Our Byron community is a podcast that explores the unique and diverse community here in Byron Bay. From how people ended up here to the thriving business scene, we cover a wide range of topics that make our community so special. We dive deep into the stories and experiences of locals, and share insights on everything from sustainability and wellness to art and culture. Whether you're a longtime resident or a visitor, join us as we celebrate and explore all things Byron!
Kerry O'Brien — Community, Journalism and Politics
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Kerry reflects on his early life growing up in Queensland, sharing stories of family, schooling, and the strong influence of his forebears who came from England, Ireland and Scotland. Chris and Kerry explore how those family roots, along with a deep sense of community and belonging, helped shape Kerry's values, curiosity, and understanding of the world from an early age. The conversation follows Kerry's journey into journalism and the experiences that defined a remarkable career covering some of Australia's most significant political and social moments. They discuss the importance of listening, asking thoughtful questions, and earning trust, as well as the changing media landscape, the challenges of misinformation, and the growing need for respectful public conversation. Kerry also reflects on the role community plays in bringing people together, the responsibility of journalism in strengthening democracy, and why curiosity and integrity remain as important today as they were at the beginning of his career. It's a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation about family, school, community, journalism, and politics. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com
Damian Kassabgi – Politics, Identity & the Making of an Adviser
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we sit down with Damian Kassabgi, a political adviser and public policy specialist, to explore his remarkable journey from the migrant suburbs of Sydney's inner west to the corridors of Australian politics. Damian shares the story of his parents — an Egyptian father who fled rising tensions in the Middle East and a Chilean mother who escaped the Pinochet coup — and how their unlikely meeting (over a parking dispute) shaped a childhood split between Marrickville West and the Sutherland Shire. We dig into what it meant to grow up as "the only brown kid with a funny surname," joining the Labor Party at just 17, and landing his first job as a junior adviser in Bob Carr's office at 22. Damian pulls back the curtain on the real work of political advising — from the messy politics behind splitting up Telstra to build the NBN, to why the best politicians are the ones who never stop showing up for their community. He also shares his personal Byron 101-to-mastery guide, from coffee at Sparrow to secret swimming holes no one will tell you about. This is part one of a two-part conversation — part two will go deeper into Damian's professional life beyond politics. If you'd like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com
Janelle Saffin – A Life of Service & Advocacy
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Chris sits down with Janelle Saffin — NSW Minister for the North Coast, long-time local member, and passionate advocate for the Northern Rivers. They talk about Janelle's working-class upbringing in Ipswich, leaving school at thirteen, and the experiences that shaped a lifetime of public service. From finding a home in Lismore over fifty years ago to working in human rights across Timor-Leste and Myanmar, Janelle reflects on the values that have guided her journey through community work, law, and politics. The conversation also explores leadership during the 2022 floods, the importance of bipartisan collaboration, housing, regional development, and what it takes to build stronger, more connected communities across the Northern Rivers. A thoughtful conversation about resilience, public service, and the future of the region. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com
Christian Tancred — Community, Creativity & Youth Culture
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Chris sits down with Christian Tancred — General Manager of the Byron Youth Service and The YAC. Christian shares his journey from growing up in Orange NSW obsessed with surfing, to working across community development, youth culture, filmmaking and mental health advocacy. They talk about the experiences that shaped his path, including losing a close friend at a young age and later travelling around Australia raising awareness for suicide prevention. The conversation explores the evolution of The YAC, the role of creativity and youth culture in building connection, and the challenges young people are facing today around social media, mental health, isolation and identity. Christian also reflects on Byron Bay’s community spirit, volunteerism, and the importance of creating safe spaces where young people can feel supported and connected. A thoughtful and grounded conversation about resilience, community, youth support, and the changing culture of Byron Bay. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com
