One of the most influential political speeches of the 21st century, and a moment that defined Julia Gillard’s legacy. A first look at I Was Actually There S3, episode one, available to watch here.

We are excited to announce that I Was Actually There will return for Season Three. From the speech that changed Australian politics forever to a Prime Minister vanishing into the ocean without a trace. From a deadly mountain landslide to a regional city devastated by floodwaters. From one of Australia’s most notorious sieges to the unlikely sporting revolution that united a community. These are the stories Australians remember. But not like this. Read about it here

You Can't Ask That seasons 1-6 are now available to watch on YouTube.

After a five year break, You Can’t Ask That is back in production for its eighth season, returning at a time when honest, unfiltered conversations matter more than ever. As the world shifts at speed, new questions and new voices have emerged. This season once again hands the mic to communities more often spoken about than heard, offering a platform for candid, unguarded perspectives. Read about it here

The 1998 Sydney to Hobart race was a moment when nature asserted its dominance with terrifying force. Six lives were lost, five yachts sank and hundreds of sailors were pulled into a brutal fight for survival as the sea turned violent and merciless. This episode of I Was Actually There asks what drives us to face the risks of the unknown - and what happens to us when those risks become nightmares

It was all a hoax. When nightclub singer Fairlie Arrow disappeared from her Gold Coast home in 1991 and was later found bound and gagged on the side of a roadway, tabloids blamed an “obsessed fan” had abducted her. When it came out that she’d spun the story herself, authorities saw it as a desperate bid for fame. Thirty years on, Arrow claims she’d been trying to draw police attention to a stalker. Where does the truth lie?

On a hot December Sunday in 2005, racial tensions boiled over into violence at Sydney’s Cronulla beach. After footage of the riots was splashed on TV news bulletins, outraged young men from the city’s west retaliated. Twenty years on, the fourth episode of I Was Actually There examines perspectives from both sides of the riots and asks how much has really changed.

It was a move that shocked the nation. Fifty years on, this episode of I Was Actually There looks at the dismissal of Gough Whitlam through the eyes of the senators, MPs, colleagues, aides, journalists, and protesters swept up in the chaos.

An international tragedy and a dark day in American history, episode two of I Was Actually There S2 asks what it was like to be an Australian during the events of September 11. We speak to expatriates, family members, journalists, photographers and first responders who found themselves at the epicentre of a catastrophe that changed their lives forever.

Premier John Brumby described it as “the worst day ever in the history of the state”: on the 7th of February 2009, bushfires of unprecedented ferocity tore across Victoria, taking one hundred and seventy-three lives and upending countless others. This episode of I Was Actually There explores the terror and heartbreak of Black Saturday through the eyes of those who lived it, but also the extraordinary resilience and luck required to make it through the day.

Gripping, powerful and moving, I Was Actually There returns for Season Two, exploring Australia’s past through the eyes of those who lived it. The new season premieres Tuesday 7 October at 8pm on ABC TV. Watch the trailer here

You Can't Ask That series 1 and 2 are now available worldwide on Netflix.

We're very excited to announce that Season Two of I Was Actually There has been commissioned and we are now in production. Whether it's floods or bushfires, riots or political movements, miraculous sporting moments or cultural phenomenons, we are interested in unpacking Australia's history via those who witnessed it live. If you have an idea for an episode or experienced history yourself, we'd love to hear from you.

We are honoured to be nominated in these awards. In an era often defined by the loudest voices and the shortest attention spans, we have made a series that heads in the opposite directions, that understands how important it is to be mindful of our history and the narratives woven into its telling.  We're proud to have created a format we hope will travel beyond our borders, one we believe can be moulded to the individual contours of cultures and countries around the world. Read more here. For format enquiries click here.

