Bringing His Spirit Home: Private Arthur Thomas Walker, Ngarrindjeri Anzac, has been shortlisted in the 2024 Australian Podcast Awards!
The seven-part podcast was created by award-winning podcast producer Megan Spencer for the Virtual War Memorial Australia with the participation and permission of Private Walker’s family.
One of five podcasts shortlisted in the ‘History’ genre, Bringing His Spirit Home tells the story of Private Arthur Thomas Walker, a Ramndjeri man of the Ngarrindjeri nation in South Australia, who volunteered for the AIF during WWI, serving as an ANZAC in Gallipoli and later France, on the Western Front, where he was KIA with ‘no known grave’.
Before leaving for Gallipoli, Private Walker and his wife Mabel named their first son ‘Anzac’, born on the day of the infamous allied landing there on 25th April, 1915. Four descendants bear his name across three subsequent generations.
Private Walker’s story is one of First Nations truth-telling, reconciliation and spirituality. It expands and diversifies the legend of ANZAC, the much-revered ‘foundation myth’ of Australian history after colonisation.
The award nomination publicly recognises this, as well as Private Walker’s service, sacrifice, and his family’s continuing dedication to keeping his spirit alive across the generations, continents and cultures.
It also recognises the Virtual War Memorial Australia, Australia’s largest online memorial, which commissioned the podcast for its innovative Schools program.
The Awards will be held in Sydney on 21 November. More about the Australian Podcast Awards here.
Listen to Bringing His Spirit Home: Private Arthur Thomas Walker, Ngarrindjeri Anzac here.
Grid photos: Megan Spencer and Warren Melling.