Forgotten Australia

In the first of the Summer Shorts series, we step back to the day in 1974 that underworld serial killer Stewart John Regan, known as ‘The Magician’ for his trick of making people disappear, met his own bloody fate on a Sydney street.

To support Forgotten Australia:

Patreon: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Apple: apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recently, Nine radio network host Simon Owens interviewed me for his Saturday night show, which is broadcast on Australian east coast stations, including 2GB, 3AW and 4BC. With Simon’s kind permission, here’s the interview, which covers my books They’ll Never Hold Me, The Murder Squad and Hanging Ned Kelly, as well as delving a little into the evolution of Forgotten Australia. We also talk about my writing influences, my career in television and, um, the year I spent watching one bad movie every day. So, if you've ever wanted to get to know your Forgotten Australia creator and host a little better, here's your chance. If not, skip it and instead listen to the new Summer Shorts episode Curtains for the Magician.

To support Forgotten Australia:

Patreon: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Apple: apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1954 popular Sydney model Shirley Beiger went on trial for the shooting murder of her boyfriend, with the already sensational proceedings made wilder by her outbursts, a media frenzy, the appearance of a crazed mystic, the accused's unruly cheer squad and a confused verdict. Next month, the Sydney Festival premieres The Model Murder, based on this scandalous case. In the meantime, here's a reprise of the 2019 Forgotten Australia episode that first explored Shirley's story in all its strange and colourful detail.

Check out my new book, They’ll Never Hold Me

https://affirmpress.com.au/author/61917

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seventy years ago – in 1954 – glamorous Sydney model Shirley Beiger shot her lover dead outside a city nightclub. But why did she kill him — and what punishment would she face?

Next month, the Sydney Festival premieres The Model Murder, based on this scandalous case. In the meantime, here's a reprise of the 2019 Forgotten Australia episode that first explored Shirley's story in all its strange and colourful detail.

Check out my new book, They’ll Never Hold Me

https://affirmpress.com.au/author/61917

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In April 1974, teenage cousins Yvonne Waters and Raelene Eaton went to a surfside pub in Perth to enjoy a Sunday session. They were never seen again, victims of an unknown killer or killers. In recent years, veteran journalist and television producer Melenie Ambrose has investigated this haunting cold case. In part two of this two-part interview episode, Melenie tell us about the police’s murder suspects, her recent discoveries of vital new evidence and her hopes that there might still be a breakthrough that’ll bring the killer or killers to justice.

Watch Vanishing Cousins at:

https://7plus.com.au/vanishing-cousins-evil-by-the-beach

Crimestoppers 1800 333 000

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In April 1974, teenage cousins Yvonne Waters and Raelene Eaton went to a surfside pub in Perth to enjoy a Sunday session. They were never seen again, victims of an unknown killer or killers. In recent years, veteran journalist and television producer Melenie Ambrose has investigated this haunting cold case. In part one of this two-part interview episode, Melenie discusses the lead-up to the disappearance of the girls and why the police didn’t take their families’ fears of foul play seriously.

Watch Vanishing Cousins at:

https://7plus.com.au/vanishing-cousins-evil-by-the-beach

Crimestoppers 1800 333 000

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Please enjoy a second audiobook extract that continues the story of young Kevin John Simmonds, as he grows up in Griffith, grapples with the lure of criminality and gets a preview of his life in the saga of legendary Sydney characters Darcy Dugan and Ray ‘the Gunner’ Kelly.

Buy the full audiobook here:

https://rbmediaglobal.com/audiobook/9781004181971/

Buy the paperback:

Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au

Big W

https://www.bigw.com.au/product/they-ll-never-hold-me-by-michael-adams/p/6000238?srsltid=AfmBOoqf5VwhCrlNow0Drn0-IcoViT5ttqXdXsyX1iacELJzuYvEW8Mv

Booktopia

https://www.booktopia.com.au/they-ll-never-hold-me-michael-adams/book/9781923046474.html?srsltid=AfmBOople0hNKrDJTY7W6ODeKDEamCMNoZEdeWN2J6b1VK3oIO90YQNu

Readings

https://www.readings.com.au/product/9781923046474/theyll-never-hold-me--michael-adams--2024--9781923046474

Harry Hartog

https://www.harryhartog.com.au/products/theyll-never-hold-me-michael-adams-9781923046474?srsltid=AfmBOopD52fSFqdACnutyJF-BFwD76ZFmS5aAfZbFc6B-zaLCm4YKTpS

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My new book, They'll Never Hold Me, which chronicles the life, times and crimes of Long Bay Gaol escapee Kevin John Simmonds, has just been released as an audio book. I'm pleased to present this exclusive excerpt, which comprises the prologue and first two chapters.

The full version is available right now via this product page, which offers all the key places to buy They'll Never Hold Me.

https://rbmediaglobal.com/audiobook/9781004181971/

Email me: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who was this good guy with a gun? We delve into life of American cowboy Albert “Arizona” Ryan, who became a celebrity in 1919 in Australia after killing a man to end a Sydney siege. Hear how Arizona, like Dirty Harry, had a history of trigger-happy vigilantism, and how, like Dirty John, his creepy marriage to a wealthy woman came to a violent end.

Check out my new book, They’ll Never Hold Me

https://affirmpress.com.au/author/61917

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1919, in the Sydney slum of Surry Hills, a Chinese gunman shot more than a dozen people, triggering a dramatic police siege that was only ended by the violent intervention of a lone American vigilante. But who was this self-styled cowboy with the six-shooter?

Check out my new book, They’ll Never Hold Me

https://affirmpress.com.au/author/61917

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With their suspect in custody, D.C. detectives still can’t celebrate because in Washington in 1972 seven out of every ten murderers go free.

Forty years after the verdicts in these murder trials, the FBI will make a bombshell forensic revelation to cast doubt on whether justice was done.

Check out my new book, They’ll Never Hold Me

https://affirmpress.com.au/author/61917

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With another Washington woman murdered in identical circumstances to Sherry and Sharan, D.C. detectives finally have a suspect – but can they find the disturbed man who stalks the D.C. streets, hides in apartments and calls himself ‘Goliath’?

Check out my new book, They’ll Never Hold Me

https://affirmpress.com.au/author/61917

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite the best efforts of D.C. detectives and Sydney cops – including Senior Constable Roger Rogerson – Sherry and Sharan’s killer remains at large. When a breakthrough comes, it’ll be in the worst possible circumstances.

To pre-order They'll Never Hold Me:

https://affirmpress.com.au/browse/book/Michael-Adams-They%27ll-Never-Hold-Me-9781923046474

To support the show:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Check out my new book, They’ll Never Hold Me

https://affirmpress.com.au/author/61917

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sherry Frahm and Sharan Tapp settle into living and working in Washington. But it’s dangerous being a counter girl in a McDonald’s during D.C.’s ever-bloodier wave of senseless murders.

The five-part miniseries is based on information unearthed in Australian government archives, US court transcripts, American and Australian historic newspaper articles – and on recent interviews with two family members.

More than a true crime deep dive, this miniseries remembers two fearless Australian women whose fates have been overlooked while Billy and Sonia McMahon’s ‘sexy’ White House shenanigans became part of pop culture history.

To Live & Die in D.C. poses still relevant questions about sexism, racism, crime and justice – and who we remember and why.

To pre-order They'll Never Hold Me:

https://affirmpress.com.au/browse/book/Michael-Adams-They%27ll-Never-Hold-Me-9781923046474

To support the show:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Check out my new book, They’ll Never Hold Me

https://affirmpress.com.au/author/61917

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In November 1971, at the exact moment that Prime Minister Billy McMahon’s wife Sonia stepped out in her infamously revealing dress at a White House dinner, Australian embassy officials in Washington were thrust into the first crucial hours of a serial killer investigation. Two young women had just been found murdered in a nearby apartment and D.C. homicide detectives believed the victims were from Down Under. In a race against time, American and Australian cops and diplomats would have to work together to identify the maniac before he stuck again.

To Live & Die in D.C. reveals - for the very first time - an extraordinary instance of Australian true crime and Australian political history colliding during a shocking murder wave that was engulfing not only the American capitol but all of the United States.

The five-part miniseries is based on information unearthed in Australian government archives, US court transcripts, American and Australian historic newspaper articles – and on recent interviews with two family members.

More than a true crime deep dive, this miniseries remembers two fearless Australian women whose fates have been overlooked while Billy and Sonia McMahon’s ‘sexy’ White House shenanigans became part of pop culture history.

To Live & Die in D.C. poses still relevant questions about sexism, racism, crime and justice – and who we remember and why.

To pre-order They'll Never Hold Me:

https://affirmpress.com.au/browse/book/Michael-Adams-They%27ll-Never-Hold-Me-9781923046474

To support the show:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How was the 1976 case of armed robber Phillip Western a prototype for the “Green Light” that’d soon be given to Neddy Smith? Continuing our in-depth interview, veteran journalist Neil Mercer explains how Roger Rogerson perverting the legal system for profit resulted in a forgotten murder and set the scene for future bloodbaths. Be sure to read Neil Mercer’s new book, The Kingpin and the Crooked Cop: The Definitive Inside Story of Neddy Smith and Roger Rogerson, Partners in Crime.

