Season 1 Plot
SBS’s documentary strand Australia Uncovered, a series of eight stand-alone projects that tackle some of the biggest issues in Australia today
Australia Uncovered Season 1 aired on September 12th, 2021.
Season 1 Episodes
1. Strong Female Lead
Strong Female Lead examines Australia's struggle with women and power when a strong female takes the lead. Using archival footage, we see the attacks that characterised Gillard’s time in office – ever increasing in their vitriol, and sexual and violent overtones – as well as the gendered response of the public, media and parliament itself to Australia's first and only female prime minister. Exploring the themes of sexism, power and misogyny, Strong Female Lead examines the issue of prejudice against women in leadership and its ongoing impact on female participation in our parliament, and society more broadly.
2. Osher Günsberg: A Matter of Life and Death
Australia is often thought of as 'the lucky country'. So why is it that eight people a day die from suicide? The situation is nothing short of a national crisis. Yet the experts agree that there are ways we can be better dealing with the issues. This documentary provides a comprehensive portrait of suicide in Australia today. Through the prism of Osher Günsberg’s own mental health experience, he’ll investigate why suicide rates remain high in Australia, and feature what is being done to mitigate the problem.
3. The Bowraville Murders
The Bowraville Murders investigates one of Australia’s most prominent unsolved serial murder cases – the murder of three Aboriginal children between September 1990 and February 1991 – and the thirty-year battle for justice by the victim’s families.
4. The Truth About Anxiety with Celia Pacquola
Celia Pacquola is an award-winning actor and comedian. She also suffers from anxiety. She wants to help millions of Australians through their battle with anxiety by telling her story, challenging stigma and showing a way through it. She will meet those suffering from the condition, those on the road to recovery and those who are helping with the journey.
5. The Department
The Department takes us inside the never-before-seen child protection system at work in NSW. With unprecedented access across the department, this observational documentary follows caseworkers as they navigate the complexities of keeping children safe in families experiencing domestic violence, addiction, mental health issues and intergenerational trauma.
6. Our African Roots
Author and journalist Santilla Chingaipe unearths Australia’s forgotten black African history and reveals the role people of African descent played in events that shaped the nation – from the First Fleet to the Eureka Rebellion, and beyond.
7. The Children in the Pictures
For the first time, The Children in the Pictures goes inside Queensland Police’s Task Force Argos, the world leading investigative team dedicated to rescuing children from online sexual exploitation.
8. Incarceration Nation
An examination of the connection between relentless government intervention since colonisation to the trauma and disadvantage experiences by Indigenous Australians - the two key drivers of incarceration.