Jack Thompson looms large in the Australian imagination from such iconic films as Breaker Morant and The Man from Snowy River. Born John Hadley Pain in Sydney in 1940, he knows very little about the history of his biological family. When his mother died, Jack was sent to a local boarding school as their father Harold was unable to look after them. Eventually Jack was adopted by the Thompson family and he took their name. For the first time, Jack Thompson, legend of the Australian screen, discovers the history of his biological relations and the importance of us knowing our own stories.

Kate Ceberano made her name as a pop princess in the 1980s. She has sustained her singing career since then, touring for the past 20 years. Recently she has plunged back into the national limelight as winner of the 2007 series Dancing with the Stars. Turning 40 years old has become a watershed in her life. Kate wants to stop her hectic schedule and look back for a moment and find out more about her family’s past. Whilst looking Asian - her Hawaiian born father is third-generation Filipina - Kate has always felt Anglo and yet knows little about this side of her heritage.

She starts to understand why she is who she is, and answer many mysteries that she’s been longing to find an answer for.

Geoffrey Robertson is one of Australia’s best-known expatriates. The UK-based human rights advocate and occasional Hypotheticals presenter has been mixing with the famous and infamous ever since he exploded onto the swinging sixties scene to help defend the Oz magazine obscenity case. "People often come up to me and say 'Oh you Australians are so refreshing.' What they mean is 'Rack-off you loud-mouthed colonial.'" He is the consummate self-made man and his razor-sharp legal mind gives short-shrift to the nature-nurture debate. Genes don’t fit his world view.

But when he starts looking into his family tree in Who Do You Think You Are?® he finds some remarkable parallels in the expatriate lives of his forebears. Is Geoffrey Robertson the descendant of a right royal bastard or a very wiley entrepreneur? The jury is still out.

Catherine Freeman represented her people and her country as an athlete and, on the most memorable night in Australian sporting history, won a gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. In her own words, she “runned fast”. Earlier, she’d lit the Olympic Flame in the Opening Ceremony, making her the first person to light the Olympic flame and win a gold medal at the same games. Catherine believes that your make-up is a product of the past, so it’s natural for her to want to find out about her ancestors. She’s interested in finding out from where she inherited her athletic ability.

Catherine also believes you inherit your emotions and psychology from your ancestors and she’s extremely curious to discover what aspects of her innate nature are also inherited. She hopes that learning about her ancestors will make her feel more at ease with who she is, and stronger going into the future.

Dennis Cometti is the best known and most authoritative Australian Rules football commentator in Australia. Millions of football fans around the nation admire and respect his droll, quirky commentary. He knows everything there is to know about the genealogy of the AFL, confidently recalling any player’s pedigree, background and performance statistics – he spends hours researching the history of the game. But ask the ‘footy statistic guru’ about his own family and it is an entirely different story. He claims he has never had time to look into his own history.

Dennis wants to reconnect with his Italian identity. Everyone else identifies with him being Italian and he’s bemused because he doesn’t - he can’t even speak the language. Who Do You Think You Are?® takes Dennis on a journey to explore his rich Italian heritage.

Ita Buttrose is a trail-blazer – the first female editor of a major newspaper in Australia, a publisher, broadcaster and campaigner of equal opportunity for women. She’s promoted health issues, the needs of family and Australia’s ageing population. She’s always had a passionate interest in her family’s history, particularly in trying to unravel why her family changed their name from Butters to Buttrose, but has never had the time to investigate. Driven by the fact that many of her immediate family have creative and “nomadic” lives, she’s curious to find out whether these are ancestral traits.

Ita was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1988.

Footy legend and latter day ‘Knight in Shining Armour’ Ron Barassi has always believed that actions speak louder than words. He embarks on a journey into his ancestry tracing the Barassi family line back to the Victorian Gold Rush and discovers a heart-rending tale of violence, tragedy and redemption.

Australian film and TV industry luminary, actress Sigrid Thornton has cornered the market in feisty leading roles. Tonight she embarks on a journey into her ancestry uncovering a genetic tendency to get into trouble with the law.

