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  • The Assembly's Andrew Radford

The Assembly's Andrew Radford

ABC Camera man filming Stuart Jeffress and Andrew Radford sitting on a concrete bench in the gardens, with producer Arthur Hill to the right.
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ABC Camera man Simon filming Stuart Jeffress and Andrew Radford sitting on a concrete bench in the Gallery of Gardens at the National Arboretum, with producer Arthur Hill providing coaching to Andrew. Further set back to see more of the gardens and the Telstra Tower in the background.
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Two images side by side. On the left shows Stuart Jeffress and Andrew walking through the gardens, they are framed within a circular corten steel sculpture. On the right is Stuart Jeffress and Andrew Radford standing together smiling at the camera.
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Two images side by side. On the left shows Az Turlich talking to Andrew about a Bonsai, Andrew is in the foreground with his back to the camera. On the right ABC Camera man Simon filming Andrew Radford interviewing Az in the Bonsai Collection.
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ABC Camera man Simon filming Andrew Radford interviewing Az in the Bonsai Collection with producer Arthur Hill providing coaching to Andrew.
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ABC Camera man Simon filming Andrew Radford walking along a path with Az in the Himalayan Cedar Forest.
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ABC Camera man Simon filming Andrew Radford interviewing Nicole in the southern forests of the Arboretum with producer Arthur Hill providing coaching to Andrew. Dairy Farmers Hill and storm clouds in the background.
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ABC Camera man Simon filming Andrew Radford interviewing Nicole in the southern forests of the Arboretum with a backdrop of a mosaic of trees.
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Nicole Pietrucha and Andrew Radford standing together smiling at the camera. Forests and Dairy Farmers Hill in the background.
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ABC Camera man Simon filming Andrew Radford interviewing Fran in the Stone Pine Forest with producer Arthur Hill providing coaching to Andrew.
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ABC Camera man Simon filming Fran touching the trunk of a Stone pine tree while Andrew listens to Fran speak about the tree.
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Andrew Radford, a familiar face to fans of the ABC’s groundbreaking series The Assembly, is taking his love of storytelling to exciting new places.

Through a once-in-a-lifetime journalism internship with the ABC, Andrew—who has been a long-time participant in The Disability Trust’s programs—is building his skills and sharing incredible stories. His latest adventure? Filming a forest feature at the National Arboretum Canberra.

Andrew is one of 15 journalism students with autism chosen for this amazing internship. Under the mentorship of legendary journalist Leigh Sales, he and his fellow interns have learned the ropes of journalism—everything from researching and interviewing to creating powerful stories.

So far, Andrew and his colleagues have already interviewed some of Australia’s biggest names, including Sam Neill, Hamish Blake, Delta Goodrem, Adam Goodes, and even Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Andrew’s latest project is especially close to his heart, given his long-standing interest in botany. As part of his internship, he spent a month in Canberra working with ABC’s TV and radio teams. During this time, he visited the National Arboretum to create a TV piece on its Living Collections.

The story shines a spotlight on just a few of the people who care for the Arboretum’s unique and beautiful forests and gardens, including:

Andrew’s piece celebrates not only the breathtaking work happening at the Arboretum but also the dedication of the people who make it all possible.

The team at the Arboretum loved having Andrew and the ABC crew on site and can’t wait to see the finished story. For Andrew, it was another big step forward in his journalism career, showcasing the importance of ensuring people of all abilities have equal access to valuable opportunities, and a chance to follow their dreams and make their voices heard.

Don’t Miss It!

You can catch Andrew’s story about the Arboretum’s Living Collections on ABC TV during the News Segment on the evening of 29 December 2024. If you miss it, no worries—it’ll also be available to stream for free on ABC iview.

Make sure to tune in for this inspiring story by one of Australia’s rising journalists!