Black Magic Woman with Mundanara Bayles
Hosted by Mundanara Bayles who was born and raised in Redfern (Sydney) Australia and currently lives in Queensland. The Black Magic Woman Podcast is an uplifting conversational style program featuring mainly First Nations people from Australia and around the world sharing their stories about their journey to highlight the diversity amongst First Nations peoples and the resilience of her people. She hopes these stories inspire her listeners and also create a better understanding of what First Nations Peoples culture and history. Mundanara is guided by Aboriginal Terms of Reference and focusses more on who people are rather than on what they do. Mundanara makes people feel relaxed and comfortable as if they were sitting around the kitchen table just having a yarn. It’s the way First Nations people have been building relationships and getting to know each other for tens of thousands of years. She draws from a long family history in the media industry and has grown up in culturally strong, politically active family who have been at the forefront of the Aboriginal Rights movement since the 1960’s. Mundanara sees this platform as an opportunity to share her cultural knowledge and insights to her audience in a non confrontational way that brings people along with her to create change for a better Australia. To connect more with Mundanara check out the work she does with her elders at www.theblackcard.com.au. If you'd like to support the show by making a financial contribution, visit https://www.theblackcard.com.au./ Any help is appreciated and goes a long way. I encourage to get behind any First Nations media, contribute, share and be apart of positive change that Australia needs.
Episodes
In this powerful Best Of episode, we revisit one of our most unforgettable yarns with proud Yuin and Thunghutti man, artist, creator, and community leader Nooky. Recorded live on the iHeart Podcast stage at SXSW Sydney, this conversation dives deep into his journey from growing up in Nowra to becoming a driving force in Australian music and culture.
Nooky shares honest reflections on resilien...
In this Best Of episode of Black Magic Woman, I sit down with Dem Mob, a rising Indigenous hip-hop group making waves in the Australian music scene.
Formed in 2019 as a school project designed to re-engage Indigenous youth through music and culture, Dem Mob have since evolved into a power...
In this Best Of episode, we revisit one of our most loved conversations with Coby Edgar — a proud Aboriginal curator, creative, mentor and cultural powerhouse. Coby’s story is filled with honesty, humour, resilience and deep cultural insight, making this episode a standout moment from the Black Magic Woman archives.
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In this episode of Mental Fitness Conversations, host Mundanara Bayles chats with Aaliyah Bula - a proud Tongan, Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi woman, athlete and community leader - about what mental fitness means to her.
Aaliyah’s journey is one of strength, connection and cultural pride. Aaliyah has always balanced her passion for culture with her drive in sport. She’s played Open Women’s footy with the Redfern All Bla...
At just 25, Wendell French – also known by their stage name Felicia Foxx, the Aboriginal Enchantress – is a proud Kamilaroi and Dhunghutti “brotherboy, sistergirl, brista – brothersister”. They are a performer, advocate and entrepreneur using drag as a powerful tool for storytelling, self-expression and connection.
In this honest and uplifting conversation with host Mundanara Bayles, Wendell talks open...
In this episode, I sit down with proud Meuram woman Lala Gutchen from Erub island in the Torres Strait — a language teacher, diver, and climate advocate whose life’s work is rooted in protecting Country.
We met at the
Wiradjuri Elder and Aboriginal activist Uncle Dave Bell has spent more than two decades guiding young people towards strength through culture, mentoring and connection. In this episode of Mental Fitness Conversations, he joins Mundanara Bayles from Black Magic Woman podcasts to share the story of Young Spirit Mentoring - a grassroots program changing lives across Campbelltown by reconnecting youth with Country, culture and communit...
In this episode, I sit down with the incredible Cissy Gore-Birch, a proud a Jaru/Kija woman with connections to Balanggarra, Nyikina and Bunuba Country in the Kimberley, and the powerhouse behind Lulujaru — a fashion label that weaves together culture, conservation, and self-determination.
In the newest Mental Fitness Conversations episode, produced in partnership with Black Magic Woman, host Mundanara Bayles yams with Dr Clinton Schultz, a proud Gamilaroi man, psychologist and Head of First Nations Strategy at Black Dog Institute.
