Radio highlights
The Story of Pop: All that Funky Stuff — "The hardest working man in show business, the Godfather of Soul, Mr Please, Please, Please, Minister of the New, New, Super Heavy Funk: Mr James 'Butane' Brown." James Brown is still the funkiest person alive and perhaps the most influential yet under-recognised contributor to modern popular music. ABC Radio National, Friday, August 25, 8.05pm.
Indian Pacific: 50th Anniversary of Indonesian Independence — Peter Mares looks at the role of Australian trade unionists in struggle against Dutch colonialism in Indonesia. Wharfies black-banned Dutch ships in Australian ports, to the chagrin of the Australian government. ABC Radio National, Saturday, August 26, 8.05am.
The Science Show celebrates its 1000th program. Presenter Robyn Williams reviews the first 999 shows, full of scientific discoveries, interviews with personalities in the egghead world, exposes of scientific fraud, examinations of the social and political impact of science and also a fair share of humour. ABC Radio National, Saturday, August 26, 12.40pm (repeated Monday, August 28, 7.10pm).
Timber for Gold: the Story of the Kalgoorlie Woodlines — When Kalgoorlie's Golden Mile mines opened in the 1890s, immense amounts of wood were needed to support the shafts, stoke the furnaces and make railway sleepers. This program looks at the lives of the timber cutters until the 1960s, when their services were no longer needed. The environmental impact of over-cutting is also examined. ABC Radio National, Sunday, August 27, 2.05pm (repeated Thursday, August 31, 2.05pm).
Sunday Concert: Queen Ida and the Bon Temps Zydeco Band — The party music of the Louisiana swamps with its jumping mix of African American blues, R 'n' B, soul and cajun music, which originates from the French colonial period. ABC Radio National, Sunday, August 27, 4.05pm.
Radio-Eye: Christiana — Brent Clough's always fascinating radio doco series presents the story of the Danish urban commune, Christiana. Established in 1971 in an abandoned barracks in the heart of Copenhagen, the community has grown to 1000 people in a self-managed collective. ABC Radio National, Sunday, August 27, 8.30pm.