Buy it here:

https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Neil-Mercer-Kingpin-and-the-Crooked-Cop-9781760879952

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Check out my books:

The Murder Squad

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hanging Ned Kelly

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Australia’s Sweetheart

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did a hero detective become Australia’s most notoriously corrupt killer cop? In an in-depth conversation, veteran journalist Neil Mercer talks about the Rogerson he interviewed and investigated, starting with their first meeting in 1982. Be sure to read Neil Mercer’s new book, The Kingpin and the Crooked Cop: The Definitive Inside Story of Neddy Smith and Roger Rogerson, Partners in Crime.

Buy it here:

https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Neil-Mercer-Kingpin-and-the-Crooked-Cop-9781760879952

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Check out my books:

The Murder Squad

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hanging Ned Kelly

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Australia’s Sweetheart

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new murder committed by a 17-year-old brings the tally of boys on Death Row to ten. From April 1936 onwards, the NSW government has to decide who’ll live and who’ll die. With time running out in one case, they rush towards a ‘ghastly mistake’, while in another what they decide will lead to another murder more than 50 years later in Queensland.

To support the show:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Check out my books:

(there’s a new one…)

They’ll Never Hold Me @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/theyll-never-hold-me-by-michael-adams-9781923046474

Hanging Ned Kelly @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/hanging-ned-kelly-by-michael-adams-9781922992185

The Murder Squad @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-murder-squad-by-michael-adams-9781923046504

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In March 1936, a young Italian woman testifies against her seven rapists in open court, speaking bravely against their claims she’d consented to their violent group assault.

To support the show:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Check out my books:

(there’s a new one…)

They’ll Never Hold Me @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/theyll-never-hold-me-by-michael-adams-9781923046474

Hanging Ned Kelly @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/hanging-ned-kelly-by-michael-adams-9781922992185

The Murder Squad @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-murder-squad-by-michael-adams-9781923046504

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the lazy days between Christmas and New Year in Wagga Wagga in 1935, a 17-year-old boy spends the festive season indulging in romantic fakery, prepared to defend his deception with cold-blooded murder.

To support the show:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Check out my books:

(there’s a new one…)

They’ll Never Hold Me @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/theyll-never-hold-me-by-michael-adams-9781923046474

Hanging Ned Kelly @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/hanging-ned-kelly-by-michael-adams-9781922992185

The Murder Squad @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-murder-squad-by-michael-adams-9781923046504

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another young criminal faces the ultimate penalty after being convicted of shooting a man during a Sydney railway robbery. But is the Hooded Bandit about to be hanged because the government is making a ghastly legal mistake?

To support the show:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Check out my books:

(there’s a new one…)

They’ll Never Hold Me @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/theyll-never-hold-me-by-michael-adams-9781923046474

Hanging Ned Kelly @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/hanging-ned-kelly-by-michael-adams-9781922992185

The Murder Squad @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-murder-squad-by-michael-adams-9781923046504

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Monty Henwood’s 17-year-old alleged killer in custody, police are amazed by the youth’s calm confessions… even though they might see him sentenced to death.

*Part two of The Boys of Death Row.

The whole miniseries is available ad-free and early to supporters.

Parts three to six on general release over the next three weeks.*

To support the show:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Check out my books:

(there’s a new one…)

They’ll Never Hold Me @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/theyll-never-hold-me-by-michael-adams-9781923046474

Hanging Ned Kelly @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/hanging-ned-kelly-by-michael-adams-9781922992185

The Murder Squad @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-murder-squad-by-michael-adams-9781923046504

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a Monday morning in November 1935, a battered man is found dead beside railway tracks in the Blue Mountains. The victim is revered and his death is a mystery. But Sydney police, led by murder expert Detective-Sergeant Tom McRae, are soon on the trail of a young killer.

*Part one of The Boys of Death Row.

The whole miniseries is available ad-free and early to supporters.

Parts two to six on general release over the next three weeks.*

To support the show:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Check out my books:

(there’s a new one…)

They’ll Never Hold Me @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/theyll-never-hold-me-by-michael-adams-9781923046474

Hanging Ned Kelly @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/hanging-ned-kelly-by-michael-adams-9781922992185

The Murder Squad @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-murder-squad-by-michael-adams-9781923046504

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Originally released in 2019, this episode tells the story of a Saturday night stick-up in Sydney that went very, very wrong – leaving a mystery that has endured for nearly a century.

My upcoming miniseries will include the similar case of “The Hooded Bandit”, along with other crimes that shocked Australia in 1935-1936. It'll be with you very soon!

To support the show:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Email: [email protected]

Check out my books:

Hanging Ned Kelly @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/hanging-ned-kelly-by-michael-adams-9781922992185

The Murder Squad @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-murder-squad-by-michael-adams-9781923046504

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of Australia’s most respected journalists tells us about his early career on Sydney tabloid The Sun and how he got an exclusive interview with The Forgotten Man to ask the question: ‘Did you do it?’

To support the show:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Email: [email protected]

Check out my books:

Hanging Ned Kelly @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/hanging-ned-kelly-by-michael-adams-9781922992185

The Murder Squad @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-murder-squad-by-michael-adams-9781923046504

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The man accused of John Smillie’s murder finally has his day in court. But the verdict won’t settle the haunting question of his guilt or innocence.

To support the show:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Email: [email protected]

Check out my books:

Hanging Ned Kelly @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/hanging-ned-kelly-by-michael-adams-9781922992185

The Murder Squad @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-murder-squad-by-michael-adams-9781923046504

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following new information, received six months after the murder of John Smillie, detectives from Sydney’s CIB swoop on their suspect.

What happens next is decried as a travesty of justice.

To support the show:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Email: [email protected]

Check out my books:

Hanging Ned Kelly @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/hanging-ned-kelly-by-michael-adams-9781922992185

The Murder Squad @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-murder-squad-by-michael-adams-9781923046504

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In September 1935, John Smillie was shot dead in his taxi in western Sydney.

Who had murdered this war veteran, loving husband and doting father? Was it a robbery gone wrong? A maniac with a grudge against cabbies? Or was he the victim of mistaken identity in a vicious gangland war?

The Forgotten Man is an incredible tale of murder and mystery, fact and fantasy, insanity and injustice, which unfolded over nearly half a century.

This four-part miniseries concludes with an unexpected revelation from one of Australia’s most respected journalists, who joins us with his recollections of covering this story early in his career.

To support the show and get access to all episodes ad-free, get access to bonus shows and get a show shout-out:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Email: [email protected]

Check out my books:

Hanging Ned Kelly @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/hanging-ned-kelly-by-michael-adams-9781922992185

The Murder Squad @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-murder-squad-by-michael-adams-9781923046504

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From 1946, Sydney’s Leonard Lawson was a hero to kids for creating the comic book The Lone Avenger. But in reality the young artist was a psychopathic villain responsible for crimes far more terrible than anything in his stories. For five decades, Lawson would outrage the nation by destroying innocent lives and making a mockery of the law’s ability to control violent offenders.

I’ve re-released The Comic Book Killer in anticipation of my new miniseries, The Forgotten Man, which will be out from next week. Not only does The Comic Book Killer fit with this season’s theme of Crimes That Shocked Australia, it also crosses over with The Forgotten Man in strange and significant ways.

To support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Email: [email protected]

Check out my books:

Hanging Ned Kelly @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/hanging-ned-kelly-by-michael-adams-9781922992185

The Murder Squad @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-murder-squad-by-michael-adams-9781923046504

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A year after he's 'disappeared' into a solitary cage at Pentridge, Weachurch makes a last stab at freedom... and leaves behind a haunting legacy of resistance to injustice.

Email: [email protected]

Check out my books:

Hanging Ned Kelly @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/hanging-ned-kelly-by-michael-adams-9781922992185

The Murder Squad @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-murder-squad-by-michael-adams-9781923046504

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Weachurch’s pleas for justice ignored and obstructed as he has punishments piled upon him illegally, he takes desperate action against him enemies again... and again... and again.

This never-before-told story is based on extensive research in archival files. It’s made possible by Ancestry’s sponsorship and by supporter contributions.

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Email: [email protected]

Check out my books:

Hanging Ned Kelly @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/hanging-ned-kelly-by-michael-adams-9781922992185

The Murder Squad @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-murder-squad-by-michael-adams-9781923046504

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Weachurch’s pleas for justice ignored and obstructed as he has punishments piled upon him illegally, he takes desperate action against him enemies again... and again... and again.

This never-before-told story is based on extensive research in archival files. It’s made possible by Ancestry’s sponsorship and by supporter contributions.

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Email: [email protected]

Check out my books:

Hanging Ned Kelly @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/hanging-ned-kelly-by-michael-adams-9781922992185

The Murder Squad @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-murder-squad-by-michael-adams-9781923046504

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A century before Mark ‘Chopper’ Read became infamous in Pentridge, a convict named Weachurch struck terror into that prison’s warders and from behind its bluestone walls he loomed large as an Australian boogeyman. Weachurch’s attacks were so bloodthirsty that he was dubbed a ‘human tiger’ – a ‘wehrwolf’ – and he was kept in a cage in between court trials for attempted murder. If convicted, he faced the hangman. But Weachurch risked the noose because he was a rebel with a cause: he wanted the public to hear about his illegal detention and the barbaric treatment he suffered ‘outside the regulations’.

