Backyard Battlefields

South West Sentinels: Cape Naturaliste Radar Station and Lighthouse

March 28, 2024 03:56 - 14 minutes - 21.3 MB

Cape Naturaliste was named for a ship of the French Baudin Expedition of 1800. It's a prominent location, overlooking Geographe Bay on one side and the vastness of the Indian Ocean on the other. The high ground made it the perfect location for a lighthouse, guiding ships through the sometimes treacherous waters surrounding the Cape. During WW2 it was the operational position for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) 33rd Radar station, a link in the air defence chain protecting the South Wes...

The 'Diamond Dakota Mystery' and the Bombing of Broome

March 21, 2024 08:42 - 41 minutes - 58.1 MB

In March 1942 terrified refugees are fleeing the Dutch East Indies as Japanese forces march South. One of the last planes out, destined for Broome, Western Australia is a Dakota DC-3 piloted by Russian WW1 Ace Captain Ivan 'Turc' Smirnoff. Unbeknownst to those on board it's carrying a mysterious package filled with a fortune in Diamonds. Attacked by Japanese aircraft, the Dakota crashes on a remote beach and the diamonds disappear. This episode is an interview with Juliet Wills, author of 'T...

Coral Coast and Kormoran: Red Bluff, Western Australia

March 14, 2024 03:47 - 11 minutes - 18.2 MB

In 1941 sailors from a German merchant raider HSK Kormoran came ashore at Red Bluff, Western Australia following a battle with the Australian Cruiser HMAS Sydney. Before they reached the beach they disposed of any items which could complicate their capture. This episode recounts a unique 2007 discovery at Red Bluff and the key events of the engagement between Sydney and Kormoran.

Sun, Surf and Submarines: Garden Island, Western Australia

March 08, 2024 02:54 - 8 minutes - 13.4 MB

Garden Island is a thin limestone sliver, 5km off the coast of Western Australia. It was an idyllic holiday destination until it became an important part of the defence of Fremantle during World War 2, protecting the Cockburn Sound and Southern approaches to the port. It was also the training ground of the famous 'Z' Special Unit, who paddled their kayaks into Singapore harbour to attack Japanese shipping. Today it is home to HMAS Stirling and the Royal Australian Navy's Fleet Base West.

Pirate, Explorer, Travel Writer: The Life of William Dampier

February 29, 2024 01:22 - 10 minutes - 16.4 MB

William Dampier was a Pirate, Author and Explorer. He published numerous books including 'A New Voyage Around the World (1697) which was a unique blend of adventure and natural history which made him a popular sensation. He was the first English person to explore the coast of Western Australia in the ship HMS Roebuck which was the first Royal Navy expedition solely dedicated to science and exploration.

Murder on the Dancefloor: The Trial of Audrey Jacob

February 07, 2024 07:51 - 9 minutes - 14.6 MB

In 1925 during a charity ball at Perth's Government House, in front of hundreded of witnesses, Cyril Gidley was shot in the chest at point blank range and killed. The assailant was his 20 year old former fiance Audrey Jacob. It was one of the more dramatic trials which took place at Perth's Old Courthouse. What appeared to be an open and shut case became a legal and media sensation.

Law & Order in the Swan River Colony: The Perth Courthouse

February 02, 2024 03:34 - 7 minutes - 11.8 MB

The Old Perth Courthouse is the city's oldest surviving building. It was built in 1836 to assert the supremacy of British law in the Swan River Colony and soon became integral to legal and civic life. It was designed in a classical 19th century Greek revival style and is one of two remaining examples of the work of Colonial Engineer Henry Revelly. It was also the scene of the infamous 1925 'Murder on the Dancefloor' trial of Audrey Jacob.

Gunships at the Darwin Tip: The Sandline Affair 1997

January 19, 2024 07:11 - 9 minutes - 14.7 MB

In 2016 two Russian MI-24 attack helicopters were buried at the Darwin tip. The story of how they came to be there is a tale involving spies, diplomats, mutineers and mercenaries in a scandal that came to be known as 'The Sandline Affair'.

Built by Convicts: Perth Town Hall, 1870

January 13, 2024 03:31 - 5 minutes - 9.92 MB

Built in 1870 in a Victorian Gothic and French Second Empire Architectural style the Perth Town Hall was designed by Architect Richard Roach Jewell and James Manning. It is the only Town Hall in Australia built primarily by convict labour.

'Prize of War': The 'REMO', Fremantle 1940.

December 14, 2023 06:13 - 6 minutes - 11 MB

On the 10th of June 1940 Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini declared war on Great Britain and France. That day the Italian Motorship 'Remo' was in the Western Australian port of Fremantle. It was loaded with cargo and carrying 229 passengers. It was siezed by Australian authorities as a 'Prize of War' and drafted into service.

