The Australian Bite

New Australian passport a step up in style!

30 July 2009

Listen and download: MP3

The Australian government recently released its new N-Series passport, which not only features increased security, but looks great too. You can find out more about it on this week’s Australian Bite. We’ll also take a look at what its like to be a Muslim woman in Australia – at least from one young person’s perspective. And we’ll meet world ten pin bowling champion Jason Belmonte, from the town of Orange, in rural New South Wales

New Australian passport an innovative design

It’s the one thing you can’t leave your country without.   A passport has always been about identification and security.  And as such, passports have historically been fairly bland looking.  But that’s all changed with the recent release of the new N Series passport in Australia.  It’s not only more secure than the older style passports, but it also contains some very clever and even beautiful innovations on the inside.  To find out more about the new N Series passport, and particularly how it looks, Alan Saunders spoke with Bob Nash, Executive Director of the Australian Passport Office – part of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

You can find this and other stories about trends and design on Radio National’s By Design website.

Islam and fear in Australia

 Have you ever felt a bit scared walking down the street because of the way you look? For Fatima Mawas – a Lebanese/Australian Muslim, who wears the hijab, or headscarf, it’s something she thinks about almost every time she leaves the house. Well a national research project, Challenging Racism, has found that six in ten Australians feel threatened by Islam to some degree, and 1 in 20 Muslims in Australia have experienced discrimination. Patrick Abboud speaks with Fatima Mawas, and also Professor Kevin Dunn from the University of Western Sydney, who is the leading researcher for the Challenging Racism project.

You can find out more about the Challenging Racism project here

This story was originally broadcast on the Hack program, on the ABC’s youth radio network, Triple J. 

Secrets of a Ten Pin Bowling Champion

Jason Belmonte grew up in his Dad’s ten pin bowling alley in the town of Orange, in rural New South Wales. Now he is a world champion with 39 perfect scores – that’s 12 strikes in one game – which you’ve got to admit is pretty impressive. Reporter Justin Huntsdale dropped by the Orange Ten Pin bowl, and talked to Jason Belmonte about his love of the game, and what it takes to be a world champion.

Watch Jason’s amazing spin!

 

Music (not in podcast)

Kate Miller Heidke is a singer songwriter from Brisbane, who originally trained as an opera singer before turning her talents to pop. Her new single, called The Last Day on Earth has an interesting story to it. The song was not initially released as a single, until it was used in a promo for the TV soap opera Neighbours after one of the show’s most popular characters, died following a car accident. As a result of the song being used in the promo, it was downloaded so much that an actual physical CD was made and released on 14 July.

Artist: Kate Miller Heidke

Track: The Last Day on Earth

Album: Curiouser (2008)