general-store-celebrating-100-years/
Muttonbirds or the short-tailed shearwater, The Muttonbirds of Bass Strait, CSIRO (1956) I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1Edgsbq6k8
Songlines of the Moonbird, TasEducation, 14 March 2014 | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAugRUk43qc
Furneaux Museum | https://www.furneauxmuseum.org.au
Interstate Hotel, Whitemark | https://www.interstatehotel.com.au

This podcast is created for Designing Tourism by Debbie Clarke and Josie Major from GOOD Awaits. Audio Production is by Clarrie Macklin. Check out their podcast: https://www.good-travel.org/goodawaitspodcast
Music by Judy Jacques, The Mesmerist; Wybalenna Prayer from Making Wings © 2002 with kind permission of the artist.
Extract from the Islander Way read by Jana Monnone co-created by the local community with Brand Tasmania as part of the Flinders Island brand story.
Original photography by Sammi Gowthorp.
The Islander Way project is funded by the Tasmanian Government. We also acknowledge our partners, Flinders Council, Visit Northern Tasmania and The Tourism CoLab and the support of Flinders Island Business Inc.

Send us Fan Mail

If you'd like to provide feedback on this podcast, we'd welcome your comments at crew@furneauxcollective.com

Former Mayor of Flinders Council, educator and always the Scot, Annie Revie talks about the dark history of Flinders Island and her decision to make the beautiful small island her home.

Annie talks about what a thriving Flinders Island would look like: "we're kind of living on the edge of sustainability. We're almost close to the stage where we may not have enough people to take us forward in a sustainable way."

"The people here have a strong sense of belonging. And what I would really want is that the people feel they are being listened to. And because of being listened to, that they'll kind of take up the reins. And from doing that they'll accept ownership of this place in a way that makes it more than the place it is now ... I'd like the community to value, its own values, to understand what their values are. And to value this place themselves, as well as any visitors. I'd like there to be a kind of a host/guest relationship between visitors and the community. Because when you have a host/guest relationship, it's like you're inviting people into your home. You know that they will value it, you know, that they will not trash it, you know, that they'll offer to do the dishes and that kind of thing. And we need people to participate in our island like that."

Show note and links
Annie Revie | https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-revie-a9148a217
Mt Strzelecki | https://parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/strzelecki-national-park/strzelecki-peaks
Wybalenna | https://www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_to_tasmanian
_history/W/Wybalenna.htm
The Flinders Story, the "Islander Way"| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k88Btlw88pw&t=1s
Dianne Dredge and Sarah Lebski are Designing Tourism | https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianne-dredge and https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-lebski-43052413
Art Gallery response to consultation on Flinders Is: https://www.islanderway.co/post/art-in-community-consultation

This podcast is created for Designing Tourism by Debbie Clarke and Josie Major from GOOD Awaits. Audio Production is by Clarrie Macklin. Check out their podcast: https://www.good-travel.org/goodawaitspodcast
Music by Judy Jacques, The Mesmerist; Wybalenna Prayer from Making Wings © 2002 with kind permission of the artist.
Extract from the Islander Way read by Jana Monnone co-created by the local community with Brand Tasmania as part of the Flinders Island brand story.
Original photography by Sammi Gowthorp.
The Islander Way project is funded by the Tasmanian Government. We also acknowledge our partners, Flinders Council, Visit Northern Tasmania and The Tourism CoLab and the support of Flinders Island Business Inc.

Send us Fan Mail

If you'd like to provide feedback on this podcast, we'd welcome your comments at crew@furneauxcollective.com