War correspondents have accompanied Australian forces to conflicts since the New South Wales Contingent was sent to fight in Sudan in 1885, with females involved since the Boer War of 1899–1902. Reports sent back by correspondents were often the first publically available information, and played a major part in constructing public opinion. War correspondents often risk their lives to be as close to the action as possible; 32 have been killed while performing their duty.
In 2011, Sally Sara worked as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Afghanistan correspondent, based in Kabul. She used this microphone to record audio for television and radio, covering terrorist attacks, political unrest and reporting from the front line as a journalist entrenched with coalition forces.