Mike Carlton:
The Burning Blue
Thursday 6 August | 6pm
National Press Club of Australia
Aviation. Adventure. Survival. The untold story of Australia's naval air pioneers.
Bestselling author and former broadcaster Mike Carlton comes to the National Press Club to discuss The Burning Blue - a sweeping and exhilarating history of the Royal Australian Navy’s Fleet Air Arm and the extraordinary Australians who flew, fought and survived at sea.
Why would anyone attempt to land an aircraft on the deck of a moving ship in darkness, rough weather and heavy seas? What drove generations of pilots and aircrew to take such risks? And how did Australia help shape the history of naval aviation?
Drawing on years of research, personal letters and firsthand accounts, Carlton brings these remarkable stories to life in a conversation that spans world wars, aircraft carriers, combat missions, sea rescues and technological innovation. From pioneering aviators and wartime aces to the challenges of Korea, Vietnam and beyond, The Burning Blue reveals a little-known chapter of Australian history through the experiences of those who lived it.
Packed with courage, drama, rivalry, ingenuity and sacrifice, this is history at its most compelling - told by one of Australia's finest narrative historians.
Whether you're passionate about military history, aviation, Australian stories or simply great storytelling, don't miss this opportunity to hear Mike Carlton discuss his acclaimed new book and the extraordinary people behind it.
About Mike Carton:
In a working life of more than fifty years, Mike Carlton was one of Australia's best-known media figures in radio, television and newspapers. Beginning as a cadet journalist at the ABC, he became a war correspondent in Vietnam and was the ABC's Bureau Chief in Jakarta. He also reported for the ABC from London, New York and major Asian capitals. In television, he worked on the ABC's ground-breaking This Day Tonight in the 1970s and for Nine Network News and A Current Affair.
In 1980 Mike turned to talk radio, first in Sydney then in London’, where he won a coveted Sony Radio Academy award in 1993 for Britain's best talk breakfast show. His radio satire on current affairs, Friday News Review, was ‘must listening’ in Australia and the UK.
For many years he wrote a popular weekly column for the Sydney Morning Herald.
Mike has had a life-long passion for naval history and is the author of Cruiser, First Victory, Flagship, The Scrap Iron Flotilla and Dive!. In 2025 he received a Navy Gold Commendation for his outstanding commitment and contribution to the Royal Australian Navy. It's very rare for someone outside Defence to receive a commendation and Mike's contribution was described as ‘exemplary’ by the Navy's chief, Vice Admiral Hammond.
Andrew Upton:
Krank Fuss
Wednesday 12 August | 6.30pm
The Street Theatre
Be among the first to experience the extraordinary debut novel from acclaimed playwright, screenwriter and former Sydney Theatre Company Artistic Director Andrew Upton, in conversation with fellow visionary and former STC Artistic Director Kip Williams.
Written as a story for his unborn daughter and set on a small farm in Nazi Germany on the eve of war, Krank Fuss is a haunting modern fable about innocence, courage and the choices that define us.
When a young chicken born with a deformed foot is shunned by the flock, she finds an unlikely companion in Gibby, a toad who believes themself to be a frog. Together they venture beyond the boundaries of the farm, discovering friendship, resilience and a world where kindness exists alongside unimaginable cruelty. As the shadow of fascism closes in, Krank Fuss must confront the unsettling truth that while we cannot choose the circumstances of our lives, our choices still matter.
Evoking the allegorical power of Animal Farm and the raw imagination of Art Brut, Krank Fuss is a deeply moving exploration of prejudice, belonging and hope. At once timeless and urgently contemporary, it asks what it means to preserve wonder and humanity in an increasingly fractured world.
In this special event, Andrew Upton discusses the remarkable journey from theatre to fiction, the inspirations behind his first novel, and the enduring power of storytelling, in conversation with internationally acclaimed director Kip Williams.
About Andrew Upton
Andrew Upton is one of Australia's most celebrated writers for stage and screen. His original plays include Hanging Man and Riflemind, alongside acclaimed adaptations of classics including Hedda Gabler, The Cherry Orchard, Cyrano de Bergerac, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters and The Seagull.
As Co-Artistic Director (with Cate Blanchett) and later Artistic Director of Sydney Theatre Company, he led the company through a landmark period of international success, with productions touring to Broadway, London's Barbican and theatres across Europe and the United States. He also developed major adaptations for the UK's National Theatre, bringing overlooked Russian masterpieces to new audiences.
More recently, as a principal of Dirty Films, he has produced acclaimed films and television including The New Boy, Shayda, Fingernails and Stateless, and co-created the Audible Original series Climate of Change.
Kip Williams is a Tony-nominated, award-winning theatre and opera director, and former Artistic Director and Co-CEO of Sydney Theatre Company. He conceived, wrote and directed The Picture of Dorian Gray, starring Sarah Snook, and directed Dracula, starring Cynthia Erivo. Renowned for innovative productions across theatre and opera, Williams has received multiple awards for his acclaimed stage work.