If These Trees Could Talk

A Survivor Story About Grooming, Trauma, and Healing 
 
In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, Shannon speaks with writer, poet and advocate Kat Mackay about surviving grooming, sexual assault, and the long journey of healing after trauma.
Kat lives with Dissociative Identity Disorder and throughout the episode refers to themselves using “we” and “us.” This reflects the way their internal system experiences and expresses identity, and we invite listeners to approach this with curiosity, respect and understanding.  
Kat shares how childhood isolation and a lack of safety at home led them to seek belonging through childhood interest based spaces. While some mentors offered genuine support and guidance, one ultimately misused that position of trust — introducing Kat to a prominent public figure who groomed and sexually assaulted them.
Together, Shannon and Kat explore the hidden dynamics of grooming, the impact trauma can have on identity and relationships, and what it means to reclaim agency, voice, and safety after abuse.
Trigger Warning:This episode discusses sexual assault, grooming, trauma, and survivor recovery. We invite listeners to approach the conversation with gentleness  for both Kat, and themselves.

 The Dismantling of an International Sex Trafficking Network
 
This episode begins in Cairns, Queensland, and follows the international child exploitation case involving Peter Truong and Mark Newton. From encrypted hard drives to coordinated cross-border law enforcement, this is the story of how a global trafficking network was exposed and dismantled.
At a time when the handling of high-profile sex trafficking cases continues to raise public questions, this case offers a powerful contrast: what becomes possible when Victim Protection is the priority.
Trigger Warning: Contains discussion of child sexual abuse, grooming and trafficking.Support services and full episode references are available at ifthesetreescouldtalk.com.au

In this second and final part of our conversation, and the first episode of What Would They Say, Rob reflects on the life that followed those two days in 1977 and the quiet, complicated aftermath of surviving something so public and so traumatic.
He speaks about the years that came after the siege in Wooreen, Victoria, the lingering impact of being taken hostage by escaped gunman Edwin John Eastwood, and the responsibility he carried long after the headlines faded.
But this chapter is not defined by fear. It is about what Rob calls “Health after hurt” — the deliberate, ongoing work of healing, understanding trauma, and choosing growth over silence.
Now decades on, Rob shares how that experience shaped not only his life but his purpose, and how he supports others navigating their own trauma with empathy, steadiness, and hard-earned insight.
This episode is a story of resilience, perspective, and the profound influence one survivor can have when they decide their pain will not be the end of their story.

A Classroom Kidnapping in Rural Victoria.
In February 1977, Rob Hunter was just 20 years old and nine days into his first teaching role when an armed gunman entered his classroom at Wooreen, Victoria. Rob and nine students were taken hostage.
In part one of this two-episode conversation, Rob recounts the events of that day and the responsibility placed on him in an unfolding crisis.
Content note: This episode contains discussion of kidnapping and a firearm in a school setting.

Many men are taught how to be strong — but not how to be supported.
In this episode, we sit down with Dan Repacholi, Federal Member for the Hunter and Special Envoy for Men’s Health, for a deeply personal conversation about shame, responsibility, resilience, and vulnerability.Drawing on his own experiences and public role, Dan reflects on identity, pressure, and the quiet courage it takes to ask for help.
This is a conversation about rewriting old rules and learning how to stay connected — to yourself, and to the people who love you.

Words for the Year, Wildlife Encounters, Survival, Growth and Momentum 
A new season of If These Trees Could Talk begins in the space between presence and momentum.
In this season-opening episode, we share our words for the year, introduce the evolving direction of the podcast, and welcome a new branch of storytelling.
Through Australian wildlife encounters, survival instincts, and the symbolism of the Chinese zodiac, we explore what we’re shedding — and what we’re ready to move toward. 
For show notes, recommendations, adventure photo's and ...  WHERE TO BUY A SNAKE BITE KIT (most important) head to:
 https://www.ifthesetreescouldtalk.com.au/

This episode marks the Season 2 finale of If These Trees Could Talk — a pause at the end of a long, heavy, meaningful year. We’re reflecting on the places we’ve walked, the stories that found us, and the moments that changed how we see the world. Some of this year unfolded quietly, some of it hit hard, and not all of it came with neat answers, but every step left its mark.
This is also our thank you. To everyone who listened, shared, messaged, challenged us, or carried these stories alongside us; this only exists because you show up. This episode isn’t a highlight reel or a goodbye, just a moment to acknowledge the growth, the weight, and the connection that made this year what it was. We’re grateful you walked it with us.

This episode asks a simple question with a definitive answer: What does showing up really look like? From the rolling hills of Deepwater to the everyday Australian homes where people quietly fight their battles, we explore how connection can be a shield, a comfort, and sometimes the difference between holding on and letting go.
We’re joined by Stuart O'Neill — Suicide Prevention Advocate, Public Speaker, the driving force behind Australia’s first mental health pub and author of Just One Reason, a 5 times best selling - raw and powerful account of his own journey through the darkest corners of mental health attached to a simple yet profound toolkit to help others. Stu’s work is a reminder that resilience isn’t something we find alone. It grows when we circle the wagons — when we gather close, create safety, and refuse to let anyone stand on the edge without support.
In this episode we unpack the power of listening, the courage it takes to tell the truth, and the remarkable change that happens when communities decide to show up for each other with compassion instead of judgment. 
This is an exploration of the wagons we build — the human ones — and the strength we discover when we stand together.

The horror of John Price’s murder sent shockwaves through Aberdeen and across Australia. In this final episode, we follow the case from Knight’s arrest to her courtroom, exploring the psychological assessments, her personality disorder diagnosis, and the intense public scrutiny that followed.
We also look inside her life in prison; where she’s both feared and respected and consider the wider lessons about mental health, justice, and prevention. From the staggering cost of violent crime to the potential of early intervention, this episode challenges us to hold space for empathy and accountability.

Part two of this shocking story is about the brutal murder of John Price — a killing so gruesome it shocked even the most seasoned investigators. We trace the final, terrifying days leading up to his death, when obsession turned to rage and love curdled into violence. Through police reports, witness accounts, and psychological insights, we reconstruct the night Katherine Knight crossed the final line.
It’s a descent into unimaginable brutality: the culmination of years of volatility, control, and manipulation. As the evidence unfolds, we confront not only the horror of what she did, but the chilling precision with which she carried it out. This episode asks a haunting question — what happens when unchecked rage and deep-seated trauma finally explode?