John Polson was a troubled teen when a sliding doors moment led him into the world of acting. He went on to create Tropfest, one of the world's biggest short film festivals, changing his life and the Australian industry.

Broadcaster James Valentine was offered two different treatments for his cancer so he chose the one that let him keep doing what he loved. When it returned a year later, he faced the end with courage, purpose and humour.

Two and half years after Belgian backpacker Celine Cremer went missing on a short hike, friends and local volunteers scour the forest and finally find the answers they're looking for.

Belgian backpacker Celine Cremer was on the trip of a lifetime but on a hike in Tasmania she took a wrong turn and was never seen again. More than two years later a group of friends and volunteers set out looking for answers.

Many would have despaired after losing both their arms but Ghanim Al Shnen embraced the possibilities of bionic medicine and focused on a dream - to be reunited with his family after 12 years apart.

Who cares for our children when we're gone if they can't care for themselves? As Deirdre Croft faces the end of her life, she's on a mission to ensure her son is looked after when she's gone.

Six years ago, Olympic champion Michael Klim almost lost the ability to walk. Then he received a devastating diagnosis. In this moving episode, Klim reveals how he hit rock bottom but ultimately emerged stronger.

BMX golden girl Saya Sakakibara dreamed of sharing Olympic glory with her brother Kai. When a racing accident almost took his life, Saya had to overcome crippling fear and ride for both of them.

How the hunt for runaway sausage dog Valerie fired up the Kangaroo Island community and sparked headlines around the world.

When a charismatic sports teacher arrived at Sarah Kopp's school, the talented student's life was upended. When she finally sought justice, she faced a near-impossible choice.

Kate Reid's croissants have been called the world's best. But how did a Formula 1 engineer battling a near-fatal eating disorder end up perfecting pastry?

When Louisa Ioannidis was found dead in a creek, police found no suspicious circumstances. But Louisa's brother had his doubts and with a private investigator has exposed serious flaws in the police case.

In 2001, Alex Lloyd broke through with his massive hit Amazing, a song that led to the best and then the worst time of his life. Now he's getting his life back on track.

They were once the most famous refugee family in Australia. We check in with the Tamil family from the small town of Biloela who were at the centre of one of the country's biggest people-power movements in recent years.

When Jane Dudley used an unapproved and icky treatment to cure her crippling depression, it grabbed the attention of the medical world, paving the way for large-scale clinical trials.

Actor and producer Claudia Karvan speaks openly about how an unconventional childhood fuelled her brilliant career. An encore screening of one of our most popular episodes.

Sheep farmer Liz Heggaton and surf writer Tim Baker should never have met, but a shared experience put them on a mission to highlight the potentially deadly side effects of a commonly prescribed cancer treatment.

At the peak of his career, legendary Australian football manager Ange Postecoglou speaks exclusively to Australian Story about Tottenham Hotspur's stunning Europa League victory and says he's still dreaming big.

Celeste Barber went from unemployed actor to social media sensation for her celebrity parodies. But behind the hilarity is a story of struggle and self-doubt.

A mysterious email. Shocking revelations. And the ultimate betrayal. How teacher Hannah Grundy was forced to become her own detective to unmask a sick cyber criminal whose identity she couldn't believe.

As rock band Cold Chisel marks its 50th anniversary, we explore why the iconic group has made such a lasting impact on Australian culture.

A doctor puts his life on the line to try and cure his own brain cancer, using the very treatment he helped pioneer to save melanoma patients.

Singer Elly-May Barnes on stepping out of her famous father Jimmy's musical shadow, on the long road to the spotlight and how she channels her physical challenges into a powerful cabaret act.

Australian Story celebrates the extraordinary life of former PM Bob Hawke, who died aged 89. Featuring rare photos from the family's private collection and revealing interviews with Hawke and those who knew and loved him.

From a homeless alcoholic living in the wild to academic success and a book deal - the amazing comeback story of forest dweller Gregory Smith.

Australian Story returns with an exclusive behind-the-scenes invitation to the wedding not everyone in the family wanted, as former Prime Minister Tony Abbott's sister Christine Forster marries her partner Virginia Flitcroft.

