Writing
Where stories become ideas, reflections and conversations.
BushTV’s Writing section is home to essays, reflections, opinion pieces, documentary writing and long-form storytelling from across our community.
Many pieces are written by BushTV. Others emerge through our Documentary Mentorship program, where participants develop their voice, explore ideas and learn the craft and responsibility of storytelling. We also welcome contributions from Indigenous and non-Indigenous writers whose work aligns with our values.
This is a place for thoughtful writing rather than fast commentary.
A place for stories that carry depth, curiosity and care.
A place for writers exploring questions of Country, culture, identity, truth-telling, leadership, community, ethics and social change.
Some pieces begin as personal reflections. Others grow from documentary projects, research, community work or lived experience. Together they form an evolving collection of voices and perspectives connected by a shared commitment to respectful storytelling.
Whether you are an experienced writer, a Documentary Mentorship participant, a community leader, researcher or practitioner, we welcome thoughtful contributions that add meaningfully to the conversation.
If you have an article, essay or story you would like considered for publication across BushTV platforms, please contact Tom.
At Yawardani Jan-ga, healing doesn’t begin with a conversation. It begins with presence.Out on Country, among a small herd of horses, Aboriginal young people are learning something that can’t always be taught in classrooms or clinics. They are learning how to regulate, how to trust,
A sealed road would not just take people away from Wadeye. It would allow people to return, to homelands, to family, to places where identity is not under strain. It would ease the pressure that has built up in one place for too long, and
Yamatji family, domestic and sexual violence subject matter expert Kyalie Moore is taking her fight against Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence (FDSV) across Australia A few kilometres out from Dunham River, the road gave way. Soft mud. No warning. Kyalie Moore’s D-MAX sank deep, wheels spinning,
The road back to Carnarvon was never just another stop on the journey. It was home. The place where Kyalie Moore from Boomerang Consultancy was born, where she grew up, and where so much of her story began. But this time, she returned not just
Yamatji leader Kyalie Moore is taking her fight against family violence across Australia. At first light in Geraldton, high on a windswept lookout above Chapman Valley, Kyalie Moore stood alone with her tripod, waiting for the sun to lift over Country. She had planned to film
Warning: Aboriginal Viewers are advised that this story contains images and videos of a deceased person. The featured person gave consent for this story to be told. Sometimes we don’t realise what we’ll wish we’d kept until later. A voice. A memory. A story told in
By Melissa Mills My name is Melissa Mills. Legally, my surname is Lawton, but I work under Mills. I am a Ghungulu, Garingbal, and Bidjara woman from Central Queensland, and I am preparing to begin a PhD that did not start with academia. It started in childhood. I
Carol Thompson built a quiet legacy of service on Thursday Island, turning up for her people with steadiness, humility, and a heart for the work. This is her story. By Tom Hearn The tide is low on Thursday Island, the sea pulled back just enough to expose
Story by Tom Hearn WARNING - The following story and video contain images, video and voices of deceased persons. Permission has been granted for the publication of this story. History doesn’t arrive neatly in this country. It doesn’t come as a timeline or a lesson plan. More
If it wasn’t for Mum’s beef stew, this story would not exist. And I would not have met Colin. And we would not have shared this special time together. And I would not have learned how to go bush and shoot a rifle or cut