Lydia's story of her marriage with her first husband details 12 years of significant abuse, but she's using it to educate others who may be experiencing something similar.

Hina Cross was seven years old when the last of the 193 nuclear bombs was tested in French Polynesia in 1996. But she never learned about it in school.  After being diagnosed leukaemia at the age of 24, Hina began to realise the full extent of the fallout.   Now an Anti-Nuclear Activist and newly appointed Member of Parliament in Tahiti, Hina aims to unveil the country’s true history and give Polynesians the chance to tell their own stories.   This week's episode of Stories From The Pacific is a repeat of the show broadcast on 12th July 2023

Wendy Mocke, a Papua New Guinean actor, playwright and screenwriter, has spent six months hosting Stories From the Pacific.  She wraps up her time in this special send-off, reflecting on the journey by revisiting powerful moments from each guest.   Wendy shares their words of cultural wisdom and offers an intimate glimpse into lives and communities across the Pacific she asks each of them this question: “What’s one thing about your culture or community that isn’t widely known or celebrated, but you wish the world understood?” 

Stories From TheWhat does it mean to grow up between two worlds?  For Elvina Poki Ogil, one world is a village in Papua New Guinea, where the mountains know your name. The other is a city in Australia, where people try to define you without ever learning where you come from.  It’s this in-between space that Elvina knows well.  She’s a corporate lawyer, a podcast host, and someone who doesn’t shy away from hard truths, whether it’s colonial legacy, structural inequality, or the quiet ways culture erodes when no one is looking. But ask her how she identifies, and she’ll tell you: “I’m a member of my father’s tribe, first and foremost.” Pacific

He's a voice heard across the Pacific airwaves each weekday morning. Jacob Simil McQuire co-hosts Radio Australia's Nesia Daily program, and he's known for his quick wit and quips. But as well as being a journalist and a broadcaster, he's a community builder. A proud Darumbal and South Sea Islander man, Jacob's the glue in so many spaces he walks through. His message? "We're still here". Wendy Mocke explores what makes Jacob tick.

Ronny Kareni was raised in Papua New Guinea, part of a generation of West Papuan families who fled across the border seeking safety. And ever since, he's used every space — on stage, in community, in policy rooms — to make sure West Papua is seen and heard. He talks about the work, the weight, and the will it takes to carry a fight that's ultimately about sovereignty, survival and the power of music to move hearts where politics cannot.

Mental health frameworks weren't built with us in mind. So, what happens when we build our own? In this episode, we meet Gabrielle Tor, a Melanesian clinician and researcher based in Oregon, USA. Gabrielle is challenging what care looks like, and who it's built for. We talk about what it means to decolonise psychology, why healing isn't individual, and how knowledge systems from the Pacific offer more than insight — they offer a way forward. Gabrielle is helping reframe mental health by centring culture, community, and climate in the conversation.

What happens when the body you've built your life around — your talent, your identity, your career — breaks? Before Tajhon Mailata lost his leg in a workplace accident, he lost his brother. Two life-altering blows, back-to-back — and the real test began.  

For Kathy Martin, maps aren't something you find on your phone. They're inherited; passed down in the way your aunty cuts fish or says your name like it's always belonged to the land. From Piis-Paneu in Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia, Kathy grew up knowing that place wasn't just something to chart — it was something to feel. Her earliest memories are of travelling between islands like the ocean was a highway guided by language, memory, and the people who raised her. Culture wasn't taught. It was lived. Kathy came from a community where every adult looked out for every child, where stories were shared like food, and where language didn't just communicate — it anchored identity. She carried that with her. From teaching at her former high school to working across the Pacific helping schools support Micronesian students and families, to stepping onstage as a storyteller. In this episode, Kathy shares how Micronesian children are raised in community and why that matters. Why culturally safe education begins with language and belonging. And what it meant to step onstage and speak a truth too often overlooked: that culture is not small, and neither is Micronesia. This is a story of voice, vision, and the kind of maps we carry long before we ever draw our own.

Illustrator Jaelyn Biumaiwai has spent most of her life navigating that question.  Raised on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, Jaelyn’s story is about piecing together identity when the world doesn’t offer you the full picture. Growing up in a twin bubble, surrounded by family, she didn’t always have the words — or community — to help her feel grounded in her Fijian identity. That journey she’s had to seek out, reclaim, and learn to carry in her own way.  Now, through bold and beautiful illustrations, Jaelyn brings her culture to life, not just for herself, but for others still searching too. In this episode, we talk identity, cultural reconnection, and the joy of finally seeing yourself, and helping others do the same.