To some he was a monster. To others a martyr. To himself he was unbreakable.

This never-before-told story is based on extensive research in archival files. It’s made possible by Ancestry’s sponsorship and by supporter contributions.

Parts 2 and 3 will be on general release soon.

They’re available now to Apple and Patreon supporters:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Email: [email protected]

Check out my books:

Hanging Ned Kelly @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/hanging-ned-kelly-by-michael-adams-9781922992185

The Murder Squad @ Dymocks

https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-murder-squad-by-michael-adams-9781923046504

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 1931 murder of young Adelaide wife and mother Mary Edson shocked Australia.

But despite this crime’s gruesome details, it was even then a depressingly familiar sort of outrage committed by a depressingly familiar sort of offender.

Nearly 100 years later, not enough has changed.

1800RESPECT is the national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service.

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au for online chat and video call services.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Kingsgrove people reeling from the outrage committed on Paterson Avenue, Sydney detectives swarm the streets to piece together what happened, who was responsible and why the madman struck at beloved citizens.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1956, Sydney’s usually sedate southern suburbs were stalked by not one but two bloodthirsty men. While the Kingsgrove Slasher’s reign of terror would last years but result in no deaths, the Meticulous Maniac’s outrage was far shorter and far more deadly. Yet in the wake of his violence, victims were to react with extraordinary grace.

Part Two will be released soon. It’s available now early and ad-free to Patreon and Apple Supporters. You can hear it with a free trial:

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the supposedly Deadwood Dick-inspired murders committed by Jimmy and Joe Governor, Jack Underwood and Thomas Quinlan, in July 1906 Australia was rocked by a new outrage attributed to “pernicious literature”: the brutal killing and mutilation of three people at German Creek on the NSW north coast. The perpetrator was young Jack Brown. But he said his motivation wasn’t to be a pulp novel hero. Instead, Jack wanted to start a genocidal revolution in the name of White Australia.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Having escaped prison, fled interstate and joined the army under yet another new name, George Blunderfield seeks reinvention and redemption on the Western Front — but his true nature compels him to commit his most atrocious crimes yet.

First released in 2021, this episode is re-released as part of Season 8’s ‘Crimes That Shocked Australia’

Brand-new episodes coming in May.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After committing a sickening outrage in the first weeks of 1900, George Blunderfield serves a relatively short jail sentence. When he's set free he sheds his identity but can’t help but follow the nature that causes him to hurt those who only want to help him.

Part 3 will be released next week. But you can hear it now ad-free as a podcast supporter.

First released in 2021, this episode is re-released as part of Season 8’s ‘Crimes That Shocked Australia’

Brand-new episodes coming in May.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Forgotten fiend George Blunderfield left a trail of violence and murder across Australia from the late 19th century until near the end of the First World War.

Parts 2 & 3 will be released next week. But you can hear them now ad-free as a podcast supporter.

First released in 2021, this episode is re-released as part of Season 8’s ‘Crimes That Shocked Australia’

Brand-new episodes coming in May.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trapped in Melbourne in bizarre circumstances, Herbert Kopit's last chance is to talk his way out of an arrest and flee the country.

First released in 2022, this episode is re-released as part of Season 8’s ‘Crimes That Shocked Australia’

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

The Murder Squad

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hanging Ned Kelly

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Australia’s Sweetheart

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did Herbert Kopit become the most wanted man in Australia, trying to escape a massive tri-state murder manhunt while dressed as a woman?

Part 3 will be released next week. But You can hear it now ad-free as a podcast supporter.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

First released in 2022, this episode is re-released as part of Season 8’s ‘Crimes That Shocked Australia’

Brand-new episodes coming in May.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's just after dawn on 2 April 1936 at Brisbane's Central Railway Station and as a porter enters a sleeping car on the overnight train from Bundaberg he discovers a slaughterhouse. Within minutes Queensland police will begin a desperate hunt for a maniac responsible for multiple murders. Parts 2 & 3 will be released next week. But you can hear them now ad-free as a podcast supporter.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

First released in 2022, this episode is re-released as part of Season 8’s ‘Crimes That Shocked Australia’

Brand-new episodes coming in May.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Victoria in September 1883, moments before he was hanged for murder, Robert Burns made a startling confession, claiming he’d killed not one but eight people. Flash forward 140 years and Bendigo woman Julie di Bella was researching her family history when she made a shocking discovery about her bloodline. Julie joins Forgotten Australia to talk about the thorniest branch in her family tree.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Check out my books:

The Murder Squad

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hanging Ned Kelly

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Australia’s Sweetheart

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With ‘The Human Glove’ murder trial just about over, gunshot rings out in Wagga Wagga and another person falls dead. This victim? A witness.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To send me a question for the David Hunt Book Club episode:

[email protected]

or

https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

Check out my books:

The Murder Squad

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hanging Ned Kelly

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Australia’s Sweetheart

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On release for the first time since 2021, this classic true crime tale is up there with the Shark Arm and Pyjama Girl cases as a Depression-era shocker. On Christmas Day 1933, the discovery of a decayed corpse and a 'human glove' of skin led to incredible forensic work and a murder trial that'd result in a second mysterious murder.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the survivor of the tragedy tried for murder, the only hope is an insanity defence and mercy from Melbourne’s most powerful men.

To get in touch with Ancestry about your military family members: [email protected]

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Check out my books:

The Murder Squad

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hanging Ned Kelly

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After having their photos taken holding hands and pointing pistols at each other, Ned and Charlie head for the Treasury Gardens. Only one will emerge alive – to face a fate worse than death as their private lives are exposed in the courts and in the press.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To get in touch with Ancestry about your military family members: [email protected]

Check out my books:

The Murder Squad

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hanging Ned Kelly

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1871-1872, Ned Feeney and Charlie Marks were more than friends in a Melbourne where acting on homosexual desire might get you hanged. Using their letters to each other, we explore the mysteries of their tortured relationship and how it led to tragedy.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Like the show? Leave a rating or review!

To get in touch with Ancestry about your military family members: [email protected]

Check out my books:

The Murder Squad

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hanging Ned Kelly

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1872, Australia was shocked by a shooting in Melbourne’s Treasury Gardens. One man lay dead, the other lay nearby smoking a cigar. What had led these best friends to point their guns at each other? Using original archival records, we explore the circumstances of one of our history’s most tragic crimes, committed during a time of hateful homophobia.

To get in touch with Ancestry about your family's military history: [email protected]

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Check out my books:

The Murder Squad

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hanging Ned Kelly

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the survivors of the bank massacre identifying the axe-wielding maniac, a frantic search is undertaken in western NSW. But if he’s caught, will he escape justice with a plea of insanity?

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To send me a question for the David Hunt Book Club episode:

[email protected]

or

https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

Check out my books:

The Murder Squad

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hanging Ned Kelly

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Australia’s Sweetheart

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this first episode of the new season devoted to Crimes That Shocked Australia, we look at the 1893 horror that became known across the colonies as ‘The Carcoar Tragedy’. Set against the backdrop of a forgotten economic catastrophe, this is the story of a young bank manager who’d already endured tragedy – only to find himself and his loved ones at the mercy of a bloodthirsty burglar. What made the case even more chilling was that it appeared to have been predicted by the killer’s fortune-telling celebrity wife.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To send me a question for the David Hunt Book Club episode:

[email protected]

or

https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

Check out my books:

The Murder Squad

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hanging Ned Kelly

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Australia’s Sweetheart

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After police opened fire on miners at Rothbury on 16 December 1929, killing one man and seriously wounding several more, the battle for the hearts and minds of the Australian public began in the NSW and federal parliaments and in the conservative and leftist newspapers. We delve into the recriminations, accusations, and basher-gang reign of terror that followed the Rothbury shootings — and explore the fates of the miners, the politicians and the enigmatic coal baron John Brown.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To send me a question for the David Hunt Book Club episode:

[email protected]

or

https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

Check out my books:

The Murder Squad

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hanging Ned Kelly

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Australia’s Sweetheart

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On 16 December 1929, at the Rothbury colliery near Newcastle, thousands of miners protesting against an illegal wage cut were fired on by police with tragic results. But the battle began long before the bullets started flying. For most of that year, these miners had been at the centre of a bitter battle that toppled a federal government, saw the NSW state government use basher gangs of police and resulted in a new Labor prime minister committing an act of political betrayal — all just as the economic after-shocks of the Wall Street Crash were starting to be felt.

