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  • 2009-09-27T09:00:00Z on SBS
  • 1h
  • 5h (6 episodes)
  • Australia
  • English
  • Documentary
Well-known Australians play detective as they go in search of their family history, revealing secrets from the past. Taking us to all corners of Australia and the globe are six stories of individuals seeking to find the definitive answer to where they came from. Along the way secrets are uncovered and histories are revealed—from adultery and madness to children born out of wedlock and even the whiff of a right royal scandal—with each individual discovering that their ancestors form an integral part of not only their own identity, but that of the nation. Combining emotional and personal journeys with big-picture history, these inspiring and sometimes challenging stories remind us how Australians have come to be the people that we are today. Considering Australia’s multicultural background, this is a global story, with each celebrity tracing their ancestors around the world. They travel to the places where their forebears would have lived, loved and died, and learn about the hardships and hurdles their ancestors overcame. This is a fascinating chronicle of the social, ethnic and cultural evolution of Australia’s national identity.

6 episodes

Season Premiere

2009-09-27T09:00:00Z

2x01 Ron Barassi

Season Premiere

2x01 Ron Barassi

  • 2009-09-27T09:00:00Z50m

Footy legend and latter day ‘Knight in Shining Armour’ Ron Barassi has always believed that actions speak louder than words. He embarks on a journey into his ancestry tracing the Barassi family line back to the Victorian Gold Rush and discovers a heart-rending tale of violence, tragedy and redemption.

2009-10-04T08:30:00Z

2x02 Sigrid Thornton

2x02 Sigrid Thornton

  • 2009-10-04T08:30:00Z50m

Australian film and TV industry luminary, actress Sigrid Thornton has cornered the market in feisty leading roles. Tonight she embarks on a journey into her ancestry uncovering a genetic tendency to get into trouble with the law.

2009-10-11T08:30:00Z

2x03 Ben Mendelsohn

2x03 Ben Mendelsohn

  • 2009-10-11T08:30:00Z50m

Bad boy larrikin actor Ben Mendelsohn embarks on a journey into his ancestry to find out if he really is related to the famous composer of the Wedding March - Felix Mendelssohn. He traces the Mendelsohn family line back to the heart of Europe and discovers a thread of musical heritage in surprising quarters as well as a heart-rending tale of success, failure and heartbreak of Dickensian proportions.

2009-10-18T08:30:00Z

2x04 Christine Anu

2x04 Christine Anu

  • 2009-10-18T08:30:00Z50m

Singer Christine Anu's ancestry is from the Torres Straits Islands. She’d like to understand why music is so important in her life. Her journey takes her not only to the Torres Straits but to England where she discovers a heritage of music and culture, beyond her wildest dreams.

2009-10-25T08:30:00Z

2x05 Maggie Beer

2x05 Maggie Beer

  • 2009-10-25T08:30:00Z50m

Celebrity “Country Cook" Maggie Beer is probably best known for being half of the TV duo The Cook and The Chef, as well as for her famous Pheasant Farm Pate. Tonight she embarks on a journey into her ancestry discovering a convict bigamist with a penchant for very tall tales.

Season Finale

2009-11-01T08:30:00Z

2x06 John Butler

Season Finale

2x06 John Butler

  • 2009-11-01T08:30:00Z50m

Rock star and activist John Butler is searching for his heritage hoping to find poets, musicians and revolutionaries. In his WDYTYA journey John traces the Butler name back through generations of hardship to a matriarch who sang for her survival. Then he follows his Bulgarian ancestry to the mountain town of Koprivshtitsa and to an ancestor caught up in a violent revolt, central to the birth of a nation.

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