Bad boy larrikin actor Ben Mendelsohn embarks on a journey into his ancestry to find out if he really is related to the famous composer of the Wedding March - Felix Mendelssohn. He traces the Mendelsohn family line back to the heart of Europe and discovers a thread of musical heritage in surprising quarters as well as a heart-rending tale of success, failure and heartbreak of Dickensian proportions.

Singer Christine Anu's ancestry is from the Torres Straits Islands. She’d like to understand why music is so important in her life. Her journey takes her not only to the Torres Straits but to England where she discovers a heritage of music and culture, beyond her wildest dreams.

Celebrity “Country Cook" Maggie Beer is probably best known for being half of the TV duo The Cook and The Chef, as well as for her famous Pheasant Farm Pate. Tonight she embarks on a journey into her ancestry discovering a convict bigamist with a penchant for very tall tales.

Rock star and activist John Butler is searching for his heritage hoping to find poets, musicians and revolutionaries. In his WDYTYA journey John traces the Butler name back through generations of hardship to a matriarch who sang for her survival. Then he follows his Bulgarian ancestry to the mountain town of Koprivshtitsa and to an ancestor caught up in a violent revolt, central to the birth of a nation.

Magda Szubanski is the actor behind many of Australia’s most loved comic characters. Magda has always been a fearless performer. But where is that courage from? To better understand how world events have shaped her family, Magda will trace the lives of two ancestors. Both were forced to make grim choices and both were forced to confront with the brutality of war.

Cricketer Rod Marsh trawls the records, to overturn long-held secrets and piece together the dramatic circumstances that led to his father’s adoption. For the first time he discovers who his biological grandparents are and why their children were given up for adoption.

Singer Tina Arena has always wanted to find out more about where her Italian-born parents came from, a subject that has never really been talked about in her family. She is driven to find out the truth behind some family secrets and heads off to Sicily to explore her Italian roots and the tough reality of her grandparents’ childhoods.

Actor and comedian is probably best known for his roles in City Homicide and Thank God You’re Here. In this series he investigates a pattern of absent fathers and discovers a man with grand but fraudulent designs.

Actor, dancer and TV chef Paul Mercurio is probably best known for his role in Strictly Ballroom. In this series he embarks on a journey into his ancestry to investigate rumours of a mafia connection and discovers a political kingmaker leading a double life.

Georgie Parker has created some of the most memorable women in Australian television. The women in her own family are all big personalities and this is the puzzle she sets out to solve: where does that female strength come from?

Comedian Shaun Micallef unravels his father’s childhood war-time story in Malta, and discovers other ancestors who were players in some of the most extraordinary moments in modern history.

Television journalist Kerry O’Brien embarks on a journey to uncover his Irish roots. He discovers a couple of convicts taking desperate measures in search of a better life.

Actress Melissa George uncovers the heartbreaking truth behind a story of child migrants and investigates the case of an ancestor suspected of abusing a prisoner in a colonial gaol.

Actor Vince Colosimo unravels the truth about his grandfather’s extraordinary war experience and tries to find out who his mysterious grandmother was.

Actor John Wood discovers the secrets behind his father’s tragic capture and imprisonment in World War II.

Aboriginal footballer Michael O’Loughlin traces the bloodlines of his family, discovering an ancestor who fought to save his culture.

Comedian Adam Hills retraces the desperate journeys of his migrant ancestors, torn apart by war and prejudice as they search for a new life.

Actress Asher Keddie sets out to find the origins of her creative passions, discovering a story from the past with eerie parallels to her own life.

On the trail of his ancestors, actor Don Hany journeys to the heart of Europe to investigate his controversial Hungarian grandfather, who was caught up in a Cold War flashpoint.

By retracing his history, iconic actor Michael Caton will uncover a family tragedy and an ancestor’s involvement in one of Australia’s greatest crime sprees.

On the trail of his ancestors, actor Lex Marinos journeys into Australia’s colonial past to investigate an ancestor accused of a terrible crime.

Actor Susie Porter's family story charts dramatic advances in the field of mental health treatment in Australia.

Entertainer Rove McManus discovers his Great Grandfather’s role in the violent Kimberley frontier, and the astonishing source of his own creative gifts.