**This episode was originally released in December 2019**

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To send me a question for the David Hunt Book Club episode:

[email protected]

or

https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

Check out my books:

The Murder Squad

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hanging Ned Kelly

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Australia’s Sweetheart

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In San Francisco in February 1897 a trio of Australian police officers await the arrival of Frank Butler, wanted for the murder of three men in the Blue Mountains and beyond. While they’ll capture the fugitive, their problems are only starting as Butler enjoys his newfound American celebrity, with newspapers printing his every word, thousands of people clamouring to meet him and canny defence attorneys arguing he has no case to answer. It’ll be a life-or-death tug-of-war that’ll include cameos from America’s new president, a world-famous famous boxer and one of Australia’s most beloved actress.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To send me a question for the David Hunt Book Club episode:

[email protected]

or

https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

Check out my books as possible Christmas presents for yourself or a loved one:

The Murder Squad

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hanging Ned Kelly

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Australia’s Sweetheart

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the alarm raised about three missing miners, Sydney police begin a massive search of the Blue Mountains. It’s a hunt that draws large crowds of ghoulish spectators, who get more than they bargained for as gruesome discoveries are made. Yet by then suspected murderer Frank Butler is well on his way to San Francisco, forcing Australian detectives to give chase across the seas as American newspapers make a front-page sensation of this “Monster of the Mountains”.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To send me a question for the David Hunt Book Club episode:

[email protected]

or

https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

Check out my books as possible Christmas presents for yourself or a loved one:

The Murder Squad

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hanging Ned Kelly

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Australia’s Sweetheart

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1896 a cold-blooded serial killer calling himself Frank Butler advertised for mining partners in Sydney newspapers. Those who went west with him to the Blue Mountains were never seen alive again. Yet one man who escaped Butler’s clutches was to become a police officer — and take part in the manhunt for this monster, a chase that stretched from Sydney to San Francisco and made headlines all over the world.

*This episode was originally released in October 2020.*

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To send me a question for the David Hunt Book Club episode:

[email protected]

or

https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

Check out my books as possible Christmas presents for yourself or a loved one:

The Murder Squad

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hanging Ned Kelly

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Australia’s Sweetheart

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nearly a century before cocaine bundles started washing up on the Sydney coast, the city’s citizens clamoured to recover a different sort of illicit bounty from the sea: kegs of beer that’d floated free of Malabar, the happiest shipwreck disaster in Australian history.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To send me a question for the David Hunt Book Club episode:

[email protected]

or

https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

Check out my books as possible late Christmas presents for yourself or a loved one:

The Murder Squad

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hanging Ned Kelly

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Australia’s Sweetheart

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was the criminal Christmas miracle to warm the hardest heart. During the festive season in 1951, Pentridge prisoners got a surprise visit from Santa, aka the cheeky crook Harold 'Dusty' Sheehan, who could get out of — and into — prisons as easily as Old St Nick down a chimney.

This ‘regifted’ episode was originally released in 2021.

Another new episode will be out next week.

Merry Christmas!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In December 1950, Australia was under threat from a new menace to society: sex-crazed Bodgies and Widgies. This youth ‘cult’ indulged in wild orgies and violent crime sprees and its ranks teemed with unwanted immigrants and perverted homosexuals. Or so the tabloid newspapers warned. In this episode, we look at the moral panic that went with the Bodgies and Widgies - and the Sydney surfing hero at the epicentre of this ‘youthquake’.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To send me a question for the David Hunt Book Club episode:

[email protected]

or

https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

Check out my books as possible Christmas presents for yourself or a loved one:

The Murder Squad

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hanging Ned Kelly

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Australia’s Sweetheart

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Once upon a time not too long ago, wearing a bikini on Australia’s most famous stretch of sand meant you risked the wrath of veteran Bondi Beach inspector Aub Laidlaw. Show too much skin and he’d kick you off – and even threaten you with arrest. But Aub’s enforcement of prudish regulations caused a massive backlash in 1961 when young Joan Barry donned a gold bikini, pushed back against beach bullying and refused to be silenced by the cops and the court.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To send me a question for the David Hunt Book Club episode:

[email protected]

or

https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

Check out my books as possible Christmas presents for yourself or a loved one:

The Murder Squad

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hanging Ned Kelly

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Australia’s Sweetheart

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the 3rd of January 1931, Sydney suffered one of the worst days in Australian police history — the result of a trauma that had festered since a "White Feather" taunt from the Great War.

*This episode was originally released in 2019 and has been archived since May 2022*

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To colonial Australia, Betsy Scott had become a ‘female monster’ – all the more dangerous and diabolical for being alluring and attractive. But how much did this image influence her fate?

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To send a question to David Hunt for the Book Club episode:

Email - [email protected]

Audio - https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

Buy my books, Australia’s Sweetheart, Hanging Ned Kelly and The Murder Squad at:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922806406.html

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Mansfield police arresting Bob Scott’s murderer, the case looks like it’ll be closed quickly. But revelations before the cops reach Devil’s River will cause a sensation – and leave the Victorian government with a controversial decision to make.

Murder at Devil’s River - Part Three: Australia’s First Femme Fatale will go general release on 27 November.

Part Three is available early and ad-free to Apple and Patreon supporters.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To send a question to David Hunt for the Book Club episode:

Email - [email protected]

Audio - https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

Buy my books, Australia’s Sweetheart, Hanging Ned Kelly and The Murder Squad at:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922806406.html

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On 11 November 1863 – 160 years ago this month – history was made in Victoria when the murder of drunkard Bob Scott was avenged on the gallows in Melbourne Gaol.

But what had really happened when a midnight shot was fired in the darkness of a Devils River grog shanty?

Was justice done at the hands of the hangman?

Murder at Devil’s River - Part Two: I’m Innocent But I Know I’ll Hang will go general release on 23 November.

Murder at Devil’s River - Part Three: Australia’s First Femme Fatale will go general release on 27 November.

Part Two and Part Three are available early and ad-free to Apple and Patreon supporters.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To send a question to David Hunt for the Book Club episode:

Email - [email protected]

Audio - https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

Buy my books, Australia’s Sweetheart, Hanging Ned Kelly and The Murder Squad at:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922806406.html

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Len’s arrival to RAF Bomber Command makes for morale-boosting news. But more than half the men who serve as air crew will not live to see the end of the war. Len’s luck will need to hold if he’s to return to Australia and marry Thelma.

For a free trial:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To send a question to David Hunt for the Book Club episode:

Email - [email protected]

Audio - https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

Buy my books, Australia’s Sweetheart, Hanging Ned Kelly and The Murder Squad at:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922806406.html

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Faced with almost certain death during a mid-air collision between two planes, RAAF trainee pilot Len Fuller takes advantage of million-to-one odds by keeping a cool head and a courageous heart. Overnight, he’s acclaimed as an example of Australian heroism. But no good deed goes unpunished - not when the air force brass have something to say about the accident’s aftermath.

Part Three is available now, early and ad-free, for Apple and Patreon supporters.

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To send a question to David Hunt for the Book Club episode:

Email - [email protected]

Audio - https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

Buy my books, Australia’s Sweetheart, Hanging Ned Kelly and The Murder Squad at:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922806406.html

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In September 1940, young RAAF trainee pilot Len Fuller pulled off a mid-air miracle that made front-page news around Australia and around the world. In this instalment, we look at how his whole life seemed to prepare Len for those desperate moments 3000 feet above the NSW Riverina – and for the year he’d spend dicing with death as he fought the Nazis as a member of RAF Bomber Command.

RAAF Hero Len Fuller - Part Two: The Mid-Air Miracle will go on general release on 30 October.

RAAF Hero Len Fuller - Part Three: Blood Moon and the Setting of the Sun will go on general release on 6 November.

Part Two and Part Three are available early and ad-free to Apple and Patreon supporters.

For a free trial:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To send a question to David Hunt for the Book Club episode:

Email - [email protected]

Audio - https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

Buy my books, Australia’s Sweetheart, Hanging Ned Kelly and The Murder Squad at:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922806406.html

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In September 1976, Dr Hunter S. Thompson, then at the height of his infamy as the drink-and-drug-soaked Dean of Gonzo Journalism, came Down Under to give a series of public lectures. What ensued was chaotic – but not for the reasons you might expect. In this episode, we look at what Australia was like when Hunter S. touched down – and we hear from Peter Olszewski, aka "J.J. McRoach", then a young hippie tasked with wrangling the good doctor… and whose adventures would include flying through an electrical storm with the man... while tripping on LSD.

To hear Hunter S. Thompson at the National Press Club: https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/245539686

To support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Check out my new book The Murder Squad:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1803 Sydney Gazette publisher George Howe got a gallows story beyond imagination – and one that would be retold forever after.

To support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Check out my new book, The Murder Squad:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

... and Hanging Ned Kelly:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922806406.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1803 in Sydney, Constable Joseph Luker became the first Australian policeman murdered in the line of the duty. Who was responsible for this crime that shocked the colony? How did his death trigger one of the strangest twists of fate in our history? Thankfully, the incredible details were captured in Australia's first-ever newspaper, The Sydney Gazette, which had appeared just months earlier to usher in Australian true crime reporting.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Get The Murder Squad: https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Get Hanging Ned Kelly: https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922806406.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In October 1919, South Grafton, on the NSW North Coast, was the site of the one of the strangest and deadliest coincidences in Australian history. Later, the town's mayor, Dr Earle Page, would have his own experience of tragedy at the hands of fate – before fate briefly made him Australia's prime minister.

To support the show:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Check out my new book, The Murder Squad:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Raised in mere months for the 1879 International Exhibition, the Garden Palace was colonial Sydney's most spectacular building. But its fiery demise was even more spectacular, the grand complex razed to burning rubble in mere minutes. Why did it burn? Who was to blame? And how are its losses still being felt 140 years later?

