Lust, Love, Loss: Conversations is a three-part series produced by renowned broadcaster Megan Spencer that delves deep into stories of Australian wartime relationships. This episode follows the story of Julia and Jai Michel, who in the nine years they've known each other have spent three and a half living in the same place. Julia has navigated the trials and tribulations of organising a wedding, buying a house and weathering a pandemic all with limited communication to her husband. Listen as she unpacks life as a contemporary defence partner and explains how she kept her relationship going despite the distance while helping others do the same. 

Credits 

This podcast has been produced for the Shrine of Remembrance to accompany the Lust, Love, Loss exhibition (1 December 2021 – 1 November 2022).

Speaker: Julia Michel

Actor: Jai Michel

Interviewer/Producer/Sound: Megan Spencer 

Archival sound

'Children's Christmas party and messages to Vietnam 1968', Australian War Memorial Collection, Accession No. Accession No: F04721. Item copyright held by the Australian War Memorial ©, licensed under Creative Commons and used with kind permission.

‘Kentucky Fried Chicken - Hugo & Hill’ (1975, New Zealand) by Groove Myers. Reasonable attempts were made to identify the copyright owner of this audio material. If you have any information please contact Sue Burgess at the Shrine. Thank you to Grant Gillanders at Frenzy Music for his assistance.

Music

Original ‘Lovestruck’ music by Philip Brophy.

Performed by Bill McDonald (bass), Dan Luscombe (guitars), Garrett Costigan (pedal steel), Sianna Lee (vocals) and Philip Brophy (drums).

Audio mastering

Kris Keogh

Special thanks

Julia Michel for her time and the generous interview, and to Jai Michel.

Julia is the founder of the Defence Partners and Carers Support Group on Facebook 

Her blog is The Home Post AU 

Thank you

Beck Rayner, producer of the Military Life community and podcast (formerly ‘Military Wife Life’) and founder of the National Defence Partner Round Table (Julia is a speaker in the October 15, 2021 edition).

You can also hear Julia speak more about hers and Jai’s experience as an MWDU couple on Episodes 83 and 114 of Beck’s podcast. Find it at militarylife.com.au and on Facebook 

The Shrine team: Leigh Gilbert, Tessa Occhino, Sue Burgess and Neil Sharkey, curator of the Lust, Love, Loss exhibition. See it at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne until November 2022.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Shrine of Remembrance.

Support

If this interview raises any issues for you, please contact: Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 Open Arms (formerly VVCS) - Veterans & Families Counselling on 1800 011 046 or on their website

Episode duration

One hour

Lust, Love, Loss: Conversations is a three-part series produced by renowned broadcaster Megan Spencer that delves deep into three stories of Australian wartime relationships. For Tanja and Mark Johnston, what started as a chance meeting on the stoop of a share house in Toowoomba evolved into a relationship filled with letter writing, 90s mix tapes and good dose of humour. The couple combined Tanja’s love of art and Mark’s experience in the Army to co-create ANVAM – the Australian National Veterans Art Museum – which helps promote veteran wellbeing though art programs. This episode of Lust, Love, Loss follows their story from the stoop to the studio, and what it was like founding this cherished veteran’s organisation together. 

Credits

This podcast has been produced for the Shrine of Remembrance to accompany the Lust, Love, Loss exhibition (1 December 2021 – 1 November 2022).

Speakers: Tanja Johnston, Mark Johnston.

Letters: read by Tanja and Mark Johnston

Interviewer/Producer/Sound: Megan Spencer

Archival sound:

“Bougainville (Australian Peace Monitoring Group), Adrian Boland reporter, Ten News, December 1998”. 10X Media Group/Ten Network Australia

Home videos: Tanja and Mark Johnston.

Music:

Original ‘Lovestruck’ music by Philip Brophy.

Performed by Bill McDonald (bass), Dan Luscombe (guitars), Garrett Costigan (pedal steel), Sianna Lee (vocals) and Philip Brophy (drums).

Audio mastering:

Kris Keogh

Tape transfers:

Fleurieu Multimedia

Special thanks:

Mark and Tanja Johnston for their generous interviews, and for sharing their letters and home video audio for use in this podcast.

Tanja and Mark are the co-founders of ANVAM, the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum (ANVAM), located at 312 St. Kilda Road, Southbank. Find out more about what they do – and how you can support them – by visiting anvam.org.au and follow them at @anvam310 on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter .

Their annual March to Art exhibition is on at the St. Kilda Road space from Sunday 13 March – Sunday 1 May, 2022. This year’s theme is ‘Voice’.

Thank you: 

Judy Toohey at 10X Media Group for assistance, Liz Boulton, Gary Juleff and the Shrine team: Sue Burgess, Leigh Gilbert, Tessa Occhino, Laura Thomas and Neil Sharkey, curator of Lust. Love. Loss.

See the exhibition at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne until November 2022.

Disclaimer:

The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Shrine of Remembrance.

Support:

If this interview raises any issues for you, please contact:

Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14

Open Arms (formerly VVCS) - Veterans & Families Counselling on 1800 011 046 or on their website

Episode duration:

59:33

Please note that this episode was recorded in late 2021, around the time of the final withdrawal of Australian forces from Afghanistan.

Lust, Love, Loss: Conversations is a three-part series produced by renowned broadcaster Megan Spencer that delves deep into stories of Australian wartime relationships. Justin and Kendal Brown’s story began when they were just teens in the remote defence town of Woomera, but it wasn’t until years later that they became a couple. In this episode, Megan Spencer dissects Justin’s vow not to get married until he was discharged, what it was like for them both having two children while Kendal was still serving and how being in the military has shaped their relationship.