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From the top of Arnhem Land, where musicians draw inspiration from his timeless words, to the streets of Melbourne’s Fitzroy, where fans leave floral tributes on the steps of Charcoal Lane, it seems like nowhere in the country hasn’t been touched by Archie Roach. His sons, Amos and Eban, said Archie died surrounded by his family and loved ones at Warrnambool Base Hospital in Victoria. Archie’s family has given permission to use his name, image and music. But the love Archie feels goes far beyond that hospital ward, far beyond state lines and color lines to every corner of the land we call Australia. Archie left a legacy of tireless work towards reconciliation and a new generation inspired to carry his message of healing into the future. As Australia comes to terms with the loss of one of its greatest storytellers, those touched by Archie open up about what it means to them. Tributes were paid outside Melbourne’s Charcoal Lane Aboriginal social enterprise, which bears the same name as

Chaotic scenes emerge from the popular NSW music festival as heavy rains wreak havoc on attendees. Participants traveled to North Byron’s beautiful four-day festival, Splendor in the Grass, yesterday to start at 5pm. But bad weather has drenched the area, with some people forced to choose between sleeping in flooded campgrounds or in their cars. Tents were submerged in water, with some residents forced to seek alternative accommodation. ( ABC News: Tobias Loftus ) Load Others complain of waiting in long queues just to get into the site. Some frustrated ticket holders have taken to social media to raise their grievances. “Already in the car queue for 8.5 (hours), still potentially three hours to get to camp,” Harry Nicol wrote on his Twitter after midnight. Load Alex Gubbings told ABC News it took him about 12 hours to enter the Splendor page. “I think we were in line at about 4.30pm and we only got in at 4am,” Gubbings said. “It’s not moving, that’s for sure. I don’t think I’m going i

While on a journey across Australia, Oli Firth finds himself in a place he never thought he would end up: In prison. Mr Firth’s journey was cut short in the dusty NSW outback after he was caught on drugs and sent to the Broken Hill Correctional Centre. “It was the toughest time of my life,” he told ABC’s RN’s Life Matters. But while behind bars, Firth is involved in a program called Songbirds that teaches inmates songwriting. That changes it. “[Music] is a real beacon of light for me. It was the only thing that got me through it.” And Mr Firth is not alone in seeking entertainment through music in prison. Into the forest Murray Cook is a musician (as well as a marine biologist) who has played with Midnight Oil, Mental as Anything and Mixed Relations. But for more than 20 years, Mr Cook has also run music classes in various NSW prisons, including stints as a music teacher in the psychology ward at Sydney’s Long Bay Correctional Center. He is currently program director for Songbirds, a

When Shelley Bishop was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma earlier this year, the first person she contacted was her friend Delta Goodrem, who was treated for blood cancer as a teenager. With no history of cancer in her family, Ms Bishop sought the advice of someone with life experience with the disease to calm her fears. “For me, it was the unknown, it was very scary,” Bishop said. Shelley Bishop received words of support from Delta Goodrem. ( Provided: Shelley Bishop ) “I panicked for the first few weeks when I was diagnosed. I panicked. “Delta is basically just saying: ‘This is really scary, but there’s nothing you can’t afford. You just have to take one small step every day to get stronger and listen to your body. Take your time and rest when you need to. Don’t try and push yourself too hard.’ “He literally based the whole experience on me. I have no doubt that he was put in my path for a reason.” Bishop and the pop star were texting ahead of Goodrem’s current tour of the US, with

Playing an iconic character on stage that was so well portrayed by others in the film can come with a certain level of expectation. However, Kirby Burgess, who plays Kathryn — in Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical — takes things in stride. “Most people say, ‘Oh, you play Sarah Michelle Gellar,'” Burgess laughed. Sarah Michelle Gellar played the cunning Kathryn in the 1999 film Cruel Intentions, based on the 1988 film Dangerous Liaisons. The film, in turn, was inspired by the 1985 play Les Liaisons Dangereuses, which was adapted from the 1782 French novel of the same name. “Sarah Michelle Gellar, herself, was a ’90s icon,” Burgess said. “So stepping into his position, regardless of what role he plays is already quite a feat. “But it’s also an honor. He did an amazing job with this role.” In Kathryn, Burgess plays the villain. But he’s a fun villain. “I love playing the villain,” said Burgess. “I think there’s a real challenge as an actor to win over an audience, even though they kno