Actor John Howard follows his Grandfather’s trail through the horrors of the Great War, finding a promising military career ruined by a single regrettable act.

A generation ago Andrew Denton’s family anglicised their name from Ditkofsky to Denton, in an effort to keep members safe at a time of entrenched racial intolerance. Andrew now attempts to find out more about his family's past.

Rebecca Gibney attempts to find out more about her past and travels to New Zealand. The journey takes her from Parihaka to Wellington to Auckland, where she learns some shocking truths about her family history.

After Jacki Weaver became a grandmother, she has had the burning ambition to discover about her father‟s biological mother.

Richard Roxburgh has become well known for playing different complicated characters, but knows little of the people in his own past. H e founds out about his family‟s footprints in an unexpected corner of the world.

Amanda Keller finds out that her bloodline has survived against all odds as she discovers that an ancestor faced hell on earth in Australia‟s most brutal prison and a mother who saved her family in the face of tragedy.

Adam Goodes learns more about his aboriginal heritage, journeying into the remote Flinders Ranges finding evidence of his ancestors from thousands of years ago.

Lisa discovers the man she thought was her biological Grandfather, wasn't in fact related to her Dad at all.

Paul McDermott's mother Betty, was adopted and raised by relatives but mystery surrounds the circumstances and her adoptive parents died without giving her any information.Paul attempts to follow the trail back to the early 20th century and finds out about a family torn apart by poverty and a decimating epidemic.

Internationally celebrated actor Geoffrey Rush believes he hails from a long line of farmers but an exploration of his heritage sees him discover an ancestor fighting for justice in the face of corruption and another desperate to succeed in a golden age of creativity.

Actor Toni Collette delves into the enigma of her grandparents and uncovers a tale of abandonment and tragedy, a secret wartime affair, and an unexpected ancestor. A DNA test serves only to deepen the mystery.

Successful Chef and Restaurateur, Luke Nguyen discovers his Grandfather had a wife and child in China, who he left behind, when he migrated to Vietnam and began a second family. Luke searches a remote corner of China to bring this long lost family back into the fold. He then travels to Vietnam and looks into the troubled history of his parents’ homeland, searching for clues to explain his own painful past.

Actor David Wenham rose to fame as ‘Diver Dan’ in the long-running TV series SeaChange. He has inhabited countless characters in a 30-year career spanning theatre, TV and film but the characters in David’s own bloodline remain largely unknown to him.

Sporting legend Dawn Fraser is a hands-on grandmother who wants to know more about her own grandparents. This Aussie icon discovers she has South American heritage.

Comedian Peter Rowsthorn turns his humour on his first Australian family – finding ancestors with a knack for stealing. Then a long held family secret is revealed with Peter investigating his grandfather’s mysterious death. The new connection to a grandfather he never met sees Peter pondering whether to change his surname to better reflect his real heritage.

Iconic entertainer Greig Pickhaver, known for his comedic alter ego HG Nelson, investigates the leading characters in his family history. His search uncovers a great-grandfather, Samuel Rinder, who in the late 19th century, made his fortune as a sheep trader during Bendigo’s boom years. As a wealthy man about town, Rinder spent much of his time and money down at the racetrack, but when economic recession loomed, he turned to crime.

A lifetime spent in journalism has seen Ray Martin witness some of the defining moments of his time. Looking into his own history he finds his forbears too were on the frontline of nation shaping events - discovering an ancestor at the scene of Australia's greatest armed rebellion. On his maternal side he walks in the footprints of his Indigenous ancestors to solve a long-standing family mystery. And he follows his convict trail back to Ireland to find a notorious bandit with a rebel heart.

The program brings together the best moments of this award winning genealogical series combined with revealing insights on what it was like to take part in the show from Adam Hills, Magda Szubanski, Adam Goodes, Richard Roxburgh, Kerry O'Brien, Tina Arena, Maggie Beer and Vince Colosimo. The retrospective shines a light on Australia's cultural and historical past, and gives the viewer a real sense of how profound the journey has been for many of the Australians who have taken part.

