Australian Adoption Podcast - My Unknown Truth
My Unknown Truth is a podcast sharing the stories and lived experiences of Australians who have been through adoption and foster care.
These stories are often complex, spanning over 50 years and touch on difficult truths, from growing up in an under-resourced system to Australia’s traumatic history of forced adoptions and Stolen Generations.
But within the darkness, there is also light; stories of hope, courage, resilience, and love. Hosted by Nadia Levett, an adoptee born and raised in Australia, this podcast is a deeply personal project.
It’s my wish that by sharing a range of voices and experiences, we can build greater awareness and understanding around adoption and foster care in Australia, spark informed conversations, and encourage others to share their truth, open hearts, minds, and homes to children in need.
Episodes
43 episodes
Episode - 42 Part 1 “Jo on Reunion, Identity, and the Power of Story”
Hey everyone, welcome to The Australian Adoption Podcast: My Unknown Truth.In this two-part episode, I’m chatting with Jo - an adoptee, advocate, and the voice behind the Adopt Perspective podcast. Jo was born in 1971, ...
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Season 4
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Episode 42
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45:06
Episode 41 - "The Science of Calm: Dana Hargus Talks on Biofeedback, Attachment, and the Restore Method"
Hey Listeners!In this episode, I sit down with Dana Hargus - licensed professional counsellor, founder of Restore of Ada, and passionate advocate for trauma-informed healing.Dana shares how her journey as a mother to an adopted so...
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Season 4
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Episode 41
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54:50
Episode 40 - "Ryan Jon: Adopted…and Adept at Stirring Emotions"
Welcome to The Australian Adoption Podcast, where we explore the stories that shape us; stories of identity, resilience, and the courage it takes to search your truth.Today’s guest is someone many of you will recognise, not just...
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Season 4
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Episode 40
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43:50
Episode 39 - "Adoption Wasn’t a Big Deal for Michelle … Until It Was!"
Today, we’re sitting down with Michelle- a mum, a midwife, a nurse, and someone who has walked the winding path of adoption and healing. Adopted at six weeks old, Michelle grew up in southern Sydney with her brothers and a whole lot...
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Season 4
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Episode 39
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51:01
Trailer: "Under the Radar - Stories That Needed Telling"
Welcome to The Australian Adoption Podcast: My Unknown Truth, a space for the stories that live beneath the surface.In this trailer, host Nadia Levett shares the origins of the podcast and in Episode 1 she shares her personal jo...
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1:10
Episode 38 - “Winging It Since 1982: A Bonus Chat with Jo Sparrow”
Hey Everyone, and welcome to this special bonus ep of The Australian Adoption Podcast. This one’s a bit different - I’m flipping the mic and sharing an interview I did with Jo Sparrow on Adopt Perspective. We get into all of i...
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Season 4
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Episode 38
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1:38:16
Episode 37 - "The Fire of Belonging: A Journey Through Loss and Sovereignty"
Welcome to Season 4 of The Australian Adoption Podcast, with your host Nadia Levett, where truth is reclaimed, stories are given a voice, and silence is broken. Today, we are privileged to hear from Shane Bouel, a man whose life was...
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Season 4
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Episode 37
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7:47
Episode 36 - "Empowered Voices: Emily Hikaiti Elevating Youth in Australia's Care System"
Welcome to Season 3 of the Australian Adoption Podcast, with your host, Nadia Levett.In today’s episode I’m joined by the inspiring Emily Hikaiti. Emily is an Australian-born Māori woman with a powerful story and a deep commitme...
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Season 3
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Episode 36
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57:55
Episode 35 - "Adopted and Adopting: Peter's Journey of Love and Legacy"
"Welcome to the Australian Adoption Podcast, where we explore stories that inspire, challenge, and broaden our perspectives. In this episode, we're honoured to introduce Peter, an 81-year-old adoptee from New Zealand and brother of ...
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Season 3
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Episode 35
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59:35
Episode 34 - "FRAGILE, Handle with Care: Barton C Williams Story of War, Art & Identity"
Hi listeners, today I am speaking with Barton. A former Surf Life Saver, Australian barefoot water ski champion and an educator, Barton is also a published writer, an actor in film, tv, and theatre. He is also a Vietnamese war...
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Season 3
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Episode 34
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46:11
Episode 33 - "Every Child Deserves Better: Renee Carter on Reform, Resources & Adopt Change"
Hi everyone, today I will be speaking to Renee Carter, CEO of Adopt Change Australia. Adopt Change is a non-profit organisation with its purpose to support children in need, focussing on government care, foster care, orphans, or children withou...
