Australian Adoption Podcast - My Unknown Truth
My Unknown Truth is a podcast sharing the stories and lived experiences of Australians who have been through adoption and foster care. These stories are often complex, spanning over 50 years and touch on difficult truths, from growing up in an under-resourced system to Australia’s traumatic history of forced adoptions and Stolen Generations.But within the darkness, there is also light; stories of hope, courage, resilience, and love. Hosted by Nadia Levett, an adoptee born and raised in Australia, this podcast is a deeply personal project. It’s my wish that by sharing a range of voices and experiences, we can bu...
Episode 46 - Nadia Nauss: Q&A Trauma Informed Coach & Embodiment Practitioner
Send us Fan Mail
Welcome back to the Australian Adoption Podcast with Nadia Levett. I’m really glad you’re listening to this episode today.
I met today’s guest, Nadia Nauss, on a retreat last year.
We didn’t actually get to talk much about her work at the time - which is partly why I’ve been so curious to bring her onto the podcast. Because even without knowing the details, I had this sense that what she does sits right in the centre of so many conversations we have here: trauma, the...
Episode 45 - Ali: What She Carried Into Adulthood, Love, Loss and Becoming
Send us Fan Mail
Welcome back to Part Two of my conversation with Ali.
In this half of her story, we move into the years where everything became bigger — love, marriage, motherhood, heartbreak, and the deep spiritual work that eventually changed the course of her life.
Ali met the love of her life at eighteen. They married young, built a family, and raised three beautiful daughters together. But beneath the surface, both of them were carrying wounds from their own childhoods — wounds that shaped their relationship in ways neither of them fully understood at t...
Episode 44 - Alison: "The Childhood She Carried"
Send us Fan Mail
Today, I’m sitting down with someone whose story is layered, confronting, courageous, and deeply human.
Alison was adopted in 1965, just two weeks old, into a family that would grow to include three more adopted children. From the outside, it looked like a home built on love and opportunity. But inside those walls, Ali lived through things no child should ever have to carry — fear, silence, confusion, and trauma that shaped every part of her early life.
In this first part of our conversation, Ali takes us back to her...
Episode 43 - Part 2 “Jo on Struggle, Support, and Speaking Out”
Send us Fan Mail
In this second part of my conversation with Jo, we begin with the moment she met her birth father; a man who had known about her existence but didn’t surface until an argument broke out between them twelve years later. Jo shares the complexity of that reunion, the emotions it stirred, and how it shaped her understanding of belonging.
We also talk about the struggles she faced after the birth of her first child, what led her to seek support from Jigsaw Queensland, and how that experience became a turning po...
Episode - 42 Part 1 “Jo on Reunion, Identity, and the Power of Story”
Send us Fan Mail
Hey everyone, welcome to The Australian Adoption Podcast: My Unknown Truth.
In this two-part episode, I’m chatting with Jo - an adoptee, advocate, and the voice behind the Adopt Perspective podcast. Jo was born in 1971, right in the middle of Australia’s closed adoption era, and her story is one of deep reflection, resilience, and truth-telling.
In Part 1, we talk about Jo’s early years - being chosen from a hospital nursery, growing up on a grain farm, and navigating a complex relationship with her adoptive family. She opens...
Episode 41 - "The Science of Calm: Dana Hargus Talks on Biofeedback, Attachment, and the Restore Method"
Send us Fan Mail
Hey Listeners!
In this episode, I sit down with Dana Hargus - licensed professional counsellor, founder of Restore of Ada, and passionate advocate for trauma-informed healing.
Dana shares how her journey as a mother to an adopted son led her into the world of biofeedback, attachment theory, and frequency-based care. With over 25 years of experience, she’s built a healing model that blends science, compassion, and practical tools for families navigating trauma, adoption, and regulation. From PEMF devices, tapping to TBRI and online support, Dana’s Restore Method offers a pa...
Episode 40 - "Ryan Jon: Adopted…and Adept at Stirring Emotions"
Send us Fan Mail
Welcome to The Australian Adoption Podcast, where we explore the stories that shape us; stories of identity, resilience, and the courage it takes to search your truth.
Today’s guest is someone many of you will recognise, not just from the hugely popular Toni and Ryan Podcast, but from a more personal journey that’s touched hearts across Australia and beyond.
Ryan Jon is a storyteller, a broadcaster, a podcaster, a husband and father and an adoptee. In 2017, he shared a heartfelt video on Mother’s Day: a message to the...
Episode 39 - "Adoption Wasn’t a Big Deal for Michelle … Until It Was!"