What A Wonderful World: Fifty years on, Patricia Amphlett (Little Pattie) returns to Vietnam where as a 17-year-old she was on stage performing for Australian troops when the Battle of Long Tan broke out.

The woman on a mission to change the face of fashion: Model agent Chelsea Bonner is the daughter of famously beautiful parents but she's staked her career on changing our ideas of beauty and body image.

Adam Boland was just 26 years old when he was handed the reins of the ailing Sunrise program on Channel 7. It was the start of something very new and a game changer for the networks. Some observers credit Boland with paving the way for the current ascendancy of the Seven Network. But it's been a tempestuous ride for Adam Boland. Now in the aftermath of a very public implosion, he's walking away from the industry that he says nearly destroyed him.

Mohammed "Dr Mo" Mustafa might only be a junior doctor from Perth but he's got the ear of leaders from around the world as he tries to turn his dream of a children's hospital in Gaza into reality.

In an encore screening, rock legend Nick Cave talks candidly about grief, addiction, religion and why he's still making challenging music in his 60s.

Sheep farmer Rob Armstrong never expected to be the face of political resistance. But when his state government proposed a levy that would hit volunteer country firefighters, a childhood trauma propelled him into action.

In 1966, a Melbourne high school was thrown into chaos when strange objects appeared in the sky. Sixty years on from Australia's biggest UFO sighting, witnesses are still looking for answers about what they saw at Westall.

In the 1960s and 70s, Mal Leyland was one of the best-known people on TV, as one half of the Leyland Brothers. Now at age 81, the pioneer of outback documentaries is suffering dementia - but still planning one last trip.

From Arnhem Land to rock stardom, Yothu Yindi's Witiyana Marika was destined to take centre stage. Now, at a crucial time for his community, he's shed his dreadlocks and emerged as a leader of his people.

When pensioner Ian Williams lost $1,300 in a banking scam, he expected a quick refund and apology. The bank's response so incensed the "stubborn bugger", he sued it for $379,000,000.

The gripping conclusion in the mysterious case of Louisa Ioannidis, who was found dead in a creek in 2011. Intrigued by a podcast's revelations, a legal team has discovered new evidence and is pushing to re-open the case.

The forgotten man: Peter Hall completed the Sydney Opera House after Danish architect Jorn Utzon resigned. But he was pilloried for his efforts. He died broken and destitute.

The remarkable story of Barry 'Nugget' Rees, who rose from the most unlikely circumstances to become friend and trusted confidante of generations of Australia's elite cricketers.

Inside the private life of international rugby star David Pocock. We travel back to his homeland Zimbabwe where dramatic events shaped the passion that so famously drives him today, both on and off the field.

Shane Jenek is the man behind drag queen superstar Courtney Act. It hasn’t always been easy for Shane reconciling himself with Courtney’s popularity but together they’re conquering the world and spreading a message of inclusivity.

In the season finale, Australian Story meets an 81-year-old inventor who's saved the lives of hundreds of premmie babies and checks in with the hilarious Dustyesky 'fake Russian' choir for a special Christmas performance.

His ideas caught the eye of the US President. Now engineer Saul Griffith is making waves at home, joining his local community in an ambitious project to electrify their suburb and power it with renewables.

A matter of conscience or act of betrayal? Former Labor Senator Fatima Payman reveals the inner torment behind breaking ranks to vote against her party and the fallout that followed, at home and in the capital.

The legacy of the Port Arthur massacre and the impact it had on survivors and witnesses.

Scott Johnson was a young man with everything going for him - a maths genius with a bright future. But on a trip to a Sydney beach one sunny day in 1988, everything changed. The search for the truth of what happened that day has brought together a wealthy internet pioneer, an international super sleuth, and the NSW Police Cold Case Unit. This week, the story of their quest to solve a twenty-five-year-old-mystery.