Clinton speaks openly about his life and the role of culture in shaping his path. He reflects on growing up disconnected from support, navigating systems that didn’t see him and the ...
In this episode of the Black Magic Woman Podcast, I sit down with Ruby Heard, a proud descendant of the Jaru and Gija peoples and founder of Alinga Energy Consulting. Ruby shares her journey into electrical engineering and how a decision at sixteen to “save the world” set her on a path from Hanging Rock, Victoria, to global projects in Silicon Valley and refugee camps in Ethiopia.
The fourth episode of the Mental Fitness Conversations podcast features a powerful yarn with Quaden Bayles, a 14-year-old First Nations actor, award-winning advocate and activist.
In this episode, Quaden speaks openly about how his life changed overnight, from the pain of relentless bullying to the opportunities and challenges of acting in major Hollywood films. What shines through most is his honesty about the role that culture, f...
In this episode of the Black Magic Woman Podcast, I sit down with Uncle John Anderson, at the First Nations Clean Energy Network Summit on Kabi Kabi Country. Uncle John shares his journey from his saltwater connections on Palm Island and Innisfail to his work across western Queensland and Brisbane, leading independent and regulatory bodies with integrity and cultural strength.
Award-winning comedian, actor and writer Steph Tisdell is one of Australia’s brightest creative forces. Known for her quick wit and powerful storytelling, she uses humour to break down barriers and spark conversations about identity, culture and mental health.
In this episode, host Mundanara Bayles sits down with Steph for an open yarn about what it means to live authentically and use your platform for change. Steph reflects ...
In this week’s episode, I sit down with Tommy Hicks, Head of Cultural and Community at Indigenous Energy Australia, recorded at the First Nations Clean Energy Network Summit on the Sunshine Coast.
Tommy shares his journey as a proud Badimia-Yamatji & Narungga man workin...
Actor, presenter and podcaster Matty Mills is a proud First Nations and queer storyteller whose energy lights up every room. Known for his “sparkly” persona on screen and stage, Matty also brings honesty and depth to conversations about healing, culture and mental fitness.
In this episode, host Mundanara Bayles sits down with Matty for an open conversation about identity, belonging and the courage it takes to reclaim yo...
Hi, i’m Mundanara Bayles, host of the award-winning Black Magic Woman Podcast, where I celebrate the voices of First Nations people, leaders, and changemakers who are shaping our communities today. With honesty, laughter, and deep connection, I invite you into yarns that help us all learn, unlearn, and walk toget...
We kick off our new podcast series with a heartbeat – and a Warrior Heart.
Host Mundanara Bayles speaks with Shantelle Thompson OAM – a proud Barkindji and Ngiyampaa woman, mother of five, three-time world Jiu-Jitsu champion and founder of the Warrior Heart Movement. Known as the Barkindji Warrior, Shantelle is a speaker, storyteller and fierce advocate for her people.
Shantelle shares her journey from deep trauma to cu...
Hey you mob! In this episode, I sit down with the incredibly talented and inspiring Aunty Elverina Johnson—a proud Gungganji and Gimuy Walubara Yidinji woman from Yarrabah, in Far North Queensland.
Aunt Elverina is a true force: a singer, artist, fashion designer, businesswoman, and cultural leader. We yarn about everything from her creative roots growing u...
In this powerful NAIDOC Week yarn, I sit down with Uncle Cheg—Gregory Egert—one of our most respected elders and lifelong advocates for community, culture, and education in Southeast Queensland. From growing up in Inala in the 1960s, to decades of service on community boards and as an inaugural Elder in Residence at QUT and now UQ, Uncle Cheg shares stories of resilience, responsibilit...
In this episode I sit down with respected Wakka Wakka/Wulli Wulli Elder, author, academic, and leadership expert Dr Tjanara Goreng Goreng. Recorded in Naarm at the Indigenous Leadership Summit, this yarn dives deep into the meaning of sacred leadership, emotional intelligence, and the importance of First Nations ways of knowing, being, and doing within modern systems.
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