Send us Fan Mail
Today, we’re sitting down with Michelle- a mum, a midwife, a nurse, and someone who has walked the winding path of adoption and healing.
Adopted at six weeks old, Michelle grew up in southern Sydney with her brothers and a whole lot of freedom, never really thinking adoption was a big part of her story. But like many of us, life has a way of inviting us deeper.
In her forties, Michelle started to ask new questions, about identity, belonging, and the layers we carry without realising. Her sto...
Trailer: "Under the Radar - Stories That Needed Telling"
Send us Fan Mail
Welcome to The Australian Adoption Podcast: My Unknown Truth, a space for the stories that live beneath the surface.
In this trailer, host Nadia Levett shares the origins of the podcast and in Episode 1 she shares her personal journey from foster care to adoption, shaped by both love and complexity. But this series is about more than one story; it’s about many.
With compassion and curiosity, Nadia brings forward voices from across Australia and internationally: adoptees, adoptive parents, birth parents, foster carers, and changemakers who shed light on the...
Episode 38 - “Winging It Since 1982: A Bonus Chat with Jo Sparrow”
Send us Fan Mail
Hey Everyone, and welcome to this special bonus ep of The Australian Adoption Podcast. This one’s a bit different - I’m flipping the mic and sharing an interview I did with Jo Sparrow on Adopt Perspective. We get into all of it - early care, family, reunion, identity, and what healing really looks like over time.
Jo asks the kind of questions that get under the surface, and I reckon this chat might hit home if you’ve ever wondered where you fit, or how to make sense of a story...
Episode 37 - "The Fire of Belonging: A Journey Through Loss and Sovereignty"
Send us Fan Mail
Welcome to Season 4 of The Australian Adoption Podcast, with your host Nadia Levett, where truth is reclaimed, stories are given a voice, and silence is broken.
Today, we are privileged to hear from Shane Bouel, a man whose life was shaped by adoption—not as an act of love, but as a theft of identity. In his own words, he recounts the journey of a life unwoven and stitched together again, through pain, reunion, and ultimately, sovereignty.
Through his recorded poetic piece, Shane invites us deeper —into the fractured circl...
Episode 36 - "Empowered Voices: Emily Hikaiti Elevating Youth in Australia's Care System"
Send us Fan Mail
Welcome to Season 3 of the Australian Adoption Podcast, with your host, Nadia Levett.
In today’s episode I’m joined by the inspiring Emily Hikaiti. Emily is an Australian-born Māori woman with a powerful story and a deep commitment to youth advocacy. Drawing from her lived experience in Australia’s out-of-home care system, Emily has become a passionate voice for change, working both nationally and internationally to shape policies and improve outcomes for young people in care.
From becoming a mother in high school to representing youth voices at the...
Episode 35 - "Adopted and Adopting: Peter's Journey of Love and Legacy"
Send us Fan Mail
"Welcome to the Australian Adoption Podcast, where we explore stories that inspire, challenge, and broaden our perspectives.
In this episode, we're honoured to introduce Peter, an 81-year-old adoptee from New Zealand and brother of Jan Peart, who shared her journey in Episode 16. Peter’s story is one of love, resilience, and the transformative power of family. As both an adoptee and an adoptive parent of two, alongside two biological children, Peter’s unique experiences shine a light on the beauty of unconditional love and its ability to shape lives.
From h...
Episode 34 - "FRAGILE, Handle with Care: Barton C Williams Story of War, Art & Identity"
Send us Fan Mail
Hi listeners, today I am speaking with Barton.
A former Surf Life Saver, Australian barefoot water ski champion and an educator, Barton is also a published writer, an actor in film, tv, and theatre. He is also a Vietnamese war adoptee.
In April 1975, President Ford initiated the largest-ever humanitarian child evacuation. Thousands of babies were "lifted" from war-torn Vietnam to Western countries to begin a new life.
Barton C Williams (aka Huynh van Cuong) was one of these children. He was adopted and raised in Adelaide.
'FR...
Episode 33 - "Every Child Deserves Better: Renee Carter on Reform, Resources & Adopt Change"
Send us Fan Mail
Hi everyone, today I will be speaking to Renee Carter, CEO of Adopt Change Australia. Adopt Change is a non-profit organisation with its purpose to support children in need, focussing on government care, foster care, orphans, or children without families, and their carers, families and guardians.
They have continued to achieve this by providing resources such as my packs to support at-risk children and also providing support and resources to carers, families and guardians. They place emphasis on understanding trauma and trauma informed practices and parenting and provide information to schools a...
Episode 32 - "The Gift That Keeps on Giving: Kura Perkins on Love, Loss & Legacy"
Send us Fan Mail
Hi everyone, today I speak with Kura.