This week's program goes to the 'tip of the spear' with elite commandos trapped in a lethal and protracted gun battle in Afghanistan. "It's not like TV, it's not a movie, this is for real" says army chaplain Padre John Sanderson. Earlier this year Corporal Cameron Baird was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for his raw courage in the heat of combat. In this concluding episode, his commando colleagues provide a rare, poignant and riveting account of those fatal hours...

From her high-end advertising agency in Sydney, Dof Dickinson committed her resources to make a film about an animal she'd never met and in the process, met a community she'd never forget - the people of Port Hedland.

The first in a two-part special. What happens when a neighbours' dispute in a rural community suddenly goes global?

Reigning world surfing champion Tyler Wright reveals how her campaign for the title was almost derailed when her brother Owen was seriously injured in a surfing accident.

Ossie Cruse has been healing divisions in this country for 50 years. Now in his 80s he's inspiring his community to re-establish an ancient pathway where Aborigines first reached out to white settlers.

A cyclist found dead on a country road with very few clues as to who hit him. Against all odds, two country cops track down the driver, only to discover he is connected to another death.

Concluding the two-part story about one man who has killed two people. The man was convicted of killing a cyclist on a lonely road but is still to face charges relating to the shotgun death of his wife six years earlier.

In the final chapter, Lachlan Murdoch finally wins the long struggle to take over the family empire. But at what cost?

Untold stories from behind the scenes of Race Around the World, the show that launched John Safran and become one of the '90s unlikeliest TV hits.

Rachael "Raygun" Gunn broke the internet with her Olympic routine, sparking countless memes and vitriolic abuse. A year on, Australian Story asks what the hell was that all about?

She's flamboyant, provocative and brave. She's also married to David Walsh, founder of the Hobart-based MONA gallery. So why does artist and curator Kirsha Kaechele feel she's not taken seriously?

In Part 2 of this candid account of the actor and filmmaker's 25-year career, we focus on Joel Edgerton's rise to the top, the anxiety attacks he now grapples with, his charity work and making sense of 'a selfish life'.

From vilified 'drug cheat' to Olympic gold, Shayna Jack's extraordinary return to the pool.

Mystery at sea: Two men leave on the trip of a lifetime, but only one returns. Now family and friends embark on a quest to solve this baffling disappearance in the remote Pacific Ocean.

Maggie MacKellar was a city dweller who seemed to have it all – a successful academic career, a devoted husband, a young daughter and another baby on the way.

This week's Australian Story provides a rare insight into the mysterious world of Australia's elite Commando regiments. Corporal Cameron Baird was killed last year in Southern Afghanistan. At the time the Australian Defence Force said the 32-year-old soldier had 'died how he lived – at the front, giving his all, without any indecision.' Earlier this year he was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross which made him Australia's most decorated soldier, in company with Corporal Benjamin Roberts-Smith. Corporal Baird was the very last Australian soldier to be killed in action in Afghanistan - just months before the troop withdrawal. Now, for the first time, those closest to him are telling his story...

Eighty-year-old Dr. Rodney Syme is prepared to defy the law to help a terminally ill man die, even if it means going to jail.

With summer fast approaching, the experience of a Queensland family is a timely warning of a hidden and deadly danger that can lurk in warm, fresh waters of regional Australia.

A disillusioned young outback doctor experiences a series of traumatic events that lead to the most positive and unexpected of outcomes.

Leila McDougall has been defying the odds since childhood. She's overcome dyslexia, beaten cancer, and after sneaking into acting school, has written, produced and starred in a feature film to help her farming community.

Modelling agent Chelsea Bonner has spent her career fighting to change perceptions of beauty but now she has an even bigger battle on her hands - artificial intelligence.

Comedian Michelle Brasier was told she had a 97 per cent chance of getting cancer. She chose to laugh about it.

How Love on the Spectrum and Austin's Michael Theo found his voice and became a global star.

Murat Dizdar is a proud working-class man who's made it his mission to win back private school students to the public education system.

A portrait of maverick MP Bob Katter, the eccentric 79-year-old TikTok star who could soon even hold the balance of power.

In her first in-depth interview since her father's death, former tennis star Jelena Dokic opens up about the years of abuse she suffered at his hands and how she rebuilt her life.