Patti Lowry – A Lifetime of Travel, Adventure & Byron Bay Stories
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Chris sits down with Patti Lowry to hear the remarkable story of a life lived across continents and decades of change. Born in England during the war and raised in Canada, Patti reflects on losing her mother early, travelling through Europe in the 1960s, hitchhiking across Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, marrying in Jerusalem, and eventually making her way to Australia. Patti also shares stories from Byron Bay’s early days, buying the old Arts Factory site in the 1990s, and watching the region evolve into the community it is today. A fascinating conversation filled with history, adventure, resilience and nostalgia for old Byron. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com
Ed Mason | Pushing The Limits
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Chris sits down with endurance swimmer and Northern Rivers local Ed Mason for a fascinating conversation about ultra-distance swimming, mindset, pain, and pushing the limits of what’s possible. Originally from the Mid North Coast and now based in Brunswick Heads, Ed shares his journey from studying arts and law in Sydney to building a remote career in legal publishing while chasing a life centred around surf, nature, and adventure in the Northern Rivers. The conversation dives deep into Ed’s extraordinary cold-water endurance swims across New Zealand’s massive alpine lakes — including a brutal 40km crossing of Lake Taupō and another freezing challenge across Lake Tekapo. Ed opens up about swimming through darkness, injury, exhaustion, and extreme cold, while reflecting on mental resilience, pain management, and the strange beauty of testing yourself in the harshest environments. A powerful and honest conversation about endurance, discipline, nature, and discovering what the mind and body are truly capable of. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com
Mel Macpherson - Life in Chapters
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Our Byron Community, Chris sits down with Mel McPherson for a deeply personal conversation about adventure, reinvention, creativity, and finding belonging. Growing up on Sydney’s Northern Beaches before moving through Avoca and eventually Byron Bay, Mel reflects on the chapters that shaped her life — from boarding school and film school to working alongside legendary surf filmmaker Jack McCoy on Blue Horizon, and building a career behind the camera across television, surf films, adventure productions and international events. Mel also shares stories from her years competing in surf boat rowing, winning four Australian titles, and explains how surf club culture gave her a lifelong sense of community and connection. The conversation explores much deeper themes too — leaving behind the life she thought she was “supposed” to want, navigating heartbreak and major life changes, choosing a different path, and ultimately finding a place in Byron where individuality, creativity and intuition could thrive. Chris and Mel also dive into her passion for restoring old homes, including the remarkable transformation of a century-old abandoned farmhouse "Longfield" in the Byron hinterland that many locals knew as the “haunted house on the hill.” An honest, thoughtful and inspiring conversation about trusting intuition, embracing change, and creating a life that feels truly authentic. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com
Cameron Arnold – Building Tourism & Shaping a Destination
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Chris sits down with Cameron Arnold — long-time local, tourism operator, and one of the key figures behind the evolution of Byron’s visitor economy. They talk about Cameron’s early years growing up in Sydney, losing his father young, and finding his way through island life, hospitality, and eventually into Byron Bay in the early ’90s. From running hotels and building one of Australia’s first festival glamping operations to decades spent shaping tourism across the Northern Rivers, Cameron shares a lived perspective on how the industry has changed. The conversation explores the realities of tourism in a place like Byron — the opportunities, the pressures, and the need for clear direction around what kind of destination this community wants to be. They also get into the idea of “product,” what’s missing locally, and how culture, environment, and community can be better reflected in the visitor experience. A grounded and insightful conversation about tourism, community, and the future of the Byron Shire
Zenith Virago – Honouring Life, Death & Community