Kura Perkins is a Perth-based adoptee. Born in 1975 and was adopted in Western Australia at 6 weeks of age to newly arrived immigrants from New Zealand. They decided to give her a Māori, name and although she wasn’t Māori, her adoptive parents had heard of this incredible name Kura and loved it, her name would soon have coincidental significance, becoming clear 25 years later.
Growing up, Kura always knew she was adopted., She has met both of her birth parents and most o...
Episode 31 - "Adopted & Amplified: Jim Moginie’s Soundtrack of Searching"
Send us Fan Mail
Hi Listeners,
In this episode I sit down with Jim Moginie. We had an amazing conversation over zoom from his home in Ireland and I was fortunate to meet him for the launch of his new book earlier this year.
For 50 years, Jim was a driving force behind one of Australia’s most iconic bands Midnight Oil.
He grew up in Sydney’s northern suburbs and attended high school in the city, where he befriended drummer Rob Hirst. Together with another friend, Andrew James, they formed the band FAR...
Episode 30 - “Make a Difference, Travel, Heal”: Denna’s Story of Adoption & Awakening
Send us Fan Mail
Hey guys,
Today I’m speaking with Denna.
Denna is an intercountry adopted person, born in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 1979. She grew up in Mclaren Vale, South Australia, and an organisation, formerly known as ASIAC organised her adoption from Yayasan Ibu Sayap. At 4 months of age, Denna took her first international plane trip, and since then has travelled extensively around the globe in both career and personal life.
Denna views her adoption experience as being a positive one, she has dabbled in searching for her birth mother and learn...
Episode 29 - "Healing the Heart First: Alyson’s Woo-Woo Wisdom for Adoptee Wellness"
Send us Fan Mail
Welcome to today's podcast.
My guest is Alyson, an Australian adoptee from the Baby Scoop Era of the 1970s. Alyson holds a Bachelor's degree in Naturopathy and is certified in a wide array of modalities through her business, “Your Authentic Self.” Her expertise includes Homeopathy, Sanum Therapy, Herbal Medicine, Nutrition, Nutrigenomics, Applied Kinesiology, Touch for Health, Brain Gym, the Biology of Trauma, Somatic Healing and Creatrix transformology.
Alyson's journey of healing is deeply personal. She considered herself a lucky adoptee until she turned 50 as life began to unravel. This period...
Episode 28 - "When You’re Missing the Story: Julie on Health, Heritage & Making Sense of It All"
Send us Fan Mail
Today I will be speaking to an international adoptee from Chicago, Julie who is also a author–memoirist, essayist, and columnist– who writes about finding out who you are, where you come from, and making sense of it.
At 48, julie was sent for a breast biopsy. This incident highlighted what closed adoption prevented her from knowing: her birth circumstances, family medical history, and genealogy. The subsequent search for her “personal story” that consumed five years. She chronicles this journey in her debut, award-winning memoir Twice a Daughter: A Search for Family, Identity...
Episode 27 - "Six Weeks, Fifty Years, One Answer: Lisa’s Adoption Story Unfolds"
Send us Fan Mail
Today’s guest, Lisa was born in England in 1970 and was adopted at six weeks of age into a family who had already adopted a son.
Lisa’s family moved to Australia when she was two years old and the family grew to include a biological daughter.
Lisa’s story of reunion spans decades, two continents and is a testament to her determination, resilience and courage.
And having the belief and hope that a NO would not always stay a no.
Here is Lisa's story.
Episode 26 - "What Nanny’s Diary Revealed: Jo’s Late Discovery & the Search for Truth"
Send us Fan Mail
Jo is a late discovery adoptee who discovered at the age of 46 that everything that she had known to be true about her identity and family was no longer, it was like a sudden and tragic death. The information that blew her world apart was a diary kept by her recently deceased maternal grandmother “Nanny” that spanned the years 1960-1965. Jo immediately filed for her paperwork with DoCS to obtain her original birth certificate and find her birth mother.
The story that unfolded was nothing like the hopes she had of hear...
Episode 25 - "Of Priests, Nuns & DNA: Brendan’s Search for Belonging"
Send us Fan Mail
When Brendan was eight years old, his parents told him he was adopted. In his late twenties, he found out the identity of his birth mother – but she wanted nothing to do with him.
For thirty years there was only limited communication with his birth mother, and he knew nothing about his birth father. It wasn’t until 2018, a DNA test led him to the truth:
'After decades of searching, Brendan discovered that his birth parents were a Catholic priest and a nun.
His ‘Memoir which wa...