In this new season, eight of Australia's most respected and recognisable faces retrace the footsteps of their ancestors across the country and around the world, as they strive to make sense of the present by connecting with their family's paths. Award-winning stand-up comedian and host of 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!' Julia Morris finds her great grandfather in controversial Labor Premier J.T. Lang's intimate inner circle, and she investigates whether her grandfather was involved in the Irish Republican Army.

In one of Sydney's great convict buildings, Peter Garrett discovers an ancestor at the forefront of social welfare in the colony. He'll also unearth the secret life of his grandmother who worked in a forgotten area of first Contact - the Lock Hospitals in Western Australia. More than a century later, Peter follows his grandmother to remote Bernier Island, where Indigenous Australians suspected of having venereal disease were taken by force.

Singer-songwriter Delta Goodrem has searched for the creative connection in her ancestry - some link that would explain her own abilities. Her infectious curiosity is rewarded by the intricate adventures of her great grandmother, an enigmatic woman whose life took some unexpected twists and turns. As family secrets are revealed, Delta unveils her spirited great grandmother's passions in marvellous Melbourne.

Mal Meninga goes on a deeply personal quest to discover if he's descended from an indentured labourer - brought back from the Pacific Islands to work in the Queensland cane fields - in a culture replete with racism, kidnapping and slavery. His search takes him to Tanna Island in Vanuatu. He finds his ancestor spent time in a Christian mission at Kwamera. Mal must unravel conflicting accounds of why his ancestor left. Was he tricked or was he looking for adventure and opportunity? Back in Australia, Mal's confronted by the harsh conditions endured by Islanders working in the cane fields. Faced with deportation, the South Sea Islander community rallied to challenge the White Australia Policy.

Actor Rachel Griffiths's journey into the past takes her back to the re-emergence of Judaism in 17th century England. She discovered that her eight-time grandfather was one of the best known Jewish capitalists in London - associated with the Royal Exchange, the Bank of England, and the British East India Company. But his business interests extended further afield, and Rachel learns he was engaged in the international slave trade.

Shane Jacobson's father, Ron, was born into a family of carnival workers and lived in a tent until he was 21. They know nothing of their ancestry, but Shane's convinced they come from Viking stock. His crusade will take him to Finland where Shane's great grandfather took drastic steps that echo down the Jacobson line. His journey will take Shane to a medieval church where his ancestor was forced to sit on a shaming stool to atone for her sexual crimes. His search for the truth behind his Viking roots is answered, and in a farmhouse Shane finds his extended Finnish family.

Best known for her alter ego Kath Day-Knight from the hugely popular Kath and Kim series, Jane Turner is an icon of Australian comedy. Her paternal line takes Jane back to her three-times-great grandfather, who was one of Western Australia's pioneering British settlers. Jane will uncover the desire that drove her wealthy ancestor to endure incessant misfortune. Then, uncovering her father's actions as a fighter pilot in the Korean War takes Jane inside the Demilitarised Zone on the border of North Korea.

John Newcombe's search will propel him back to a pivotal time in NSW when the penal colony was transforming into a democracy. John's paternal ancestor played an important role in the fight for freedom of the press. But behind the facade of middle-class respectability, John will discover his two-times-great grandmother was hiding her convict past. Then, exploring his maternal line, John follows his three-times great grandfather's footsteps to the Loyalty Islands, now part of New Caledonia. John's forebear was hoping to trade sandalwood, but the expedition was a disaster. At the site of a bloody ambush John learns of the cannibalistic tribe his ancestor encountered.

Veteran performer, Noni Hazlehurst, goes in search of the secrets her parents held so tightly. This journey will be a revelation to Noni. She’ll come to understand the impact of war on her immediate family, and why she knows so little about her world-renowned performing ancestors.

Having always struggled to understand culturally who he is, renowned neurosurgeon Charlie Teo is looking for answers. Exploring his mother’s side of the family, Charlie’s journey will take him to Malacca, where he discovers a culture he’s never heard of, but one with which he can now clearly identify. On his father’s side, Charlie comes face to face with his paternal ancestors. Will he be able to mend his connection with this side of his family and finally be proud of his Teo heritage?

Natalie Imbruglia has always taken pride in her father’s Italian ancestry, but she knows very little regarding her mother’s Australian heritage. Although family folklore points to strong-willed and independent women on this side of the family, Natalie wants to know more about these women and their stories. This journey will allow Natalie to finally connect with her Australian ancestry dating all the way back to the beginnings of the colony.