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Season 3
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Episode 33
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43:55
Episode 32 - "The Gift That Keeps on Giving: Kura Perkins on Love, Loss & Legacy"
Hi everyone, today I speak with Kura. Kura Perkins is a Perth-based adoptee. Born in 1975 and was adopted in Western Australia at 6 weeks of age to newly arrived immigrants from New Zealand. They decided to give her a Māori, name an...
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Season 3
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Episode 32
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53:16
Episode 31 - "Adopted & Amplified: Jim Moginie’s Soundtrack of Searching"
Hi Listeners, In this episode I sit down with Jim Moginie. We had an amazing conversation over zoom from his home in Ireland and I was fortunate to meet him for the launch of his new book earlier this year. For 50...
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Season 3
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Episode 31
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46:47
Episode 30 - “Make a Difference, Travel, Heal”: Denna’s Story of Adoption & Awakening
Hey guys, Today I’m speaking with Denna. Denna is an intercountry adopted person, born in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 1979. She grew up in Mclaren Vale, South Australia, and an organisation, formerly known as ASIAC organise...
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Season 3
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Episode 30
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32:10
Episode 29 - "Healing the Heart First: Alyson’s Woo-Woo Wisdom for Adoptee Wellness"
Welcome to today's podcast. My guest is Alyson, an Australian adoptee from the Baby Scoop Era of the 1970s. Alyson holds a Bachelor's degree in Naturopathy and is certified in a wide array of modalities through her business, “Your ...
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Season 3
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Episode 29
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45:21
Episode 28 - "When You’re Missing the Story: Julie on Health, Heritage & Making Sense of It All"
Today I will be speaking to an international adoptee from Chicago, Julie who is also a author–memoirist, essayist, and columnist– who writes about finding out who you are, where you come from, and making sense of it. At 48, julie wa...
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Season 3
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Episode 28
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1:03:34
Episode 27 - "Six Weeks, Fifty Years, One Answer: Lisa’s Adoption Story Unfolds"
Today’s guest, Lisa was born in England in 1970 and was adopted at six weeks of age into a family who had already adopted a son.Lisa’s family moved to Australia when she was two years old and the family grew to include a biological daugh...
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Season 3
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Episode 27
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52:00
Episode 26 - "What Nanny’s Diary Revealed: Jo’s Late Discovery & the Search for Truth"
Jo is a late discovery adoptee who discovered at the age of 46 that everything that she had known to be true about her identity and family was no longer, it was like a sudden and tragic death. The information that blew her world apart was a dia...
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Season 3
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Episode 26
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1:11:04
Episode 25 - "Of Priests, Nuns & DNA: Brendan’s Search for Belonging"
When Brendan was eight years old, his parents told him he was adopted. In his late twenties, he found out the identity of his birth mother – but she wanted nothing to do with him. For thirty years there was only limited communicatio...
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Season 3
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Episode 25
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55:52
Episode 24 - "Unfolding the Self: Jo’s Path Through Forced Adoption & Healing"
Jo is an adopted person, born in Adelaide in 1969. She lives with her family in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Creativity has been a constant in her life and she worked in advertising, marketing and design for many years, but is now quietly forging...
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Season 2
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Episode 24
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51:49
Episode 23 - "Love That Lasts: Rowan Dent on Family, Success & Sacrifice"
Today I am interviewing a gentleman by the name of Rowan Dent in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Rowan is a father of one who has been impacted by adoption and has seen first hand, the joy and love adoption has played in his life. <...
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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45:19
Episode 22 - "Birds, Words & Becoming: Toni Moon’s Adoption Story Unfolds"
Hi everyone, Today I will be speaking with Toni Moon.Toni Moon is a bird nerd, word nerd and adopted person breaking out of the fog.She is a journalist who writes about her own adoption journey amongst other things.<...
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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44:52
Episode 21 - "Riding the Waves Within: Layne Beachley on Surfing, Identity & Owning Your Truth"
Hi everyone, today I am talking with Layne Beachley. Layne is regarded as one of the world’s most successful athletes. She spent 19 years on the surfing pro tour. Won 7 world titles and is the only surfer in history, to win 6 consecutive world ...
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Season 2
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Episode 21
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38:55
Episode 20 - "Led by Heartstrings: Jonah’s Search for Culture, Family & Self"
Hey everyone, today I sit down and talk with another podcaster Jonah.Jonah was Born in Cairns and immediately placed in foster care, Jonah grew up with his adoptive family in Brisbane and Growing up in a Caucasian Australian family, Jona...
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Season 2
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Episode 20
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47:15
Episode 19 - "Fearless & Free: How Tammy Richie Turns Pain into Purpose"
Tammy Richie is an extraordinary woman who has overcome numerous obstacles in her life. Her journey began with a challenging start, as she was abandoned as a baby, losing everything she knew, including an identical twin. This early experience o...
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Season 2
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Episode 19
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1:18:36