Who’s Who in 2022, Music & Arts: Jeff Hughes

Albany Creek filmmaker Jeff Hughes is passionate about preserving the personal stories of Australian veterans through his unique documentary interviews that will ensure their heroic actions live on forever.

Jeff sits down and interviews men and women who bravely stepped up to defend our country and transforms their life stories and anecdotes into a short film through his not-for-profit project called This Story Australia.

Each video, which ranges in length from 30 minutes to an hour, is available on the This Story Australia website and is also archived at the Queensland State Library for future generations to watch and learn from.

About Jeff Hughes

Jeff is the Executive Producer and Co-Founder of This Story Australia, which launched in December 2018.

Jeff visits veterans all over Queensland and sits with them for hours, allowing them to share their own stories and memories of their childhood, families, hobbies and military service at their own pace.

Initially, This Story Australia was created to capture the stories of WWII veterans, creating a legacy for the veterans, their families and communities, while also highlighting the significant battles and events in Australia’s history.

But due to its popularity and overwhelming response, the project has since been expanded to include all veterans, both past and present.

Today, Jeff has interviewed veterans from various wars and conflicts, including Vietnam and Afghanistan.

Jeff has also interviewed a number of Moreton Bay heroes, including Terry Walker from Redcliffe – who was a Trooper in the Royal Hussars, a cavalry regiment of the British Army during WWII; Arthur James McClure from Caboolture, who was a Sapper in the Army during WWII; John Russell from Deception Bay, who was a Corporal in the Army while living in London before moving to Australia. John also served for Australia in WWII before joining an expedition to Antarctica by Sir Douglas Mawson; And lastly, Herbert Claude Bleakley from Woodford, who was a Leading Aircraftman in the Air Force in WWII.

In addition, Jeff also works closely with a number of RSL Sub Branches to create historical projects to commemorate events, significant dates and battles.

As a not-for-profit organisation, Jeff relies heavily on grants, donations and corporate sponsorship, which pays for the film crews and editing process on each film.

He does this by hosting charity golf days, with a successful fundraiser being held in March 2022.

Jeff has a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in History and Drama.

Before co-founding This Story Australia, Jeff taught drama, film and television at high schools, TAFE and university for more than 20 years, and also has experience in broadcast television and feature films.