Episode 24 - "Unfolding the Self: Jo’s Path Through Forced Adoption & Healing"
Send us Fan Mail
Jo is an adopted person, born in Adelaide in 1969. She lives with her family in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Creativity has been a constant in her life and she worked in advertising, marketing and design for many years, but is now quietly forging a new path as a yoga teacher after feeling its transformative effects in her own life. I first met Jo at a yoga training retreat in Bali earlier this year.
Jo was forcibly removed from her mother immediately after her birth at Queen Victoria Hospital in SA whose ado...
Episode 23 - "Love That Lasts: Rowan Dent on Family, Success & Sacrifice"
Send us Fan Mail
Today I am interviewing a gentleman by the name of Rowan Dent in Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
Rowan is a father of one who has been impacted by adoption and has seen first hand, the joy and love adoption has played in his life.
Rowan attributes his successes in business and sport to the fundamental values that were given to him by his adopted mother and uncle.
This is a story of love, sacrifice, and loyalty that has impacted the current generation and will likely impact generations to co...
Episode 22 - "Birds, Words & Becoming: Toni Moon’s Adoption Story Unfolds"
Send us Fan Mail
Hi everyone,
Today I will be speaking with Toni Moon.
Toni Moon is a bird nerd, word nerd and adopted person breaking out of the fog.
She is a journalist who writes about her own adoption journey amongst other things.
Her personal writing reflects a desire for self determination as she uncovers her own past and builds the road ahead for her and her family’s future.
Here is her story.
Support the show
Thanks for listening! Follow me on In...
Episode 21 - "Riding the Waves Within: Layne Beachley on Surfing, Identity & Owning Your Truth"
Send us Fan Mail
Hi everyone, today I am talking with Layne Beachley. Layne is regarded as one of the world’s most successful athletes. She spent 19 years on the surfing pro tour. Won 7 world titles and is the only surfer in history, to win 6 consecutive world titles. 5 however were won in a state of fear. The other 2 that bookends her career were in a state of love.
How did she get there?
Well first of all, Layne’s mother died when she was 6 years old, this would have been devastating, to say the l...
Episode 20 - "Led by Heartstrings: Jonah’s Search for Culture, Family & Self"
Send us Fan Mail
Hey everyone, today I sit down and talk with another podcaster Jonah.
Jonah was Born in Cairns and immediately placed in foster care, Jonah grew up with his adoptive family in Brisbane and Growing up in a Caucasian Australian family, Jonah felt disconnected from his Papua New Guinea heritage and culture.
In 2020, at the age of 22, Jonah embarked on a journey to reunite with his birth family, to reconnect with his heritage and unearth his self-identity. He launched an award-winning podcast, Led By A Heartstring, to invite the world t...
Episode 19 - "Fearless & Free: How Tammy Richie Turns Pain into Purpose"
Send us Fan Mail
Tammy Richie is an extraordinary woman who has overcome numerous obstacles in her life. Her journey began with a challenging start, as she was abandoned as a baby, losing everything she knew, including an identical twin. This early experience of grief built up her strength and resilience, which she has carried with her throughout her life.
Tammy learned to be resourceful and curious from a young age, and these qualities has served her well as she has become the influential leader she is today. As an international motivational speaker and senior...
Episode 18 - "A Thousand Figurines, A Thousand Feelings: Inside Monique’s Therapeutic World"
Send us Fan Mail
Hey everyone,
Today I am speaking with Monique from the Sunshine Coast. I had a perfect opportunity on my travel around Australia and in January this year I visited her in her home. We comfortably sat on the floor of her upstairs office surround by a large sand tray full of sand, water and figurines. Not long after getting set up did I then notice the two story bookshelf with about 1000 figurines all neatly on display. I was intrigued; but more about this later.
Monique is an adopted person, born...
Episode 17 - "Connecting, Correcting, Empowering: Karin’s Mission Through AKKFFA & TBRI"
Send us Fan Mail
In this episode I speak with Karin. Karin is a mother to two boys adopted from the Philippines and President of the Adoptive, Kinship and Fostering Families Association of the ACT known as AKKFFA.
Karin believes it is important to find your community of people when it comes to adoption, fostering and kinship care.
Karin was previously a Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly, and uses her experience to work towards a better system for all families involved.
She is passionately learning the impacts of early life tra...
Episode 16 - "Across the Water: Jan’s Journey from One to Ten"
Send us Fan Mail
Hey everyone, I am excited to be sharing with you all today an interview I did recently with another fellow adoptee. This is my first international interview from our neighbouring country New Zealand. I will be speaking with Jan, Jan is a 69 Yr old wife, mother and step mother. So she has 6 children and 11 grandchildren and lives in a quiet seaside village. Her adoption experience with her adoptive family has been very positive however she has always been curious about her birth family. She had always thought that she was part of a...
