Cowper bus disaster examined in podcast

The Grafton Daily Examiner brings you COWPER, a six-part podcast series investigating one of Australia's worst road disasters.

Cowper bus crash survivors Angela Ormisher and Glenn Askew have a chat looking over the highway at Cowper after the ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the crash. Photo Adam Hourigan / The Daily Examiner

Who is responsible for the brutal deaths of 21 strangers? From The Daily Examiner is a six-part series that takes listeners on an emotional journey to reveal the full story behind that tragic day.

From The Daily Examiner is a six-part series that takes listeners on an emotional journey to reveal the full story behind the 1989 Cowper bus disaster. Told through the eyes of those who witnessed the horror, some sharing their story for the first time, each episode explores a different aspect of the event to reveal a tangled web of trauma and negligence.

LISTEN HERE

BONUS CONTENT

Episode 1 | Hell on Earth

Just before dawn, 21 strangers are brutally killed, leaving a tangled web of trauma and culpability in its wake.

• 'I owe him my life': Unimaginable reason Yvonne survived
• 'It was just too b'It was just too big, it was just so big'
• Bus crash disaster: A farmer's rude awakening
• The junior doctor first on scene of Australia's shocking bus disaster
• 'I'll never forgive the politicians': Horror scene haunts GP

Episode 2 | The Lucky Ones

What was it like to survive the worst road disaster in Australian history?

• The 14-year-old who lost her mother and brother
• Country hospital thrown into disaster mode
• The polite decision that saved a pianist's life
• 'One hell of a mess'. The people who picked up the pieces

Episode 3 | Keep That Dog on a Leash

As survivors begin to recover from their emotional and physical wounds, a second tragedy unfolds.

• The aftermath and personal toll of Cowper
• Ground-breaking study unearths forgotten victims

Episode 4 | Blood-sucking Vultures

The horrific images from the Cowper crash are forever burned into the minds of millions. But just who captured this footage?

• 'A good journalist wouldn't have gone as far as I did'

• 'If it bleeds, it leads': Putting tragedy front and centre
• 'They called me a ghoul, they called me a b******'
• Radio journalist recalls ruthless national media
• DEX photographer shares darkest day of his career

Episode 5 | A Meeting of Metals

The coronial investigation provides a chilling recreation of the tragedy and leaves a family struggling to understand the final judgement.

• Kevin Waller: The driving force for a safer Pacific Highway
• The family Australia forgot
• 'I could have a day off sleeping and do 92 hours'

Episode 6 | Never Forget Us

Common sense finally prevails while decades of grief and trauma give way to a newer celebration of life.

• 'I was happy to help': Young SES worker on the frontline
• The next step toward closure for victim's families

SHOW CREDITS

Cowper is created by Jenna Thompson

Narration by Mary Gardiner and recorded at 2GF studios

Interviews conducted by Jenna Thompson, Kathryn Lewis and Lesley Apps

Script editing by Michelle Gately

This podcast uses the following music and soundscapes courtesy of freesound.org:

Nostalgic Harmony.mp3 by PapaninKasettratat

Sad heaven piano #3 by PSOVOD

PNO Loop by furbyguy

Calm Synthesizer, C by InspectorJ

Eerie Tone Music Background Loop by TheDweebMan

Horror ambience 10 by klankbeeld

Sad_Drama_Romantic_Stinger by SoundFlakes

Feelings of twilight loop by ShadyDave

Extract of “Sweetness dark” Ambience track. by frankum

180205_2225 guitar -p2 iris 4 by toiletrolltube

Eerie Tone Music Background Loop by TheDweebMan