Chris Hanley
84 episodes listed below
Byron Bay, told through its people.
Our Byron Community with Chris Hanley is a conversational portrait series built around how people arrived in Byron Bay and what keeps them there. The episodes move from family history and work to politics, creativity, nature, grief, business, and the daily rituals of town life.
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Our Byron Community with Chris Hanley is a long-form local portrait series rooted in Byron Bay. It is less about quick biography than about how a person becomes part of a place. Episodes tend to start with an origin story. Guests describe where they grew up, what shaped them, and the chain of choices or accidents that brought them to Byron. The conversations are patient and personal. They leave room for family histories, old jobs, teenage moves, study, music, depression, public life, creative work, and the practical details of making a living. Elia Hauge's episode folds together Norwegian family background, Sydney University, engineering, music, buses, community, and local politics. Rachael Calvert's episode moves from Katherine in the Northern Territory to law, business, work ethic, motherhood, nature, and a sense of alignment. Aaron Tait's conversation carries more weight, following war, trauma, moral guilt, travel, recovery, and the book Far Horizons. Shien Chee's episode brings a creative current through acting, circus, physical theatre, flying trapeze, Bondi, stolen bikes, and a move north that suddenly made sense. The show also keeps Byron itself in frame. Fletcher Street, repurposed old buildings, teak floorboards, Bruns River at high tide, Wategos, the lighthouse, whales, dolphins, turtles, rock wallabies, and early ocean walks all become part of the storytelling. The pace is neighbourly rather than polished flat. Questions often wander productively, catching memories that a tighter interview might miss. Its best moments come when a guest's private route meets the shared geography of the town. The result is a grounded record of Byron Bay as a working, creative, changing community, not just a destination image.
Made for: Best for listeners interested in local stories, community memory, creative lives, small-business journeys, and the human texture behind Byron Bay. It suits people who prefer warm, unhurried interviews over headline-driven chat.
What sets it apart: The show anchors each guest's life story in specific Byron places and rituals, from old Fletcher Street buildings to Bruns River and morning ocean walks. It makes the town feel inhabited, layered, and personal.
Our Byron community is a podcast that explores the unique and diverse community here in Byron Bay. From how people ended up here to the thriving business scene, we cover a wide range of topics that make our community so special. We dive deep into the stories and experiences of locals, and share insights on everything from sustainability and wellness to art and culture. Whether you're a longtime resident or a visitor, join us as we celebrate and explore all things Byron!
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A warm local interview that turns family history and place into a quietly revealing portrait.
Elia Haag's conversation with Chris Hanley sketches a life through family roots, music, and the routines of a place. It moves from the Norwegian background of the Hanley name to a musically dense childhood and student years in Sydney, then lands in small details that give the…
A Northern Territory upbringing, relentless work, and a life shaped by family and place.
The episode follows Rachel Calvert through a Northern Territory upbringing that feels firmly rooted in family and place. Catherine, one of five children, grew up with an accountant father and a nurse mother, and the move from Toowoomba on an eight-week-old McCafferty's bus adds…
A former military officer's reckoning with war and conscience meets the lived texture of repurposed Byron Bay.
Aaron Tate's story of joining the Australian military at 17 becomes a sober look at what service can leave behind. After 9/11, he says he was deployed the next morning, sent to the Persian Gulf, and placed in aggressive, high-risk maritime work.
Palisa Anderson, born in Bangkok and raised in Sydney, describes moving from Tokyo to Byron Bay's hinterland after the 2008 GFC and buying a farm on the advice of neighbour John Poconi.
Chris Hanley interviews Zenith Virago about her journey from England to Byron Bay, including her time in Sydney's queer community and her decision to stay in Australia.
["Elia Haag says the Danoon Dam debate pulled her from engineering into Byron Shire politics because the decision was about values, not technical drawings.", "Chris Hanley then traces Haag's family from a Norwegian farm near Bergen to Chicago and Sydney, alongside Sicilian food traditions from Palermo, Calabria, and Villa San Giovanni.", "Haag describes moving to Bangalow at age five, hating a short Melbourne stint, and later studying civil engineering at UNSW after time in Siena and Italian language school.", "The conversation also covers Sydney Water, Grand Designs, music-filled family houses, her teaching role in Byron, and her current work on Byron Shire Council and Rouse County Council."]
Rachel Calvert traces her path from Katherine in the Northern Territory to law, real estate, and finally swimwear after one bikini top fit her body but not her taste.
Chris Hanley interviews Aaron Tait about military service, moral guilt, leadership, entrepreneurship, and healing after serving in the Persian Gulf as a teenager.
Our Byron Community host Chris Hanley interviews Radhik Sali about growing Swisse from a smaller business into a billion-dollar company through culture, targeted advertising, and product positioning.
Emma Hargraves, a second-generation Byron Bay resident and teacher, describes how drama, English literature, dance, and influential teachers shaped her career in education.
This episode features a conversation with Shien Chee about her journey from Sydney to Byron Bay, exploring her background in circus, trapeze, and acting, and how community and creativity shaped her path.