East Side Stories

From a major fire to streaming, Radio Eastern FM has been fighting to keep people listening for more than 50 years

A roster of 42 presenters deliver shows throughout the week, ranging from punk rock and jazz to electronica.

Maroondah

Meet the man building and maintaining Eastern Melbourne’s pipe organs

Regular maintenance jobs include St Paul's Cathedral and the Melbourne Town Hall.

Boroondara

WATCH: What happened to Australia’s milk bars?

A Mooroolbark business has re-energised the idea of what a corner store can be.

Yarra Ranges

Monbulk’s Arnold Dix spent 17 days rescuing trapped workers in India. Now he's helping to bury nuclear waste

The global engineering expert is another of Melbourne’s east with a story to tell.

Yarra Ranges

22 years working in the dark: Inside The Basin’s family bakery

“Every day is different here. Food waits for no one.”

Knox

“It’s about inclusion”: Inside one of Australia’s only dedicated Rummikub groups

“We like to win, but we're not competitive.”

Profiles

Boronia’s rugby league club president has been coaching the same kids for a decade, but keeping them in the game is getting harder

“They learn things about themselves and each other that they will carry with them for life.”

Knox

How Whitehorse’s waste and recycling centre processes rubbish from 172,000 carloads a year

“The queue will definitely stretch right down to Burwood Highway.”

Whitehorse

From scuba diving to breathwork: How a farmstay in Monbulk is helping people slow down

"We don't produce anything, we just produce stillness for people."

Yarra Ranges

The “vinyl revolution”: The Hawthorn record store mixing coffee with electronic deep cuts

“I think what people love about vinyl is that they can hold something in their hand.”

Boroondara

The 50-year-old Blackburn record store started with jukebox leftovers

“I don't think vinyl will ever go away.”

Whitehorse

This yum cha master has spent 62 years making handmade dim sum. Now, his son is fighting to keep the tradition alive.

High labour costs and a shortage of skilled chefs are driving many food businesses to move away from the usual methods.

Whitehorse