From his portrayal of bushranger Ned Kelly to the sinister Mick Taylor in Wolf Creek, actor John Jarratt has carved a career out of playing quintessential Aussie characters. But while John wears his working class roots with pride, traces of a Chinese heritage on his mum’s side, has always been a mystery. John first throws himself into his search for his Chinese origins before investigating the epic life story of his war hero ancestor.

Actor and performer, Justine Clarke, was raised almost entirely by her mother Beverley after her parents separated when she was just nine months old. Justine’s quest to learn about her father’s family will take her back to colonial times where she’ll learn about the unlikely life of one of her ancestors and the Irish rebel she fell in love with. On her maternal side, Justine will return to her grandfather’s hometown in Belarus and discover why her grandfather fled his homeland and travelled to Australia. And, in a surprise meeting in Moscow, Justine will meet a long lost relative and reconnect a family separated for a century.

Perth born entertainer and performer Todd McKenney is keen to know where the McKenney name comes from and is on a quest to uncover traits passed down to him by his father’s forebears. On his maternal side, there is no doubt that Todd gets his dancing talent from his mother, Peta and his maternal grandmother. However, Todd is keen to discover an ancestor with a colourful past. Will Todd find what he’s looking for?

All his life, Ernie Dingo has been estranged from his father’s family, on account of feeling abandoned by his own father, Tom Pepper. Ernie is brought face to face with his father’s ancestors, including an English convict. Will his journey force Ernie to re-evaluate his perceptions about the past - and his relationships in the present? Meanwhile, Ernie’s relationship with his mother’s side of the family, has been completely different: he grew up wrapped in love and warmth from his mother Bessie and grandmother Ulie. But his grandfather Jimmy Dingo remained a mystery, and Ernie sets out to discover more about this enigmatic character.

Patti Newton is one of Australia’s most recognisable faces. She’s been performing since the age of four and has always wondered where her love of performing has come from. These days Patti’s greatest joy in life is her four grandchildren. However, she knows very little regarding her paternal grandmother and is determined to find out why she was never spoken of.

TV personality Scott Cam reveals his paternal family changed their surname from Caminiti to Cam during WWII. But, beyond this historical detail, Scott knows little about his Italian ancestors.

Traumatised by the scandal of her parents' public divorce, investigative journalist, Jennifer Byrne, has avoided examining her family history until now, when both her parents have passed away.

Actress Marta Dusseldorp has become a household name on Australian television screens, playing strong female characters in Janet King, A Place To Call Home, and Jack Irish.

Australia's favourite scientist Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, is a qualified medical doctor, engineer, and physicist whose media career began in 1981.

Singer Casey Donovan shot to fame at the tender age of 16 when she won 'Australian Idol'. But her sudden rise to stardom raised complicated questions about Casey's Aboriginal heritage.

Daytime TV host Kerri-Anne Kennerley's upbeat personality, can-do attitude, and general optimism has made her resilient, both in the fickle world of television.

Four-time Paralympian Kurt Fearnley wants to find out if the fighting spirit that propelled him to sporting stardom was inherited from his ancestors.

Actor Rodger Corser rose to fame for his roles in the award-winning crime series Underbelly and the critically-acclaimed Glitch, and for the series lead on Doctor, Doctor.

Journalist and television personality, Lisa Wilkinson, is on a deeply personal quest to unearth the truth about her maternal ancestors.

Veteran entertainer Bert Newton discovers the father he never knew was a true patriot who devoted his life to his country.

Long intrigued by the origins of his surname, actor Cameron Daddo travels across the globe to the Channel Islands and discovers a thousand years of noble ancestors. Meanwhile, his mother’s lineage, though devoid of noble origins, reveals a surprising parallel to his father’s. Cameron will discover both sides of his family feature love stories of staggering proportions.

When swimmer Lisa Curry delves into her maternal family past, she finds hard working German immigrants who risked everything to become the masters of their own destiny in Queensland. Lisa’s distant relationship with her late father had a profound effect on her life. But by tracing his life and her paternal ancestors in war-torn Ireland, Lisa comes to terms with who her father was, and finally gets to farewell him in her own way.

