774 ABC Melbourne has released “Invisible History”, a podcast that reveals a slice of Melbourne’s past many are not familiar with. It is a story of survival, desperation and tragedy that challenges the way history is remembered in Melbourne.

The five-part documentary series follows the story of a young Gunnai man in Melbourne, Robert Young, who goes on a search for history and discovers why two Indigenous men’s lives ended the way they did in, amid the colonial war in 1842.

The podcast is produced by journalist and 774 station reporter Clare Rawlinson in collaboration with the City of Melbourne.

Acknowledging the little known historical facts of the of the series, Clare says, “it is a crucial and compelling story of Melbourne’s Indigenous history, that is not well known to current-day Melbournians, but is of significant importance to our colonial history. Local Indigenous people believe a public understanding of it is an essential part of our reconciliation. It’s a story which forces us to think about why we choose to remember the past the way we do, and how certain things in history shape the way we live today”.

In the final episode of the podcast, Robert poses challenging questions about why the story, and others, are made invisible, and what can be done to change this.

It is hoped that bringing this story to light will be an empowering and necessary step for local Indigenous people in Melbourne and also a revelatory story for anyone who lives in Melbourne or is interested in history.

Download the podcast here.