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Chris sits down with Zenith Virago — long-time Northern Rivers local, celebrant, educator, and one of the leading voices around death, dying, and community-led funerals. They talk about Zenith’s journey from working-class London to the North Coast in the 1980s, and how a life shaped by travel, community, and a deep sense of presence led her into working with death over the past three decades. From early experiences with loss to supporting families through some of life’s most confronting moments, Zenith shares how her work found her — and why it continues to matter. The conversation explores how attitudes to death have changed, what it means to be truly present with people in grief, and why Byron and the Northern Rivers have developed such a unique, community-driven approach to honouring life and loss. A thoughtful, honest, and at times powerful conversation about death, community, and what it means to live fully If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com
Elia Hauge – Engineering, Community & Local Politics
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Chris sits down with Elia Hauge — engineer, educator, environmentalist and Byron Shire councillor. They talk about growing up between cultures, leaving and returning to Byron, and how a love of maths, music, and the environment shaped her path. From studying engineering and working in water systems to stepping into local politics, Elia shares how values, community, and place have guided her journey. They discuss the realities of council life, the challenges facing the region, and what it means to make decisions for a community that cares deeply about where it lives. A thoughtful and grounded conversation about service, sustainability, and the future of the Byron Shire. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com
Rachael Calvert | Building a Business and Finding Alignment
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Chris sits down with Rachael Calvert. Rachael shares her journey through major life changes, personal growth, and the experiences that have shaped the way she sees herself and the world around her. They talk about the realities of navigating uncertainty, the emotional weight that can come with big transitions, and what it takes to rebuild confidence and direction when life doesn’t go to plan. Rachael also speaks about her work and the evolution of her brand, including what inspired her to create it, how it has grown over time, and the lessons that come with building something of your own. We explore the balance between ambition and wellbeing, the pressure that can come with running a business, and how personal experiences often influence the way we lead, create, and show up professionally. Throughout the conversation, Rachael reflects on self-awareness, learning to listen to your own needs, and the ongoing work of setting boundaries and making healthier choices. It’s an honest and grounded episode about growth, reflection, and creating a life — and work — that feels more aligned. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com
Andy Plummer — Creativity, Reinvention and Becoming an Artist in Retirement
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Chris sits down with Andy Plummer. Andy reflects on growing up with a father in the military, a childhood shaped by movement, change, and the need to continually adapt. He talks about how those early experiences influenced his sense of identity and reinvention, and how creativity became a constant through periods of transition. The conversation also explores Andy’s time working as a mining engineer, the contrast between technical work and creative expression, and how that chapter of his life helped clarify what he was missing and what he wanted to move toward. Andy shares how art, teaching, and community-based work became ways of reconnecting with purpose, wellbeing, and belonging. Together they discuss creativity as a grounding force, the importance of making space for expression, and the quiet responsibility of contributing to community over time. It’s a thoughtful episode about change, continuity, and finding alignment between how you live and what you create. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com
Aaron Tait - Leadership, Loss and the Long Road to Healing
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we sit down with Aaron Tait, author of Far Horizons, for a wide-ranging and deeply reflective conversation about life, leadership, travel, and the experiences that shape us. Aaron shares his journey from a restless childhood in New Zealand to joining the military at just 17, the moral reckoning that followed his early deployments, and how travel, service, and storytelling became part of his healing. We talk about Byron Bay as a place people are drawn back to, what good leadership really looks like, and how entrepreneurship, education, and community-led work across Africa have shaped Aaron’s outlook. There’s also a thoughtful discussion on writing, vulnerability, masculinity, and why stories — and reading — still matter, especially for men. It’s an honest and generous conversation about finding meaning, letting go of what no longer fits, and choosing how to live the next chapter. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com
Chris Hanley & Su Reynolds - 2025 Annual Real Estate Market Wrap Up
Send us Fan Mail Chris sits down with local real estate expert Su Reynolds to unpack the Byron Bay property market in 2025. Together they explore current trends, challenges, and opportunities, and share insights into what the early months of 2026 could look like for buyers, sellers, and the wider community.
