Turning Points

‘Many people have a powerful story to tell about a turning point that led to them finding their purpose, their passion.’

When historian Henry Reynolds witnessed extreme racial injustice, he was ignited to change the course of his research. Whistleblower Andrew Wilkie bravely spoke out about Australia’s involvement in the Iraq War. Actor Jack Charles’s time in the Marumali healing program, developed by a fellow Stolen Generation survivor, set him on a path of self-discovery. Teacher Anthony Bartl was paralysed from the neck down, but it hasn’t stopped him from snorkelling, skiing and going on an African safari.

From Rosalie Martin, a speech pathologist working to increase literacy among prisoners, to Gia-Yen Luong, the daughter of Vietnamese refugees who is improving education in Australia, each contributor shares a moment that changed their future, sparking them to live a life of passion and purpose – and in turn enriching the lives of others. 

These true stories of triumph and tragedy, hope and survival, show the power each of us holds to improve the world. Other contributors include Robyn Davidson, Gillian Triggs, Inala Cooper, Anna Funder, Peter Doherty, Stephanie Alexander, Allan Fels, Fiona Patten and Elizabeth Chong.

Mary Ryllis Clark is a writer and historian. The author of several books, she also wrote a fortnightly column for The Age, ‘Historic Victoria’, from 1992 to 2005. Mary migrated from London to Australia in 1974, lives in a historic factory in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy and enjoys her city’s rich and diverse cultural life. Her most recent book is A Tear in the Glass (Anchor Books, 2018), a biography of the Australian director and curator Nina Stanton.