Get The Murder Squad in time for Father's Day - at 33% off the RRP.

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The jury hands down its verdict in the William Burns murder trial, newspapers discover the existence of his sparrow, a poet is stirred to write verses about what follows... and two more Douglas crew members meet horrible deaths.

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Check out my new book The Murder Squad: https://affirmpress.com.au/browse/book/Michael-Adams-Murder-Squad-9781922863836/

If you want to hear my interview with Jen Kelly of In Black & White:

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/in-black-and-white/id1466009446?i=1000622413263

If you want to hear my interview with Meshel Laurie of Australian True Crime:

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/a-real-life-monster-from-australias-great-depression/id1217681421?i=1000622030689

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At his December 1882 murder trial William Burns pleads self-defence, even as fellow shipmates testify he’d committed cold-blooded murder. But what can his past reveal about his actions?

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Check out my new book The Murder Squad: https://affirmpress.com.au/browse/book/Michael-Adams-Murder-Squad-9781922863836/

If you want to hear my interview with Jen Kelly of In Black & White:

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/in-black-and-white/id1466009446?i=1000622413263

If you want to hear my interview with Meshel Laurie of Australian True Crime:

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/a-real-life-monster-from-australias-great-depression/id1217681421?i=1000622030689

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In September 1882, on a British ship on the high seas bound for Australia, English sailor William Burns stabs and kills a superior officer. For this capital crime, he’ll face justice in Adelaide – and await his fate in the company of a baby sparrow.

Support Forgotten Australia to get early and ad-free episodes and bonus shows:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Check out my new book The Murder Squad: https://affirmpress.com.au/browse/book/Michael-Adams-Murder-Squad-9781922863836/

If you want to hear my interview with Jen Kelly of In Black & White:

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/in-black-and-white/id1466009446?i=1000622413263

If you want to hear my interview with Meshel Laurie of Australian True Crime:

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/a-real-life-monster-from-australias-great-depression/id1217681421?i=1000622030689

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1959, entrepreneur Lee Gordon staged an all-star rock ’n’ roll show at the Sydney Stadium and filmed it for cinematic release. But this pioneering movie – the only one of its kind – was soon lost. More than half a century later, Melbourne man Mark Iaria found the film. He talks about his remarkable discovery and his efforts to digitise, restore and share the “Lee Gordon 1959 Rock ’N’ Roll Spectacular” with modern cinema audiences.

Check out the film’s webpage for screenings near you: https://rocknroll1959.com/

Read a sample chapter from my new book The Murder Squad: https://affirmpress.com.au/publishing/the-murder-squad

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Exclusive to Forgotten Australia listeners, this episode comprises the first 20 pages of The Murder Squad, my new book about homicide investigation in Sydney and NSW during the worst years of the Great Depression.

We start with Detective-Sergeant Tom McRae in Albury in September 1934 as he investigates the Pyjama Girl, before flashing back to the triple tragedies he endured in his early life and as he started his rise through the ranks.

Check out The Murder Squad's awesome cover:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html

Here's what some very nice folks have been saying about The Murder Squad:

‘The Murder Squad is a cracking decade-long history of crazed killers and cunning cops – a triumph of true crime storytelling backed by exhaustive research.’ – Stephen Gibbs, Daily Mail

‘Michael Adams has that rare ability to drop the reader right in the heart of the action. He gives such precise and evocative detail that the reader can almost see, hear and smell each crime scene. Murder Squad is a riveting read, bringing Australia’s Great Depression era to life through a series of cracking true crime stories starring the ingenious Sydney detective Tom McRae.’ – Jen Kelly, Herald Sun, In Black & White column and podcast

‘Michael Adams takes you on a tense journey into Sydney’s historical badlands. Compelling, rich and meticulous: this is Australian true crime at its very best.’ – Candice Fox, author of Fire With Fire, The Chase and Crimson Lake

‘Michael Adams is a master true crime storyteller. His mastery is firstly, in digging out intriguing historical crimes – many of which have long been forgotten – and secondly, in recounting them in the most compelling way. The Human Glove Mystery, The Pyjama Girl and The Park Demon all get the Michael Adams treatment, but so too the stories that didn’t attract the sensational headlines, but are no less intriguing. And all of it against a backdrop of historic Australia and the men of the Murder Squad who hunted out the killers and tried to bring them to justice. So thoroughly researched, this is the ultimate reference for true crime in Australia during the depression years.’ – Mercedes Maguire, The Daily Telegraph

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter Doyle, author of Suburban Noir, talks about researching and writing true crime, and about his uncle Detective-Sergeant Brian Doyle, a top Sydney cop in the 1950s and 1960s, who led the investigations into the Kingsgrove Slasher and the Graeme Thorne kidnapping-murder. With thanks to listeners who contributed questions for Peter.

Read Peter’s wonderful essay about taxi driving in Sydney here:

https://sydneyreviewofbooks.com/essay/doyle-passage/

To support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Launched in September 1922, Melbourne's The Sun News-Pictorial forever changed newspapers in Australia.

But for decades this historic publication has been difficult to access and to search because it's only available in a handful of physical microfilm catalogues. Now we have a chance to liberate this extraordinary Melbourne daily tabloid and give everyone free digital access in perpetuity via the National Library of Australia's Trove database.

In this "History Matters" episode, I'm joined by the State Library of Victoria's Paul Dee to hear more about this exciting project. I also sample how The Sun News-Pictorial began and how it quickly served up big photo stories about an upcoming solar eclipse, about the war threat that might see Anzacs fight and die again at Gallipoli, and about the sensational surrender of Melbourne's Public Enemy #1.

To help digitise The Sun News-Pictorial:

https://slv.vic.gov.au/appeal/?fbclid=IwAR00D-VcHcBJ9H6pFPaqpWtwEsLl10J6AKAaLtrJk1sOJsb0hETJvSTtAgs

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sue Northey knew barely anything about her dad’s experiences during World War II. That was until she found 98 letters he wrote between 1941 and 1945. Sue joins me to talk about rediscovering her dad through this correspondence, which chronicles the great events and the small details of these turbulent and tragic years.

You can get early ad-free access to every episode, along with exclusive bonus shows, by becoming a Forgotten Australia supporter. Free trials are now available on both Apple and Patreon.

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even when the verdict is delivered in the Katoomba murder trial, the story is far from over – especially after the convicted man makes a startling allegation.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the wake of the gory outrage at the California, the accused faces an inquest and then his trial for murder. If he's found guilty, he'll be sentenced to death. But is he bad – or mad?

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Book Club: I’ll be interviewing Peter Doyle about his non-fiction book Suburban Noir, which is a cracking portrait of crime and punishment in Sydney in the 1950s and 1960s.

We’ll also be talking about Peter’s other books, the non-fiction Crooks Like Us and City Of Shadows, and his four period crime novels, The Devil’s Jump, Amaze Your Friends, Get Rich Quick and The Big Whatever.

There’s plenty to talk about – and Peter would love to hear your questions about his work.

If you want me to read them to him, send them as an email to [email protected]

If you’d like to record your question in a free audio file from your computer, go to: https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A mountains hotel.

A locked room.

Screams in the night and a body in the morning.

The mystery of what happened in the California boarding house in Katoomba in autumn 1917 was like something by Agatha Christie.

Except this wasn’t a whodunit – it was a whydunit.

Parts 2 & 3 will be on general release soon. You can hear them now early and ad-free by supporting the podcast:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Book Club: I’ll be interviewing Peter Doyle about his non-fiction book Suburban Noir, which is a cracking portrait of crime and punishment in Sydney in the 1950s and 1960s.

We’ll also be talking about Peter’s other books, the non-fiction Crooks Like Us and City Of Shadows, and his four period crime novels, The Devil’s Jump, Amaze Your Friends, Get Rich Quick and The Big Whatever.

There’s plenty to talk about – and Peter would love to hear your questions about his work

If you want me to read them to him, send them as an email to [email protected]

If you’d like to record your question in a free audio file from your computer, go to: https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did Lady Justice favour Lady Munro? Would she have the last laugh on her copper nemesis? Has anyone ever faced court more often in Australian history or done it with more style? All will be revealed... almost!

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To submit questions for the Peter Doyle Book Club episode:

https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

or: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Having come back from the grave once, Lady Munro faces another close call with death, becomes ever-more popular in colonial culture and goes toe-to-toe with one of Australia's most prominent gentlemen in a high-profile criminal court case.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To submit questions for the Peter Doyle Book Club episode:

https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

or: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The eccentric Lady Munro cut a swathe through late colonial and early Federation Australia with her drunken antics, defiant unconventionality and mysterious claim to be from one of England’s most famous aristocratic families. The ‘Notorious Lady Munro’, who confessed to having been been ‘drunk around the universe’, was celebrated as ‘one of the most remarkable women alive’ – and stayed alive long enough to read of her own death in the newspapers more than once. Join me for a strange, funny, sad and always surprising deep dive into the utterly forgotten life of our very own blue-blooded lady larrikin.

Parts 2 & 3 available now early and ad-free for Apple Subscribers and Patreon Supporters.