Comedian Denise Scott’s search to find the truth about a dark family secret brings surprising results, while her Dad’s family tree produces a highly unconventional ancestor. On her maternal side, she uncovers dark secrets, and closes a chapter on a long-standing family cover-up.

Kat Stewart’s stable and loving upbringing instilled in her a strong sense of ethics, and it’s with this belief that she goes on her ancestral journey, seeking characters who were both principled and just a little bit colourful. She’ll soon discover a strong Irish woman who experienced her fair share of tragedy, and an Englishman who had a pioneering role during a contentious time in Colonial Australia.

Australia’s first female Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, has always had a love for the world, and she’s now on a mission to discover where she inherited her globetrotting, adventurous spirit from.

On a quest to to find his ancestral homeland, country music icon Troy Cassar-Daley will finally bridge the gap between his two cultural worlds.

When Celia Pacquola digs into her beloved mum's family, she finds her three times Scottish great grandfather, John Rae, was Sydney's first Town Clerk.

When Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull opens the book on his family history, curiosity turns to fascination when he discovers a mysterious unclaimed fortune.

Denise Drysdale takes a DNA test, and it’s no surprise to find her family hails from Scotland. But it is a shock to discover she also has DNA links to Northern Ireland. Denise finds her maternal 3 times great grandparents, John and Mary Fanning, left Northern Ireland with their children, and miraculously survived an horrific voyage to Australia. On her father's side, Denise uncovers the humour she’s looking for, in her great grandmother Betsy Drysdale, but the flip side of Betsy’s life is one of a sad struggle with alcoholism and despair.

Jeff Fatt, famous as the Purple Wiggle, knows his Chinese roots go back four generations into Australia's history, but he wants details of why those ancestors came to Australia.

Actor, former self-described 'serial pest', and member of the Stolen Generation, Uncle Jack Charles has never known the love of a parent. He will uncover details of the father he never knew.

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We don't have an overview translated in English. Help us expand our database by adding one.

We don't have an overview translated in English. Help us expand our database by adding one.

Actor and director Simon Baker learns about a legacy left by his three-times great grandfather, and the substantial courage and fortitude of his female ancestors.

Myf Warhurst sets out to learn the truth about a 'handshake adoption' in her paternal line, and is surprised by what she learns.

Rugby league footballer Justin Hodges is determined to learn more about his Indigenous family history.

Television personality and veterinarian Dr Chris Brown attempts to figure out a longstanding family mystery.

Actor and philanthropist Paula Duncan looks into her ancestry and finds a tale of hardship turned on its head by the gold rush.

Chef Matt Moran discovers a convict lineage hailing from Ireland, a criminal heritage that is broken by a heroic, hardworking ancestor, and a 100-year-old woman he met as a child.

Netball champion Liz Ellis investigates the truth around the identity of her dad's father, and digs into the mystery of her mum's `cranky granny'.

Sandra Sully hopes to learn more about her family's reverence for war service, and discovers her maternal grandfather had a previously unknown experience.

The late comedian Barry Humphries investigates a royal scandal from his father's ancestry, and unravels his mysterious maternal family history.

Journalist Jenny Brockie uncovers her mother's family history and learns her distant relatives were a gang member and a brothel owner from Ireland.

Journalist Derryn Hinch uncovers the truth about the identity of his mother's father and investigates the paternal side of his family's war history.

Entertainer Rhonda Burchmore finds out about the maternal grandfather she never knew, and a fascinating entrepreneur with an amazing legacy on her father's side.

Artistic director and choreographer Stephen Page uncovers the truth about his Aboriginal ancestry, and meets his previously unknown family in the South Pacific.

Comedian Peter Helliar discovers a maternal ancestor's traumatic experience in Gallipoli, and a paternal link to an Irish rogue, and a pioneer of AFL.

Television and stage actor Kerry Armstrong discovers a lineage of rebellious and free-spirited women, and explores her strange connection to the sea.

Actor and musician John Waters discovers a paternal heritage of working class radicals, and a maternal ancestor at the heart of colonial Caribbean history.