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Luke previously worked as the physiotherapist for the Geelong Football Club (while being a Western Bulldogs supporter, giving him a good understanding of a dual narrative).

He has long been a lover of books and writing, and has three novels in a drawer, but when COVID-19 hit, he decided that it was time to take his shot.

He won the 2021 Bellarine Writers Competition short story competition and was the Equal Second Prize Winner of the Sorrento Creative Writer Prize. Gerald Murnane said Luke's writing is ‘impressive’ and ‘possesses material, natural sensibilities and instincts.

Join me on the Confab to gain an understanding of Luke’s life journey and passions.

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On a number of occasions prior to 2017 Hannah wanted to donate some of her pre-loved baby items to local charities. Often the charities most likely to need these items were unable to accept donations due to a lack of both space and resources to sort, clean, safety check and store items. This meant that many valuable and needed pre-loved items weren’t able to be passed on to women in need. It also meant that when these services had clients in need, they often weren’t able to assist them with baby items and equipment quickly and easily.

In her search for someone to donate to, she came across St Kilda Mums in Melbourne and Dandelion Support Network in Sydney. She discovered similar services in various other states and territories in Australia and after reaching out to a range of local services, she realised this was something that was much needed in Canberra, this led to the creation of Roundabout Canberra.

Join me on the ConFab to gain and understanding of her life journey and passions.

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Joe Matera is an Italian-Australian guitarist, rock journalist and author. In addition to a solo career, Joe is the guitarist in the Sweden-based rock band Rough Rockers, and was formerly the lead guitarist of Australian famous pop rock band Geisha between 2007 and 2010.

Joe is also well known as a rock journalist, having published over 600 articles since 1999. He writes for magazines such as Guitar Player, Guitar World, Goldmine, Record Collector and others.

He has interviewed bands and celebrities including Aerosmith, Metallica, Foo Fighters, Kiss, Queen, Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi and Black Sabbath. Matera's work has appeared in many magazines such as Classic Rock, Guitar & Bass, Metal Hammer and Total Guitar.

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CEO Sunita Kotnala has been named the 2025 Canberra Citizen of the Year.

Tinkering has been a lifelong hobby for Sunita Kotnala, who grew up crafting driftwood and blocks of wood into furniture for fun.

When she became bored of her dining room table, instead of buying a new one, Ms Kotnala took out her tools and transformed it.

Women’s Shed Canberra runs hands-on home repair and maintenance workshops for women.

The focus is on skill-building and mental health for women of all backgrounds.

Participants develop skills in; carpentry; using power tools and DIY.

Through the Women’s Shed Canberra, Sunita has made a space for women of all backgrounds and abilities to: meet, get inspired and develop new skills.

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My guest on the ConFab with Michael G is a multiple woodwinds specialist Jim "J" Geddes. Jim has been touring the world being featured in groups such as the "World Famous Harry James Orchestra" to large Tony-Award winning Broadway shows such as "Ave Q" and "In The Heights." “J” has also played in countless American rock, swing and funk groups through out the states.

J is also a fine classical musician and has played flute and clarinet with many classical orchestras in Minnesota, Wisconsin and California. He is currently residing in Taipei, Taiwan

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Brother Thomas Oliver (Olly) Pickett AM co-founded Wheelchairs For Kids in 1996 to provide adjustable wheelchairs and occupational therapy expertise for children in developing countries, free of charge.

Since then, more than 60,000 custom-built wheelchairs have been gifted to children in over 80 countries.

With over 250 retiree workshop volunteers, Wheelchairs For Kids is one of Western Australia’s largest (and with an average age of 74, one of Australia’s oldest) volunteer-led charities. A further 550 people from aged care and community groups sew covers for wheelchair soft supports, and crochet rugs and soft toys.

Olly also spearheaded the development of an innovative, low-cost wheelchair design to World Health Organization standards that grows as the children do – a world first.

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Dr Suzanne Packer is a pediatrician and child advocate who was the 2019 Senior Australian of the Year.

Since starting her career as a paediatrician in 1972, she has worked tirelessly to advocate for the rights of children. Sue has been a leader in child abuse prevention and treatment and a champion of the importance of early childhood environments for the developing brain.

Sus has been involved in child abuse prevention through the National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect since its very early days and has treated babies and children suffering terrible trauma from child abuse and neglect.

In addition, Sue has championed the importance of early childhood environments for the developing brain, leading to recognition by education and government agencies. Sue was one of the driving forces behind the acknowledgement of the importance of creating child-friendly spaces in hospitals and the value of play in recovery.

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As a young person, Corey developed a love of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects but found little encouragement for Aboriginal people to pursue careers in STEM.

A key reason was that regional and remote schools were often critically under-resourced, and their students did not receive the same learning experiences as students in urban areas.

In 2018 Corey founded DeadlyScience, a not-for-profit organisation to provide STEM resources and learning experiences to regional and remote schools in Australia and connect young Indigenous people with STEM professionals.

Since then DeadlyScience has grown to be Australia’s leading Indigenous STEM charity working with over 800 schools and community organisations across all states and territories.

Join me on the ConFab to gain an understanding of his life journey and passions.