The final episode of I Was Actually There heads to the small Tasmanian mining town of Beaconsfield, which became the centre of a global media storm when a mine collapse a kilometre underground killed Larry Knight and trapped two others. Todd Russell and Brant Webb survived but it took six days before they were discovered alive and 14 days to get them out. Read about it here

A demonstration against indefinite mandatory detention in the middle of the South Australian desert takes an unexpected turn as enraged activists tear down perimeter fencing in an impromptu action. Asylum seekers suddenly had an opportunity to jump to their freedom. This episode of I Was Actually There asks how far you're willing to go for your beliefs, and once the dust settles, what side of history you sit on? Listen to the podcast episode here

Over half the city's population, 350,000 people, came out to meet the biggest band in the world in 1964 in Adelaide. It would never be topped. This episode of I Was Actually There moment reflects a very different Australia of 60 years ago -- one that was isolated and at the dawn of a revolution. This joyous but bizarre moment affected those that witnessed it as profoundly as a disaster or tragedy might. Read about it here

The official episode title is "Nicky Winmar's stand against racism and the photo that almost never was". This iconic photo is one we all feel we know the story of, but in fact, Winmar's stand against racism would have been forgotten had it not been captured by two photographers who argued it must appear in the newspaper. This episode of I Was Actually There unpacks the entire story and epitomises what this series is about. Read about it here

It's a story rarely told: what was it like to come face to face with the tsunami that killed over 200,000 people? In episode two of I Was Actually There, we focus on Australian survivors' heart-wrenching accounts of losing loved ones, miraculous tales of survival and how ordinary people react to the most extraordinary circumstances. Read about it here

What was it like to lie quietly on the floor of a tourist cafe while a mass murderer shot everyone around you? In this opening episode of I Was Actually There, we go deep inside the experience and hear from the tourists who ran for their lives, the local doctor first on the scene, the journalist that spoke to the gunman on the phone and the sniper that had him in his sights, to understand what it was like to live it. Read about it

While the series focuses on a mosaic of perspectives of the nation's iconic events, the podcast focuses on one person's story, in gripping intimate detail. Hear what it was like to be a police sniper at the Port Arthur massacre; caught directly in the wave at the Boxing Day tsunami; a teenager seeing The Beatles during their record-breaking Adelaide visit; a direct action protestor breaking out refugees in Woomera; or a miner trapped 1km underground for 14 days in a Tasmanian gold mine.

The show's unique concept and powerful storytelling have been lauded by critics. The Sydney Morning Herald:
"Elegant in its simplicity and brilliantly effective, I Was Actually There is original and inventive, cleverly constructed and quietly powerful. The concept is so smart and the production so well executed that it makes you wonder why no one has thought of it before, which is always a telling measure of a great idea." Read here

What would it like to be a fly on the wall at some of Australia's most defining historical moments? From the team behind You Can't Ask That, a new show: I Was Actually There. Out July 9 2024. Watch the trailer here

We premiered an early excerpt of I Was Actually There at the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) in Melbourne. You could feel the air suck out of the room as our interviewees described the very personal experience of being at the Port Arthur massacre. See the excerpt here

Over the last six weeks, Docker Media has interviewed incredible people from all walks of life who were actually there during major events in Australia's recent history. Some of the well-known names include Nicky Winmar, Todd Russell and Brant Webb, 97 y/o Bob Rogers, and Bob Katter. But, as I Was Actually There will reveal, every person's perspective is equally fascinating if they witnessed it live. In this series, it doesn’t matter who you are — a main player or one on the periphery — we want your take.

I Was Actually There is a six-episode documentary series, each episode focusing on a significant Australian historical moment. Cut from the same cloth as You Can’t Ask That, each episode will feature a variety of voices with first-hand experience, intercut, to show the multiple truths that exist for any moment. Over the shoot period, Docker Media will travel the country, interviewing upwards of 60 people and uncovering new takes on iconic Australian events.

Were you there when Australian history happened? Cathy Freeman winning gold or Corey Worthington’s infamous party? The Boxing Day tsunami or the Cronulla Riots? Click here to let us know what you witnessed live or an event we should cover in Season 1 of our ABC series, I Was Actually There.