**Take advantage of the Apple three-day free trial to hear them and all bonus episodes. Cancel before it expires and you won't pay anything**

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To submit questions for the Peter Doyle Book Club episode:

https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

or: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While The Salvation Army is now a beloved institution, 140 years ago its men and women were regularly the victims of violent assaults by larrikin hordes who marched under the skull and bones and called themselves The Skeleton Army. These shameful attacks were staged all over Australia but were most prevalent in Melbourne and Victoria. In this episode, we explore the rise of the Salvos, the hostility they faced from the police, press and the public – and how these factors set the scene for their brutal persecution by the hateful Skeletons.

Hear the new bonus episode Gotcha! Australia’s April Fools via:

Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Apple (you can get a three-day free trial):

http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Questions for the Book Club episode featuring Peter Doyle can be submitted:

In writing: [email protected]

As audio: speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

Hanging Ned Kelly is 40% off here (at time of writing):

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922806406.html

Save Trove:

Change.org petition to fully fund Trove:

https://www.change.org/p/fully-fund-trove

Email Arts Minister Tony Burke:

https://www.tonyburke.com.au/contact

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“GIRLS ON PYLON SEX MACHINE”– it’s gotta be the weirdest newspaper headline of the 1930s. So what’s the strange story behind it? Join me for a plunge into the "Pashometer" craze that had Australians going bonkers to have a go on the machine that scientifically measured their all-important Sex Appeal!

Change.org petition to fully fund Trove - https://www.change.org/p/fully-fund-trove

Contact Tony Burke - https://www.tonyburke.com.au/contact

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Contact email forgottenaustraliapodcast (at) gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s July 1950 and Sydney detectives have Arthur Graham - aka Fred Stevens, aka Thomas Croft, aka Lionel Thomas – cornered in Perth. But can the man they suspect of multiple murders escape justice again?

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s winter 1950 and Sydney detectives are criss-crossing Australia as they try to piece together the whereabouts of Blacktown widow, Phyllis Mary Page, last seen in the company of Fred Stevens – aka Thomas Croft – aka Lionel Thomas.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s 1945 and Lionel Thomas - aka Thomas Croft – looks set to pay for one of the most heinous murders in Melbourne’s recent history: the cold-blooded shooting of a railway stationmaster.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lionel Charles Thomas went by a lot of aliases. But by any name, he was one nasty character. In this instalment, we chronicle his early criminal career and piece together the evidence that made Sydney and Melbourne suspect him in a handful of murders.

Support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the true horror of the pay car outrage revealed – but buried ever-deeper in the war-time newspapers – Sydney police follow promising leads, conduct sweeping interviews and utilise the skills of the scientific squad in the hope of cracking the case. Eventually they’ll come up with a prime suspect – but where is he?

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just hours after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, cold-blooded bandits staged a ruthless ambush on a railway pay car crew south of Sydney. In the aftermath of this ambush, homicide detectives faced an unprecedented task. How could they get the public’s attention – get the information they needed to catch these killers – when all anyone could talk about was the new and unprecedented threat to Australia?

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To help save Trove, please sign and share these petitions:

Government petition (sign by 22 February) - https://www.aph.gov.au/e-petitions/petition/EN4747

Change.org - https://www.change.org/p/fully-fund-trove?redirect=false

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Fred Jones's betrayal, with Hayati branded an 'enemy alien', the showman and the performer go head to head in a series of court cases that make headlines all around Australia.

You can see a photo gallery from this story free at Patreon - no need to sign up or pay.

If you do want to support Forgotten Australia:

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

You can read an excerpt from my book Hanging Ned Kelly at: https://affirmpress.com.au/publishing/hanging-ned-kelly/

You can also buy the book there at 26% off the RRP

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who was Frederick Hooper Jones, the man who tried to ruin Hayati Hassid? In this instalment, we look at Fred's life and career as a showman and as a pioneering aviator.

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Read a free sample of Hanging Ned Kelly here – and buy the book with a 26% discount on the recommended retail price of $35.

https://affirmpress.com.au/publishing/hanging-ned-kelly/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Having conquered Australia with Tiny Town, Hayati Hassid goes out on his own and falls into the orbit of Frederick Hooper Jones. To heat parts 3 & 4 right now ad-free, become an Apple subscriber or Patreon supporter.

For a three-day free trial, Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

For Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

You can read a free sample of Hanging Ned Kelly and get 26% off the RRP here:

https://affirmpress.com.au/publishing/hanging-ned-kelly/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From a digitised formerly secret Australian military intelligence file comes one of Forgotten Australia’s strangest stories.

In 1911-1912, from Sydney to Brisbane, Perth to Melbourne, and all points in between, Australia was enthralled by the little people entertainment troupe known as Tiny Town.

Everyone was especially fond its undisputed star, 'The Mayor of Tiny Town', aka 'The Turkish Tom Thumb', the incomparable small-man performer Hayati Hassid.

Yet how did this beloved celebrity - who also acted as editor of 'The Tiny Town Times' - become designated an enemy alien after the Great War broke out?

What did this dark twist have to do with showman and self-professed father of Australian aviation Frederick Hooper Jones?

And just where do genocidal Turkish sultan Abdul The Damned, legendary escapologist Harry Houdini and Aussie rock band The Angels fit into this picture?

Join me for a four-part deep dive that takes us from the harems of the dying Ottoman Empire to the roller-skating-mad London vaudeville scene, from a forgotten antipodean box office blockbuster to the controversial very earliest days of Australia aviation.

You won't believe your ears.

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

My new book Hanging Ned Kelly is out now and will make a cracker of a Christmas present.

You can read a free excerpt here - and get 26% off the RRP: https://affirmpress.com.au/publishing/hanging-ned-kelly/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the accused murderer of Holly Murphy and Kathleen Brown set to go to trial in April 1946, there's a series of shocking secret developments, including a bombshell letter that makes disturbing claims against Queensland's boys in blue. Via the original police murder file - and from information from a descendant of one of the men involved - we explore what might've really happened.

To hear me talk about my new book Hanging Ned Kelly - and for excellent true crime and history episodes, check out these podcasts:

Australian True Crime - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/australian-true-crime/id1217681421

In Black & White - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/in-black-and-white/id1466009446

To read an excerpt of Hanging Ned Kelly - https://affirmpress.com.au/publishing/hanging-ned-kelly/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Detective Senior-Sergeant Frank Bischof in Cairns, Bob Davis soon identifies the murderer. But how far can Bob be trusted? And what is Bischof offering?

Part 3 will be available later this week via regular podcast platforms. But as an Apple subscriber or Patreon supporter, you can hear it right now ad-free.

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To hear me talk about my new book Hanging Ned Kelly - and for excellent true crime and history episodes, check out these podcasts:

Australian True Crime - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/australian-true-crime/id1217681421

In Black & White - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/in-black-and-white/id1466009446

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a hot night in January 1946, two women were cold-bloodedly murdered with a grenade in the centre of Cairns. In this three-part special episode - based on the original police murder file - we take a deep dive into this callous crime, whose solution was frustrated not only by the underworld’s code of silence but also by the conduct of Queensland’s most infamously corrupt cop.

Parts Two & Three will be available next week via regular podcast platforms. But as an Apple subscriber or Patreon supporter, you can hear them right now ad-free.

Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

To hear me talk about my new book Hanging Ned Kelly - and for excellent true crime and history episodes, check out these podcasts:

Australian True Crime - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/australian-true-crime/id1217681421

In Black & White - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/in-black-and-white/id1466009446

To read an excerpt of Hanging Ned Kelly - https://affirmpress.com.au/publishing/hanging-ned-kelly/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Note: This episode - like all old and new regular episodes - is free for everyone to listen to.

I'm very pleased to present an exclusive audio version of the first 20 pages of my new book Hanging Ned Kelly, which is published this week by Affirm Press. Here's what it's about:

HANGING NED KELLY

When it came time to hang Ned Kelly, the deed fell to the nightman-turned-quack-doctor-turned-drunken-chicken-thief Elijah Upjohn. Such is life indeed.

Upjohn was the latest in a long line of 19th century flogging hangmen who were allowed to run amok because they did the dirty work of the establishment that allowed officials to keep their hands clean. Despite being duly appointed ‘finishers of the law’, Upjohn and his fellow boozing bunglers were so hated they were often hunted by angry mobs.

In Hanging Ned Kelly, the tale of Elijah Upjohn becomes the rusty scalpel that slices open the underbelly of colonial Victoria – an underworld seething with serial killers, clueless cops, larrikin vigilantes, renegade reporters, racist settlers, furious fallen women and cunning waxwork showmen. Looming over them all: the depraved hangmen... and Australia's most infamous outlaw.

Hanging Ned Kelly is available on 27 September at all good bookstores and online retailers.

To support Forgotten Australia and access early ad-free and bonus episodes:

Apple: http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While 1950s eccentrics Bea Miles and Rosaleen Norton are well remembered, Luba Shishova was twice as wild yet she's all but forgotten. Dubbed a ‘one-woman Russian Revolution’, this chaotic beauty cut a swathe through Kings Cross, earning adoring fans among the city’s reporters and outraging the cops and the judges. Now, for the first time, Luba’s story is told in detail – from her background in a war zone and her bikini court sensation to her flesh-ripping assaults and stints in jail and psych hospitals.