A proud Gudang/Yadaykenu and Saibai man, Jay's a hilarious comedian, fierce drag performer and self-confessed "black nerd". Born in Townsville, raised across Canberra, Fiji, and Wollongong, Jay's comedy blends sharp wit with deep love for community. From open mics in Cairns to the stages of Edinburgh Fringe, he uses laughter as both survival and celebration. Whether he's serving up Reanna-Matrix, his drag alter ego, or taking aim at racism and homophobia, Jay is flipping the script — one punchline at a time.

Gazellah Bruder has carved out a powerful path as an artist, storyteller, and advocate. Her work boldly centres women, mothers, survivors and warriors, while tackling big themes like colonial legacy, environmental loss, and gender-based violence. With more than 50 exhibitions across Papua New Guinea and around the world, she has become one of the Pacific's most fearless and influential voices in contemporary art.  Now featured in the upcoming exhibition Invisible Lines, Gazellah continues to challenge, provoke, and inspire - turning creativity into a tool for truth and transformation. In this two-part series, she joins us to share her journey, her practice, and the powerful stories behind her art. 

Gazellah Bruder has carved out a powerful path as an artist, storyteller, and advocate. Her work boldly centres women, mothers, survivors and warriors, while tackling big themes like colonial legacy, environmental loss, and gender-based violence.  With more than 50 exhibitions  across Papua New Guinea and around the world, she has become one of the Pacific’s most  fearless and influential voices in contemporary art. Now featured in the upcoming exhibition  Invisible Lines, Gazellah continues to challenge, provoke, and inspire. Turning creativity into a tool for truth and transformation.  In this 2-part series, she joins us to share her journey, her practice, and the  powerful stories behind her art. 

Gazellah Bruder has carved out a powerful path as an artist, storyteller, and advocate. Her work boldly centres women, mothers, survivors and warriors, while tackling big themes like colonial legacy, environmental loss, and gender-based violence.  With more than 50 exhibitions across Papua New Guinea and around the world, she has become one of the Pacific’s most  fearless and influential voices in contemporary art.  Now featured in the upcoming exhibition, Invisible Lines, Gazellah continues to challenge, provoke, and inspire: turning creativity into a tool for truth and transformation.  In this two-part series, she joins us to share her journey, her practice, and the powerful stories behind her art. 

From the rugby fields of Cairns, far north QLD, to representing his country by captaining the Kumuls, Rod Griffin has carved out a career defined by resilience, leadership, and a deep commitment to giving back.   A proud Papua New Guinean who made his mark in the game, Rod has played for clubs like the Wests Tigers, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, and Ipswich Jets. But his legacy extends beyond the field, he's shaping the next generation of young athletes today. From professional footy to mentoring aspiring players, Rod’s journey is one of passion, perseverance, and purpose.  

Aselu Vaguna O'Brien is a draftsman, climate advocate, and a man of many talents—though if you ask his friends, he's also just 'Strawberry,' the guy who won't stop talking about rugby or his love for fresh fruit. Born in Fiji and raised in Tuvalu, Aselu's journey has taken him from engineering to media, from construction sites to mapping coastlines that are disappearing before his eyes. Today, he's using technology to document Tuvalu's changing landscape and fighting to ensure his homeland has a future.

Gemma Bird Matheson is an actor/writer/producer of South African and Papua New Guinean heritage. Self-identifying as a queer, Papua New Guinean Christian, Gemma's journey has been an interesting one, particularly when it has come to selecting roles that she can see herself in and relating to. She was a finalist for the 2018 Heath Ledger Scholarship and starred in AACTA and International Emmy Nominated ABC series Content, which also won a prolific Rose D'Or award. She has become an example of Pacific excellence outside the islands and with a wild journey of a life story (that is continuing to unfold) to share, Gemma shares some of her experiences with Stories From The Pacific.

For Thomas Manglona, journalism is life. Hailing from the island of Rota, Thomas is a native Chamorro multimedia journalist, whose work in covering government, social justice and environmental issues for TV, has solidified him as a trusted and respected figure within his local community. For Thomas, he has always loved journalism and storytelling and he has always known what the final goal would be. The founder of the Pacific Islander Journalism Taskforce, Thomas' work has extended into the advocacy space, where he champions journalists and coverage across the Oceania region. Today Thomas shares more on the journey he has taken through his career and the next step he takes into the future.

Jeshua Gideon Hope received his new name when he was 11-years-old. He was raised in a community where introduced Evangelical beliefs encouraged Indigenous-Fijian families to "de-native" themselves as they were taught to believe that this was bring them closer to God.  As an adult, Jeshua is an advocate for the de-colonising of his own culture as well as other Indigenous communities around the globe. Jeshua says he is only able to do this through seeking learning and being curious with kindness.   

Mara Mahoney on discovering "what was wrong with her" and how knowledge is power.