Episode 15 - "Ties That Heal: Liz’s Lifelong Work in Adoption & Foster Care"
Send us Fan Mail
In this episode I chat with Elizabeth. Liz is a mother to children through both adoption and foster care. Her background is in social work and training where Liz has trained and assessed foster carers in preparation for children joining their families through ACT child and Youth protection services.
She has also taught and assessed students when studying to become youth, mental health and drug alcohol workers.
A former Vice President of the Canberra based Adoptive Families Association and contributed to establishing an annual teen camp for young adoptees, wh...
Episode 14 - "Young Love, Tough Choices: Sandra & Tony’s Beginning"
Send us Fan Mail
In this episode I speak with Sandra.
Sandra is a baby boomer, born in 1949, grew up with her parents and brother and surrounded by her fathers English family in a small town. Sandra left school at age 15, became a shorthand typist and fell in love. Soon after the relationship blossomed, Sandra fell pregnant at 15 which was disapproved of by her family.
Sandra and Kevin went on to face enormous challenges and struggles, being a young unmarried pregnant teen in a conservative family environment in the 1960’s.
During her p...
Episode 13 - "Beyond the False Self: Adoption Trauma & Margaret’s Path to Wholeness"
Send us Fan Mail
Margaret holds a Bachelor of Arts ( Welfare Studies) and a Certificate of Somatic Psychotherapy. Margaret has worked in community justice, social welfare ,human rights advocacy, disability and health services, as a Tribunal Member on NSW and Qld disability Tribunals. During the past 10 years, Margaret continues to work as a Counsellor, Advanced Practitioner for Post Adoption Resource Centre in NSW, Australia.
Margaret learned for the first time of her adoption at age 40. This was a traumatic life event, leading Margaret to immerse herself in successful searches and reunion with biological family. Margaret is pas...
Episode 12 - "The Whole Self: Gestalt, Ancestry & Embodied Healing with Kate"
Send us Fan Mail
Today I will be talking with Kate. A Gestalt and Family Constellations Psychotherapist, Shamanic Bodyworker, Yoga Teacher, Sacred Ceremony Facilitator and has an online learning academy called, The Black Cockatoo School.
Gestalt is a non-pathologizing and humanistic modality that pays regard to a person in their wider field. It utilises the body in the present moment to process any unfinished traumas, emotions and narratives that may be hindering one's life. Her work is about bridging the gaps between research and real life, healing and present moment practice.
Lets Get Into It!
Episode 11 - "What It Means to Be a Carer: A Q&A with Marcus from the Frontlines"
Send us Fan Mail
Today in episode 11, I will be interviewing Marcus for a Q&A session about his role as team leader for a permanency support program in NSW.
Marcus has been working in the social welfare sector for over 12 years and is currently working with the most vulnerable children in out of home care (Oohc).
Lets get into it!
Support the show
Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter.
The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!
Episode 10 - "Packing Dignity: Sarah’s Mission for Children in Care"
Send us Fan Mail
Today I speak with Sarah, the Founder of care bags and Chair of the Care Bags - because children in care matter committee. Sarah is a mum of two and been a social worker for over 15 years.
Throughout her career, She has seen first-hand the impact of children entering foster care and has always wanted to do something tangible to make this challenging time a little bit easier.
Thank you for tuning in to this special episode with Sarah and the care bags mission to make a meaningful difference i...
Episode 9 - "Not Held Down: Felicity’s Voice from Inside the System"
Send us Fan Mail
In this episode I sit down with Felicity Graham, a 19-year old advocate for children and carers in the foster care system in South Australia. She is an author of the book titled 'Not Held Down' that she wrote at 15, sharing her perspective and experiences of growing up in state care.
Felicity sheds some light on what the foster care system is really like from a child’s perspective, an experience that is often left unspoken or ignored, and hopes to give a voice to all those foster children out there who...
Episode 8 - "Stories That Stick: Dara Read on Adoption, Advocacy & Hundreds and Thousands"
Send us Fan Mail
Today I'm speaking with Dara Read, a lawyer and writer. Dara has worked as a lawyer for children and adults in NSW and the Northern Territory. She has also worked as a policy advisor to the NSW Government, including as a Senior Ministerial Advisor to the Attorney General of NSW and Minister for Family and Community Services.
Dara's written a children's picture book, "We love you Hundreds and Thousands", which is a window into the life of Jasmine, who loves birthday parties, and the special bond between a child and t...
