Gavin McGrath
After more than a decade and a half working the beat as a newspaper reporter, Gavin McGrath brings an eye (and an ear) for what's newsworthy, interesting and just plain unusual in regional Australia to ABC Local Radio.
Growing up in regional South Australia and Victoria, Gavin was a relative latecomer to news journalism (he actually wanted to be a fighter pilot) but studied communications at Deakin University in Warrnambool and has since worked for the Herald Sun (five years) and The Courier in Ballarat (eight years). Prior to becoming a staff reporter, he worked within the motoring industry and as a motorsport scribe at racetracks around Australia.
Latest by Gavin McGrath
Red versus blue: Why the right gum tree matters in a healthy wetland
Most of the 1,000 different eucalyptus tree varieties are native to Australia but not all belong in a pristine wetland.
Summer is here and flies are everywhere, but what's the buzz on the good and the bad?
You may want every fly to buzz off this summer, but according to a nature writer, some deserve an invitation because the overwhelming majority of more than 30,000 species in Australia are too busy doing good deeds to have an interest in your barbecue.
Exploring Australia's forgotten churches, and their weird and wonderful new uses
Deserted churches can be found across Australia as monuments to a bygone era. But not all deconsecrated holy places are destined for a lonely, forgotten existence.
Monument, ironstone, basalt: Why the colour of the nation's roofs is a hot topic
Urban heat islands are known to drive up ambient temperatures, but could light-coloured roofs be the silver bullet in reducing Australia’s suburban swelter?
What's Australia's worst insect stinger? Hint: it's not the dreaded fire ant
Fire ants are a real pain. Their name is based on what it feels like to be stung by one — but it is far from the biggest pain in the insect world.
Meet the man who has rescued hundreds of thousands of books from landfill and given them a new chapter
Central Victoria's self-proclaimed "book man" says he was saved from a traumatic childhood by books. Now, he returns the favour, rescuing and re-homing books by the thousand.
Eli the elephant was lost at the Birregurra Railway Station. Can you help find her?
Eli was lost at the Birregurra railway station. Now a community is helping look for this little brown elephant.
These native birds are the 'winged winners' that thrive in our backyards
Not every native bird species has suffered since European settlement. Meet the "winged winners" that are doing well in urban gardens.
As sinkholes appear in Ballarat, experts warn of unmapped gold rush shafts hidden from detection
After prolonged wet weather, sinkholes are appearing in Ballarat. And with no good mining records from the historic 1850s gold rush, there's no way of knowing where the next one will open up.
Derelict and deserted, these abandoned buildings tell tales of our history
Meet the people who hunt, explore and photograph the derelict buildings that represent Australia's lost and abandoned history.
Getting hitched with no experience prompts calls for mandatory towing training
Untrained, inexperienced and a potential hazard to themselves and everyone else on the road. This is the scenario many drivers face when they tow a caravan for the first time.
Is this the ultimate scarecrow to move marauding corellas on?
Australian raptors like the wedge-tailed eagle and peregrine falcon are natural predators of corellas and other cockatoos. Now they are being deployed to keep them away.
Finding lost shipwrecks is a 'side hustle' for Australia's maritime research vessel
About 330 shipwrecks remain lost off Victoria's treacherous coastline. Thanks to an Australian science vessel, there are new hopes many will be found.
Are you up for a modern-day treasure hunt? All you need is your smartphone and a smart mind
Hidden within a tree hollow is a small capsule. Within is a tiny scroll with hundreds of signatures and dates. This is geocaching, an outdoor treasure-hunting game.
Mad Hatter or misunderstood and lonely? What's the matter with Alice in Wonderland's Hatter?
For more than a century, the story of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has captured imaginations around the world, and her friend the Hatter is finally getting his time in the spotlight.
The psychology behind why we think some old buildings are haunted
Ever wondered why you feel creeped out in a haunted house, abandoned jail, or disused psychiatric institution? One sceptic has heard enough ghost stories to know to treat them with respect.
The men who go to incredible lengths to keep country cricket alive
It has been a love of the game that has kept cricket afloat in regional clubs across the country, with some players clocking up hundreds of kilometres every weekend to help fill out a playing roster.
What do you do when your footy team's beaten by 509 points?
A scoreline of 79.41 (515) to 1.0 (6) has reversed a country AFL team's own, regular weekly triple-figure defeats. But is this just another tally of country footy's troubles?
Hexafoils and hidden boots — finding the magic symbols of Australia's 'forgotten history'
From Ireland's heartland to coastal Victoria, Australian convicts brought with them magic and superstition. Their symbols are still being uncovered today.