Forgotten Australia

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: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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.

*Due to an incorrect audio upload error, I'm re-releasing Part Two – this is the correct audio*

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: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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.

*New episode* 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: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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.

*New episode*

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.

*New Episode*

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.

*New Episode*

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: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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

Jack Brown — murderer of three people, supposedly inspired by reading Deadwood Dick pulp novels — went to trial in October 1906. But could a boy who reckoned he’d slaughtered his best friends in the name of a genocidal revolution for White Australia actually be sane, be convicted and be hanged?

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.

One more re-release before new episodes. This one originally came out in 2020, and, while it was supposed to be a two-parter, it became a trilogy – fittingly, given it's a bit like the Dark Knight. Parts two and three will be on general release this week, but are available now to Apple and Patreon supporters.

Deadwood Dick was the first pop culture superhero – 50 years before Batman — and he was the first such character to spark widespread moral condemnation as a "cause" of crime. In Australia from the 1890s, Deadwood Dick was blamed for everything, from truancy to... mass murder.

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:

forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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: ancestry@webershandwick.com.au

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: ancestry@webershandwick.com.au

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: ancestry@webershandwick.com.au

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: ancestry@webershandwick.com.au

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:

forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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:

forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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:

forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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:

forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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:

forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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:

forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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:

forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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:

forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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!

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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:

forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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

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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:

forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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

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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:

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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

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

Email - forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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

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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 - forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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

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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 - forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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

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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

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

Email - forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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

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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 - forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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

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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 - forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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:

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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 ForgottenAustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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

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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 ForgottenAustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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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:

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To submit questions for the Peter Doyle Book Club episode:

https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia

or: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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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: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com

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

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“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:

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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:

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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:

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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.

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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:

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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?

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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

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In the weeks after Shirley Butler's murder, newspaper reports hinted that police weren't divulging everything they knew. Then, in June 1953, nearly six months after her death, detectives announced a stunning breakthrough. But the arrest of their suspect would pale in comparisons with the revelations to come.

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Christmas Day 1952 saw three tragedies result in eight sudden deaths in Sydney. But the most haunting of these was the vicious murder of Shirley Butler, a 21-year-old woman whose body was found just a stone’s throw from her home in Waverton on the lower North Shore. Who had killed her and why? An army of detectives would scour the city for clues – and even authorise a world-first radio re-enactment of Shirley’s last tram journey.

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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

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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

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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/

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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/

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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/

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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/

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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

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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/

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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

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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.

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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.

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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/

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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/

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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/

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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!

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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

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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

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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

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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

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A century ago, Sydney chorus girl Eve Gray won a beauty competition and shot to national fame. 'Australia's Most Beautiful Girl' was soon a theatrical leading lady. But Eve discovered that being a celebrity came with a dark side. Nevertheless, she was to persist with her performance career, winning critical respect on stage and screen, working with the likes of Alfred Hitchcock and Errol Flynn. Part 2 and an extensive image gallery are available now for Patreon supporters. To support: www.patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

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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

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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

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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

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With the newspapers depicting Henry Maple as determined to commit crimes as terrible as Ned Kelly's atrocities, and the police handing out high-powered military rifles to civilian vigilantes, the stage was set for a bloody showdown in the thick forest of Glen Nayook. To support the show: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

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100 years ago today a 15-year-old bushranger dubbed ‘Young Ned Kelly’ made his last stand against an army of heavily armed police and vigilantes. In this two-part episode, we delve into Henry Maple’s short life and reckless crimes — and ask whether he was the victim not only of sensationalist reporting but of a Victorian government cover-up. To support the show: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

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Kathleen Butler's smarts and skills saw her play a huge if 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". www.patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

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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

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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

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