Tory Trewhitt - Blokes Inc and Playing a Bigger Game
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we sit down with Tory Trewhitt - author, executive health coach, exercise physiologist and motivational speaker, who grew up in the Mornington Peninsula and has called Byron Bay home for the past nine years. Tory shares the hard lessons that shaped him, from his early years at an all boys school to heading straight into university and eventually stepping into corporate health. After landing a role with Bupa in London, he worked across fitness-for-duty assessments, drug and alcohol screening and rehabilitation, gaining a close look at the pressures people carry into their working lives. Passionate about his work but candid about the challenges of managing people, Tory reflects on what those early roles taught him about leadership, accountability and human behaviour. He talks about the origins of his book, Blokes Inc - Play a Bigger Game , and why men often bottle up health concerns, struggle with vulnerability and lean away from emotional openness. He also explores whether younger generations are beginning to shift these long-held patterns. Tory speaks openly about addiction, the stories people bring to him, what he has learnt from years of accountability training and rehabilitation work, and how he protects his own wellbeing while supporting others. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com
Radek Sali | How to Build a Billion Dollar Business
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we sit down with Radek Sali - entrepreneur, former CEO and a leading figure in Australia’s health and wellness space. Born in Scotland to an Albanian father and Czech mother, Radek grew up in Melbourne with strong influences in medicine, wellness and hard work. From managing a local cinema as a teenager to becoming CEO at just 27, he shares the early lessons that shaped his leadership and the decade that followed at the helm of a major business. Radek talks about culture, re-imagining what business can be, the reality of stress and pressure at the top, and what life looks like post-CEO. He also reflects on giving back through Igniting Change NSW, supporting brands like Loco Love and The Beauty Chef, and what success means to him now. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com
Emma Hargraves | Teaching, Creativity and Growing Up in Byron Bay
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we sit down with Emma Hargraves - second-generation Byron Bay local, teacher and lifelong advocate for creativity and connection. Born and raised in Byron, Emma shares stories of her early years, the teachers who shaped her, and how a love of English turned into a lifelong career. She reflects on what it’s really like inside the classroom, from the challenges young teachers face to the impact of technology and social media on students today. Emma also speaks about her grandmother – founder of the Byron School of Dance and the first woman in town to wear a bikini on the beach – a reminder of the creative, boundary-pushing spirit that runs through generations. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com
Cleo Mundy | Living and Learning in Greece at 15
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we speak with Cleo Mundy, a 15-year-old student from Byron Bay who recently returned from a 4.5-month exchange in a small town in Greece. Cleo grew up in Sydney before moving to Byron at the age of four, and she’s currently a student at a local Steiner school - a place she describes as artistic, nurturing, and well-suited for those who learn at their own pace. Cleo shares what inspired her to choose Greece for her exchange, the challenges of learning a new language, and what it was like settling into a new culture as a teenager. From the friendships she built to the work she did - including time spent at a local vet - she offers a thoughtful look at how the experience shaped her. We also hear about her school’s unique approach to education, including a nearly month-long Year 9 bus trip to Darwin - a highlight that included a visit to Katmandu. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com
Tiffany Richmond | Poppy Galactic, Creativity and Raising Boys in Byron Bay
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we sit down with Tiffany Richmond - a musician, voice artist and mother of four who’s built a creative life in Byron Bay. Originally from Sydney, Tiffany moved to Byron ten years ago, drawn by its community and creative energy. A musician at heart, she toured the world with the band Sparkadia before finding her rhythm here. It wasn’t until she was 40 that surfing really clicked, and she shares what it’s like to find that flow, the inclusiveness of Byron’s surf community, and why the ocean keeps her grounded. Tiffany talks about raising boys, finding independence through voice work, and how using your voice is an act of creativity and connection. She also shares the story behind Poppy Galactic - her kids’ band born from a desire to stay creative as a parent. After releasing an album in 2021, she’s now preparing for its re-launch - bringing music, dance and imagination back to the forefront for a new generation. You can find out more at poppygalactic.com If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com
Caitlin Reilly | Art, Business and What Shapes Creation
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we sit down with Caitlin Reilly - artist, gallery owner and co-founder of the Bangalow Station Street Co Op with Hugh Stewart. Caitlin first came to Byron from Melbourne in 1997, where she’d spent years playing music before settling here for a decade. After completing a Bachelor of Arts, she moved to China in 2009 and lived there for six years before returning to start again from the ground up opening an art gallery beneath The Collective and, later, Gallery 3 in 2020. She shares what it’s like to wear two hats, running a business while also creating as an artist and how starting from scratch can be both daunting and liberating. Caitlin also reflects on the economic realities of making art, the challenges of sustaining creativity, and how questions of stability and security flow through her work. Her story is one of resilience, creativity and confronting the bigger issues our communities face - what it means to make a living from art, and why there is no single solution to the housing crisis. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com
