Barbara Brookes
Baby Farmer: the story of Minnie Dean
Minnie Dean must rank as one of New Zealand's most infamous figures. The only woman to be judicially executed in New Zealand history. For years she was portrayed as a cold-blooded killer who murdered… Audio
Madam: the story of Flora MacKenzie
Flora MacKenzie is one of the most colourful characters in New Zealand history: A hard drinking, hard talking brothel owner from the 1960s and 70s who won the affection of sex workers, police and… Audio
The history of shame in Aotearoa
What is shame? What's a scandal? And how have those forces adapted to the New Zealand cultural landscape? Audio
NZ Biography - Truby King and the legacy of Plunket
Otago university professor Barbara Brookes discusses the life of the founder of our modern day Plunket Society, Frederick Truby King. Audio
Fighting the Same Fight
Feminised or gendered roles in the workforce were carved out in our past and still impact on the lives of women in the workplace today. Find out more in Episode 8 of Beyond Kate. Audio
Sure to Rise
Mathematics, science and English might be what we consider the core elements of a good education today, but back when women won the right to vote, learning to bake the perfect scone was considered an… Audio
Women Caught Between Two Worlds
Being a woman of colour in a predominantly white society brings with it a complex set of rules and expectations that are often not spoken about. Episode Four of Beyond Kate looks at some of the Maori… Audio
Rights and Ownership Over the Female Body
From crotch-less bloomers and women’s fashion in the late 19th century to contraception, menstruation and abortion. Episode Four of Beyond Kate explores the politics and double standards around the… Audio
The Useful Woman
Episode Two of Beyond Kate explores politics, the reality of women at the polling booths, and Victorian attitudes that kept women in the home. Audio
Unwrapping the Suffrage Petition
Gaining the vote was a battle hard won for New Zealand women. Episode one of Beyond Kate visits the petition, hears about the woman whose name sits atop it & looks at the lives of rural women then and… Audio
Abortionist: the story of Annie Aves
Annie Aves was a famous abortionist from the 1930s. She was tried four times but each time the jury failed to reach a verdict. Audio
The History of Caring in New Zealand
Today's expert has researched caring and its history particularly in New Zealand. By caring we are talking about looking after those who are unable to take care of themselves, such as children, the… Audio
Tale to two children in Nazi Germany wins fiction award
Catherine Chidgey has taken out the top fiction prize at the NZ book awards for her tale of two children in Nazi Germany. Audio
Book Awards winner: 'A long, long time to write'
Persistence has paid off for author Catherine Chidgey, who worked for 13 years on her novelThe Wish Child before it won the country's $50,000 fiction award.
NZ Book Awards: 'The Wish Child' takes top novel
Waikato author Catherine Chidgey has won the country's top fiction prize for her novel The Wish Child.
Barbara Brookes: a history of New Zealand women
Guest host Philippa Tolley interviews Barbara Brookes, Professor of History at the University of Otago, about her new book A History of New Zealand Women. Audio
A History of New Zealand Women: an extract
On International Women's Day, Otago University history professor Barbara Brookes provides a snapshot of women's lives in colonial New Zealand.