To support Forgotten Australia, subscribe via Forgotten Australia +Plus at Apple Podcasts or via Patreon at patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

My book, Hanging Ned Kelly, is out on 27 September. You can read an except for free at the link below. 

https://affirmpress.com.au/publishing/hanging-ned-kelly/

Buy Hanging Ned Kelly via this very same link – or at any good bookstore or online retailer.

Back catalogue Forgotten Australia +Plus bonus episodes will be released in the coming weeks.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this day in 1922, Henry Lawson died at the age of 55. In this episode, we revisit his death and the pomp, circumstance and furore of his funeral, while also weighing the claim the Aussie bard of the bush was actually the world’s first screenwriter.

Bonus episodes available as soon as you support the show via patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

* The Mad Bomber of Boulder: in February 1942 the goldfields of WA were rocked by one of the worst mass murders in modern Australian history.

* Sydney, Spanish Flu and Covid-19: a live talk at MEDfest, held at the State Library of NSW in July 2022.

* Hanging Ned Kelly: an audio preview of my upcoming book, comprising the prologue, author’s note and first chapter. Note: this will be released on regular platforms in late September. You can pre-order Hanging Ned Kelly and read a chapter sampler for free here: https://affirmpress.com.au/publishing/hanging-ned-kelly/

* All Hail, Megaethon: the bizarre story of Australia’s first road trips - in the mid-1850s!

* Last of the Bushrangers: an addition to the regular episode Young Ned Kelly, this tells the story of another young outlaw in country Victoria in 1922.

* The Rats Must Die: a live talk about Bubonic Plague, delivered at the Sydney Festival in January 2022.

* Black Thursday: the tale of the 1851 bushfires that burned out one-quarter of Victoria.

* To Sir, With Hate: who murdered a teacher in 1928 in the tiny town of Wolumla on the NSW south coast?

* The Body in the Barwon: in 1953, Australia was shocked by the discovery of a headless body, with the crime committed by a truly bizarre crook.

* Revolvers & Razors: a three-part episode about a grisly 1927 murder in the Blue Mountains that had links to the infamous razor gangs.

* The Wreck of the Errol: an addition to the Mysteries of Mystery Island episode, this is the tale of a 1909 shipwreck and the horrors that followed.

* Detective McRae vs the Lady in Grey: a two-part real-life noir that pits Sydney’s top homicide cop against a drop-dead gorgeous femme fatale.

* Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Spiritualist Tour Down Under: the creator of Sherlock Holmes came to Australia in 1920-21 to chase ghosts. Best heard in tandem with The Guyra Ghost.

* The Bones & The Beast: the case that made Det-Sgt McRae a homicide investigation hero… and the ghastly case that confronted his sometime partner in crime-solving, Det-Sgt Joe Ramus, who were met in The Human Glove Mystery.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the discovery of new evidence, the police and the crown prosecutor are determined to see Dot's killer swing from the gallows at Long Bay Gaol.

To support Forgotten Australia: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

To read an extract of Hanging Ned Kelly for free: https://affirmpress.com.au/publishing/hanging-ned-kelly/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the coronial inquest used to build a case against the chief suspect in the murder of Dot Everett, witness 'Miss X' tells the court sordid stories about the man she's sure is a brutal sex maniac.

You can hear the finale now as a supporter - www.patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Check out my new book, Hanging Ned Kelly, including a free extract - https://affirmpress.com.au/publishing/hanging-ned-kelly/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While the newspapers reported detectives investigating Dot's murder had reached a dead end, the opening of the coronial inquest revealed the cops believed they had the maniac responsible dead to rights. With so much evidence, he'd surely be committed to trial – where a guilty verdict would see him swing.

Parts 4 & 5 will be released soon.

But they're available ad-free now to supporters: www.patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

If you'd like to read the first chapter of my new book, it's here: https://affirmpress.com.au/publishing/hanging-ned-kelly/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the days following the discovery of Dot Everett's body, Newcastle police are joined by a star Sydney CIB detective. They have to catch the killer before he strikes again. Part 3 of The Vampire Murder will be released next Monday but all five instalments of this episode are available now for supporters (from as little as $3 per month): www.patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

My book, Hanging Ned Kelly, comes out on 27 September. You can see the cover and read an extract: https://affirmpress.com.au/publishing/hanging-ned-kelly/

Like the show? I'd love you to leave a rating and/or review. Thanks!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In November 1937, Dorothy May Everett was murdered in the grounds of the elite Newcastle school where she worked as a live-in kitchen maid. The case was a front-page sensation – as was what came afterwards. The five-part mini-series The Vampire Murder is one of the most haunting stories I've researched. I'll be releasing instalments this week and next. But the entire mini-series is available now ad-free to supporters.

For more info: www.patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Hanging Ned Kelly will be released on 27 September.

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922806406.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here is the conclusion to Reg Evans's astounding story – including his belated rediscovery.

I'll be making another episode about another incredible coastwatcher soon.

Stay tuned. To support the show: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recently I was very pleased to be able to help the United States embassy with information, contacts and material relating to the activities of our coastwatchers, who played such a vital role in the South Pacific during World War II.

This assistance was to help incoming American ambassador Caroline Kennedy pay her respects to these brave men.

Ambassador Kennedy, of course, has a deep personal connection to their heroism because her father, President John F. Kennedy, was saved by Australian coastwatcher Reg Evans in 1943.

A couple of years back I produced a two-part episode about Reg’s life, that incident, how Reg’s role went unknown for so many years and how he was rediscovered after JFK won the 1960 election.

It’s one of my favourite episodes and I’m glad to present it again if you missed it - or if you want to hear it again.

I’ll be back next week to start a new round of brand-new Forgotten Australia episodes.

I’ve been hard at work these past weeks on a handful of amazing stories that I’m really looking forward to sharing.

There’s also a new bonus episode coming down the pipeline for supporters.

But in the meantime, here’s Reg Evans’s story. Lest we forget.

To support Forgottten Australia: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this concluding instalment, Eve Gray tries to come to grips with being mostly for her beauty before making the move to London that will change her life.

Like the podcast? I'd love it if you'd leave a rating, review or maybe consider becoming a supporter: www.patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this final instalment of The First Dismissal, we look at Robert Beardsmore's horrific experiences at Fromelles in 1916, his role in a 1922 soldier-settler controversy and at the 1929 Battle For Rothbury. Then came the 1932 Dismissal of Jack Lang. Afterwards, feted as a hero, Beardsmore was to play a part in the downfall of another NSW Premier – and his and Jack Lang's sons would have one final battle. To support the show: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

**PLEASE NOTE** I'll be archiving the below episodes soon. Please download now if you've not listened to them already.

The Battle for Rothbury, The Bombing of Rothbury, In The Execution of their Duty, The Fugitive, Sydney’s Red Year, Australia’s First Serial Killer Manhunt and The Human Glove Mystery

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When – if – Robert Henry Beardsmore is mentioned in connection with the May 1932 dismissal of Jack Lang, he's depicted as merely an old public servant who reluctantly did his job. But in reality he was the Forrest Gump of Australian history in the first half of the 20th Century. In part A, we look at his role on the Aborigines Protection Board and how he was enmeshed in a scandal that tainted Australia's first military victory. Part B is on the way!

Want to support the show? patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Or leave a rating & review

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this day 90 years ago, firebrand NSW Premier Jack Lang was sacked by Governor Sir Phillip Game. 

In this first of two instalments, we look at Lang's early life and business career, the scandalous aspect of his personal life and his embrace of the White Australia policy, his political rise and the massive opposition he faced from his own party, from big business, from the newspapers and from the fascist New Guard. Then, in early May 1932, during the worst of the Great Depression, Lang's collision with the Commonwealth government threatened chaos and civil violence. 

But it would be one forgotten man who actually brought about Lang's downfall. 

In part two, The First Dismissal: The Public Servant Who Toppled the Premier, we'll explore the role played in Lang's dismissal by Robert Beardsmore. Usually he's written in and out of the story in a sentence or two, and if there's any elaboration it's to characterise him as a faceless public servant who merely did his duty. But we're taking a deep dive into the background and potential motivations of a man who – between 1900 and 1932 – was like the Forrest Gump of Australian history.

Part 2 will be available early next week for Patreon supporters and be on general release on 20 May. To support the show: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From humble beginnings in the Blue Mountains, Kathleen Butler's smarts and skills saw her play a huge but largely forgotten role in making the Sydney Harbour Bridge a reality.

But this female pioneer in engineering lived in a time when women "couldn't have it all". Part two released tomorrow, the 90th anniversary of the opening of the bridge.

www.patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Like the podcast? Take a sec to leave a rating and review — this helps it reach other people who might be interested. Cheers!

Just when they thought it was safe to go back into the water, another young man was mauled by a shark at Coogee and rescued by another brave lifesaver. Now war was declared on the monsters of the deep. It was a conflict that'd attract charlatans, hoaxers and Pacific Islanders armed with knives — all of them watched by huge crowds because people trying to kill sharks had became a good afternoon's entertainment. Meanwhile, whipped into a mania by newspaper moguls, Australia had heroes to celebrate, to fete as celebrities and to shower with cash. But not all bravery would be rewarded equally...

