Famous Australian people and landmarks on Burke’s Backyard
Hans Poulsen – Celebrity Gardener A gifted and prolific songwriter, Hans Poulsen was the Australian version of Cat Stevens. He appeared regularly on the ABC rock show GTK, and on Brian Henderson’s Bandstand. One of his biggest hits was Boom Sha La La Lo....
You’ve probably heard of Australian tourist attractions the Big Pineapple, the Big Prawn and the Big Merino, but on a recent visit to Hawaii Don saw both geological and man-made features to top them all. At Sandy Beach, east of Honolulu, he was amazed to see...
Living On The Edge When ‘Burke’s Backyard’ is on the road we constantly refer to maps to find our way around. It’s frustrating that we seem to spend most of our time flicking between directory pages, because so many of the locations we want to...
Mal Pugh began working on his garden about 20 years ago. He wanted a backyard that was low maintenance, but he also wanted to create something that was interesting to look at, and more importantly, that would make people laugh. As Don and Mal walked along the path in...
Bob Prudhoe is an electrical engineer, with an MA in systems engineering and a post-graduate diploma in heating, ventilation and air-conditioning. In 1992, while he was working toward a PhD on alternative energy systems, his Tibetan-style home burnt down. Although...
David and Pauline Bowden have lived on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast for six years. Their 4 hectare (10 acre) property was first settled in 1946 by the Plummer family, who grew various small crops including ginger, peas, bananas and strawberries. In the past the...
Don visited sculptor James Corbett at his studio in Caboolture, near Brisbane. Unlike traditional sculptors, who work in stone or bronze, James makes his sculptures from old car parts. He first discovered his knack for sculpting when he ran a wrecking business...
The Clunies Ross National Science & Technology Award started in 1991 to honour Sir Ian Clunies Ross, a famous Australian scientist best known for his pioneering work in veterinary science. He was a great communicator of science and technology and a visionary...
Graham Pizzey Don had some sad news to announce on this week’s program. Leading bird expert Graham Pizzey, who was featured on Burke’s Backyard and also wrote regularly for the Burke’s Backyard Magazine, recently passed away after a battle with...
Peardie’s Place John Peard is a legend in the world of Australian Rugby League. A sterling career as five-eight saw him enjoy back-to-back grand final victories with the Eastern Suburbs Roosters in 1974-75, as well as the disappointment of losing in back-to-back...