Michael Rowland has returned to ABC following a six-month break after his departure from News Breakfast in December. This week, he’s filling in for Fran Kelly on The Radio National Hour.
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According to a service notice on ABC Help website, RN in Melbourne (621 AM) is currently running on the standby AM transmitter while repairs are carried out at the main transmitter site. It will continue to be available on ABC Listen app, as well as DAB, online, smart speakers and some internet radios.
Australia’s Most Underrated Native Animal?
ABC Wants You to Decide This Science Week
As part of National Science Week 2025, ABC Radio National is calling on audiences to vote for Australia’s Most Underrated Native Animal. These aren’t the usual cuddly crowd-pleasers, but the ugly, the annoying, and the lesser-known creatures that are often overlooked, under-conserved, and underappreciated.
With input from wildlife experts, conservation organisations, and social media, ABC Radio National has curated a list of ten incredible native animals that deserve more love and attention.
The ten animals vying for the title of Australia’s Most Underrated Native Animal are:
- Dugong
- Ghost bat
- Giant cuttlefish
- Great desert skink
- Marsupial mole
- Palm cockatoo
- Rakali (water rat)
- Short-finned eel
- Turtle frog
- Velvet worm
These species may not be household names, but they play vital roles in Australia’s ecosystems and face unique conservation challenges.
Dr Ann Jones from Radio National podcast What the Duck?! says: “We are trying to do the impossible here and rate what may be unrateable, vote on what may be un-findable, but most of all, find out as much as we can about animals which live their entire lives outside the spotlight of popular consciousness.
“Australia is full of incredibly weird and wonderful creatures, far beyond the koalas and kangaroos and quokkas. It’s high time that we all know about the plasma shooting velvet worm, roller-coaster swimming eels and the skinks that have bathrooms built into their homes.”
To find out more about these underdogs, or to cast your vote, head to the ABC website. Get behind your choice on social media – or make the case for a creature that didn’t make the ABC’s list! The livelier the conversation, the more we can raise awareness of these fascinating creatures and the conservation efforts working to protect them. You can even print a poster to encourage others to get involved.
The winner will be announced live on air on ABC Radio National and via a live blog on ABC NEWS on Friday 15 August, starting from 12pm AEST.
Plus, ABC NEWS, ABC Radio National, ABC Local, ABC iview and ABC’s social media accounts will be sharing lots of fascinating interviews and stories about our underrated animals between 9-17 August.
Let’s celebrate the wild, weird, and wonderful side of Australian wildlife this Science Week.
ABC’s underrated native animal project is the online initiative for National Science Week 2025, undertaken by ABC Science with funding through the Australian Government’s Inspiring Australia strategy.
Rakali, the native water rat, voted as Australia’s Most Underrated Animal in ABC Radio National poll
After tens of thousands of votes, countless astonishing facts and passionate discussions on ABC Radio National, Australia has spoken - the rakali has been crowned Australia’s Most Underrated Native Animal during a special live broadcast for National Science Week.
As part of Science Week 2025, ABC Radio National invited audiences to champion the lesser-known heroes of Australia’s ecosystems - the weird, the wonderful, and the wildly underappreciated. But it was the rakali, with its bristling whiskers, webbed hind feet and hardy survival skills – including the ability to eat cane toads - that captured the hearts and imaginations of voters across the country.
The rakali, whose name comes from the Ngarrindjeri people of the lower Murray region in South Australia, is found throughout many parts of the country, from the northern NT, throughout Queensland and the eastern seaboard to Tasmania, as well as in south-west WA.
Dr Ann Jones, host of Radio National’s What the Duck?! podcast, says: “The rakali is the quintessential underrated Australian animal - it’s wide-spread but secretive, it’s fluffy but a kick-arse fighter, it surprises and delights observers and its very presence repels introduced black rats out of its territory. It can travel great distances over land, but swims better than Kieren Perkins (sorry Kieren). The Rakali is worthy of this crown. It is more than a rat - it is the Ruler of ALL the Rats.”
The rakali gathered more than 20% of all the votes cast and beat nine other fascinating finalists, including the giant cuttlefish, dugong, turtle frog, and palm cockatoo. The whole list, and vibrant debate, brought attention to the lesser-known species that play vital roles in Australia’s ecosystems and face unique conservation challenges.
Notable Australians got behind their favourites, including Annabel Crabb (cuttlefish), Zan Rowe (palm cockatoo), Yumi Stynes (turtle frog), singer Jessica Mauboy (velvet worm) and astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg (cuttlefish). Check out a compilation video here.
G Flip, remarkably, voiced their support for the adorable turtle frog, despite its rival the palm cockatoo being notable for its own drumming prowess.
The campaign sparked a wave of support with over 65,000 votes submitted. Across ABC Radio National’s text line and social media, fans shared their reasons for voting and sightings of the contenders. The rakali’s victory highlights the growing public interest in biodiversity and the importance of conservation for all species – including those which are often overshadowed by our more charismatic and famous animals.
To learn more about the rakali and the other finalists, visit the ABC website, listen to What the Duck?! or watch the social media videos about all 10 animals.
ABC’s underrated native animal project is the online initiative for National Science Week 2025, undertaken by ABC Science with funding through the Australian Government’s Inspiring Australia strategy.
Michael Rowland is filling in for Fran Kelly on The Radio National Hour whilst she is on extended leave.
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ABC Radio National’s The Science Show celebrates 50 years on air
On Saturday 30 August 1975, ABC Radio National broadcast their very first episode of The Science Show, live from the 13th Pacific Science Congress in Vancouver.
Fast forward to Saturday 30 August 2025 and The Science Show is celebrating 50 years of all things science with a special birthday broadcast this Saturday at 12pm on ABC Radio National and the ABC listen app.
Including archival audio from the past 50 years, the one-hour program will look at what has changed over time. Long-standing host Robyn Williams will look back on issues such as forestry and asbestos, reflect on some of his memorable hoaxes, and replay an interview with the one and only Sir David Attenborough.
Over its 50-year history, The Science Show has covered stories spanning the full expanse of scientific endeavour and grappled with substantial issues facing society — from very early discussions of climate change to groundbreaking investigations into asbestos and medical malpractice.
It has also highlighted the forgotten work of female scientists, celebrated incredible Australian discoveries and inventions, and featured world-famous names in science — and beyond — including King Charles, Naomi Oreskes, David Suzuki, Alex the Astronaut, Tom Gleeson, Paul Ehrlich, Elizabeth Blackburn, Oliver Sacks and over 100 Nobel Prize winners.
In marking the anniversary, Robyn Williams paid tribute to the strength of Australian science saying “The Science Show has been transformed over the years by the surprising brilliance of Australian research – how could one ignore such creative and useful revelations?”
Jonathan Webb, Radio National’s Science Editor, said “The Science Show is ABC Radio National’s flagship science program. After 50 remarkable years, it is still broadcast to an incredibly loyal audience at 12 noon on Saturdays – and reaches thousands more as a podcast, including many overseas.
“It’s incredible to think that The Science Show has been tackling the biggest of ideas, interviewing the biggest names, spotlighting new talent, supporting investigative journalism, wielding influence on policy and telling phenomenal stories — every single Saturday since August 1975.”
A post was merged into an existing topic: Radio History