By supporting Forgotten Australia, you're helping me to to dig through (and digitise) ancient files to bring you history as it's never been heard before. As a Patreon, you get a) ad-free early access to shows b) a show shout-out c) exclusive supporter-only bonus episodes d) Australia's Sweetheart — my audiobook about our forgotten film star Mary Maguire.

patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

100 years ago today — 4 February 1922 — Australia's attitude to sharks changed when the first known fatal shark attack on a Sydney ocean beach happened in front of thousands of people as a surf carnival was about to start at Coogee. It was a day of horror and heroism that would very quickly have a bloody sequel.

Part 2 coming soon. Support: www.patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

120 years ago today, Sydney faced an epidemic. And it also had a rat problem — but in this case it was there was too many of them.

January 1902 saw the second wave of the Bubonic Plague and — despite the lessons learned during the horrific outbreak of 1900 — politicians, bureaucrats and citizens made all the same mistakes. Meanwhile, as rats multiplied and the body count rose, Sydney prepared for the most spectacular stage show ever seen in Australia. Ben Hur — nothing could be bigger! Except, maybe, microscopic bacteria carried by rat fleas...

Parts 2 & 3 will be released very soon. To support Forgotten Australia and get access to early ad-free eps, bonus shows and more:

www.patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Season Five is just around the corner. We're kicking off with an episode called Blue Murder On The Golden Mile. It’s a killer tale set in 1926 and it takes us inside what was then the most intensive manhunt and homicide trial in Western Australian history. One of the main characters in Blue Murder On The Golden Mile is a brilliant barrister named Arthur Haynes. I featured Haynes two years ago in the episode Murder On The Dance Floor, which was set in 1925 in Perth.

So, ahead of Season Five, I've dusted off this two-parter in case you haven’t heard the story — and want a bit of an idea of just how formidable Arthur Haynes was a defence lawyer. Here's the gist of Part Two:

There was no doubt Audrey Jacob had shot Cyril Gidley dead in front of hundreds of people during a charity dance at Perth’s Government House. But why had she killed him and was she guilty of murder? The final instalment of this episode takes us inside one of Australia’s most extraordinary trials—and beyond to a second murder, the tragic downfall of a business titan and across the world to the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War and Carter White House.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Season Five is just around the corner. We're kicking off with an episode called Blue Murder On The Golden Mile. It’s a killer tale set in 1926 and it takes us inside what was then the most intensive manhunt and homicide trial in Western Australian history. One of the main characters Blue Murder On The Golden Mile is a brilliant barrister named Arthur Haynes. I featured Haynes two years ago in the episode Murder On The Dance Floor, which was set in 1925 in Perth. So, ahead of Season Five, I've dusted off this two-parter in case you haven’t heard the story — and want a bit of an idea of just how formidable Arthur Haynes was a defence lawyer. Certainly, if you were charged with murder back in the day in WA, he was the man you wanted on your side.

Here's the gist of Part One:

In 1925 beautiful young Audrey Campbell Jacob shot a young man dead in front of hundreds of revellers during a charity dance in the ballroom of Government House in Perth — and the court case that followed the crime was every bit as shocking.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the wake of the massacre, Dr James Patrick Murray makes a series of surprising moves that further his infamy in Australia and across the British Empire.

Listener Desiree Pettit-Keating, of Bendigo Regional Archives Centre, was kind enough to send through an article they did about the Bendigo smallpox outbreak that features in this instalment — and in which Dr Murray played a central role. To read their piece — which has plenty of parallels with Covid-19 — go to:

https://www.brac.vic.gov.au/disease-deja-vu

Season 5 of Forgotten Australia will start in mid-November.

In the meantime, I'll be releasing a new bonus episode for supporters. Supporters also have access to half a dozen bonus episodes I've already produced.

For info: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Months before Australia's first heavier-than-air flights, people from Sydney to Hobart, Goulburn to Kalgoorlie, Melbourne to Perth reported seeing strange lights in the night skies. These mystery airships — dubbed "Scareships" — were said to travel at astounding speeds and perform complex aerobatics that suggested they were under intelligent control. What were they? The truth is out there. To become a Forgotten Australia supporter and get exclusive full-length bonus episodes: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2018 I found and reunited with my biological family, discovering that my people go back to 1842 on Lord Howe Island. On my first visit that Christmas, I became fascinated by the mystery surrounding the early talkie Mystery Island, which was shot on Lord Howe in 1936. Why did its leading man Brian Abbot — who had everything to live for — try to sail to Sydney across the treacherous Tasman Sea in a tiny motor launch? Was he mad, like they said, or was there something else at play?

In the past few months, my investigations have unearthed dozens of startling stranger-than-fiction stories that each shine a different light on this question. So, strap in for an eight-part epic series. You're going to meet Hollywood hopefuls, surf rescuers, plucky canoeists, turf tricksters, war heroes, daredevil aviators, shipwreck survivors and a handful of accused killers. Then there’s one chap who wrestled an octopus, rode sharks, hunted a humpback whale in Sydney Harbour, tried to reel in an Olympic swimming champion and led an expedition to catch a mysterious sea serpent — twice. Underlying all of these dramatic, tragic and comic tales is a haunting question: what role does “the element of luck” play in who lives and who dies?

In Part One, we meet young George Rikard-Bell, who rejected his privileged upbringing to become an adventurer and a conman in the Great Depression — before reinventing himself as the actor Brian Abbot. Part Two will be released on Thursday. Instalments will be out on Mondays after that. But you can binge all eight parts now by becoming a Forgotten Australia supporter for just a few bucks per month — go to: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Having escaped prison, fled interstate and joined the army under yet another new name, George Blunderfield seeks reinvention and redemption on the Western Front — but his true nature compels him to commit his most atrocious crimes yet. To become a Forgotten Australia supporter, go to patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

**This podcast episode contains references to suicide, violence and sexual violence against children. Listener discretion is advised**

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After committing a sickening outrage in the first weeks of 1900, George Blunderfield serves a relatively short jail sentence. When he's set free he sheds his identity but can’t help but follow the nature that causes him to hurt those who only want to help him. **This podcast episode contains references to suicide, violence and sexual violence against children.**

To become a Forgotten Australia supporter, go to patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over two decades George Farrow Blunderfield left a trail of pain and death in his wake from one side of the country to the other. I’ve made a three-part podcast exploring the life and crimes of this forgotten monster of early 20th Century Australia. To hear the whole story right now ad-free, become a Forgotten Australia supporter: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

**This podcast episode contains references to suicide, violence and sexual violence against children. Listener discretion is advised**

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Having already been convicted by the newspapers, Ronald Griggs stands trial for the murder of his wife. If he’s found guilty, he’ll be sentenced to death. The final part of this mini-series is coming soon.

Can't wait? Forgotten Australia supporters can download the finale right now. Supporters also get a shout-out in an upcoming episode, early ad-free access to every episode, exclusive bonus episodes and the full audiobook of Australia’s Sweetheart, my biography of our forgotten film star Mary Maguire.

Hear the whole story first at: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the mysterious death of his wife in the mountain town of Omeo, rumours about Methodist minister Ronald Griggs reach a fever pitch — and a veteran detective is sent from Melbourne CIB to investigate.

The next three parts of this mini-series will be released here in the next two weeks. Can't wait? Forgotten Australia supporters can download all of them now. Supporters also get a shout-out in an upcoming episode, early ad-free access to every episode, exclusive bonus episodes and the full audiobook of Australia’s Sweetheart, my biography of our forgotten film star Mary Maguire.

Hear the whole story now at: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A village scandal leads to a sudden death in the parsonage that’s investigated by a big detective who waxes his little moustache. This really was a murder mystery that could’ve been written by Agatha Christie.

Join me for a deep dive into the story of Ronald Griggs, Methodist minister in Omeo, who shocked Australia in 1928 by shattering the commandments he supposedly held so sacred.

The next four parts of this mini-series will be released here in the next two weeks. Can't wait? Forgotten Australia supporters can download all of them now. Supporters also get a shout-out in an upcoming episode, early ad-free access to every episode, exclusive bonus episodes and the full audiobook of Australia’s Sweetheart, my biography of our forgotten film star Mary Maguire.

Hear the whole story now at: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Credits: Wagner Bridal Chorus Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sister Ellen Savage was the hero of Centaur and over the next four decades she'd keep alive the memory of her fallen sisters and brothers.

She was an Anzac hero who was to pass away on an Anzac Day.

To support Forgotten Australia: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sixty years ago this month JFK won the West Virginia primary — a decisive moment for his campaign — and he did so with a low-blow political move meant to showcase him as a naval war hero. But not even JFK knew the truth behind the story that was to help him capture the White House — that he was only alive thanks to the work of a mysterious Australian coastwatcher. For more information: www.forgottenaustralia.com and www.facebook.com/forgottenoz

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fifty years before Fine Cotton, Australia was electrified by a series of audacious racing ring-ins starring a champion horse named Erbie. The man who exposed the conspiracy? Bert “Cardigan” Wolfe, the country's top turf writer, who’d recently witnessed Phar Lap’s greatest moment — and then his last.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.