The Emu War

December 07, 2023 03:37 - 10 minutes - 15.8 MB

In 1932 the Australian Army was deployed with machine guns to 'fight' thousands of Emus (large flightless birds indigenous to Australia) destroying crops in the Western Australian wheatbelt town of Campion. The operation became known as 'The Emu War'.

Ecclesiastical Architecture: St Albans Church, Highgate.

November 17, 2023 06:00 - 5 minutes - 9.47 MB

St Albans Church in the Perth suburb of Highgate was named for the first British Christian Martyr, Saint Alban. Built in 1889 in a Romanesque style, it was an early design of soldier Architect Lt. General Joseph John Talbot Hobbs.

A Duel on the Swan River: Fremantle, 1832

November 09, 2023 05:25 - 10 minutes - 16.8 MB

On the 17th of August 1832 a duel was fought on the shores of the Swan River in the newly established colony of Western Australia. The combatants were two prominent citizens, 28 year old Solicitor William Naire Clark and former Naval officer and merchant George French Johnson.

Geographe Bay and the French Baudin Expedition 1800

October 19, 2023 08:41 - 7 minutes - 11.9 MB

The Baudin Expedition 1800 - 1803 was a French Scientific journey to chart the coast of 'New Holland' (Australia) It was approved by Napoleon Bonaparte as First Consul of France and began with two warships Le Geographe and Le Naturaliste. The expedition charted large parts of the Australian continent and 'discovered' more than 2000 animal and plant species unknown to European science.

Perth's 'Arc de Triomphe'?: The Barracks Arch, Western Australia

October 04, 2023 06:17 - 5 minutes - 9.05 MB

Perth's 'Barracks Arch' is all that remains of the 'Pensioner Barracks'. It was a Tudor style bulding designed by colonial architect Richard Roach Jewell in 1863. It is located at the Western end of St Georges Terrace, Perth and once housed the members and families of the 'Pensioner Guards'. These were ex-soldiers who served as guards on convict ships en-route to Australia and were given employment and land on arrival to continue in this militia role. The building was demolished in the 1960s...

Australia Under Attack: Shelling of Newcastle, 1942

October 04, 2023 06:08 - 7 minutes - 12.4 MB

In 1942 a Japanese submarine I-21, operating off the East coast of Australia shelled the port of Newcastle in New South Wales. This attack was in the context of the bombardment of Sydney's Eastern suburbs and the audacious midget submarine attack on Sydney Harbour.

Australian Army Chinooks: Fremantle

October 02, 2023 06:10 - 5 minutes - 8.64 MB

The Chinook (or 'Chook') is a twin-rotor heavy lift helicopter manufactured by Boeing and used by the Australian Army. A detatchment was deployed to Afghanistan in support of the Special Operations Task Group (SOTG)

Onslow Attack: Western Australia 1943

September 21, 2023 03:52 - 7 minutes - 11.5 MB

In September 1943, Japanese Navy Kawanashi 'Emily' Flying Boats operating out of Surabaya, Indonesia bombed the Western Australian town of Onslow, Western Australia.

The Pinjarra Mounted Volunteers (PMV)

September 14, 2023 06:54 - 8 minutes - 13.5 MB

The Pinjarra Mounted Volunteers were raised in 1862 by prominent citizen Captain Theodore Fawcett, formerly of the British 6th Dragoon Guards. It was the first mounted unit raised for policing and defence in the Western Australian Perth (Boorloo) area, known then as The Swan River Colony.

Lighthorse VC: Hugo Throssell

September 09, 2023 02:39 - 13 minutes - 20.1 MB

Born in the town of Northam, Western Australia, Hugo Throssell won the Victoria Cross (VC) at Gallipoli in 1915 and later became a Socialist and outspoken advocate on the futility of war.

NUCLEAR TEST: Monte Bello Islands, Western Australia

September 01, 2023 06:58 - 10 minutes - 15.7 MB

The Monte Bello Islands have a unique place in Western Australian history. They form an archipelago lying approximately 130KM off the Pilbara coast and in the 1950s they were the site of 3 British nuclear weapons tests called 'Operation Hurricane' and 'Mosaic.'

Built by Redcoats: Kojanup Barracks

June 23, 2021 13:10 - 6 minutes - 9.46 MB

Kojanup Barracks is an important piece of Western Australian history. Built by British Redcoats of the 51st Regiment it was a staging post on the road to the strategically important town of Albany. Kojanup is located 256km South East of Perth, Western Australia.

Fremantle Artillery Barracks: Cantonment Hill, Western Australia

June 23, 2021 12:28 - 11 minutes - 15.4 MB

The Fremantle Artillery Barracks was built to service the forts defending the Western Australian port of Fremantle. Sitting atop Cantonment Hill on the corner of Burt and Tuckfield Streets, it is now home to the Army Museum of Western Australia.

Ibuki: Anzac Convoy Escort

February 26, 2021 10:40 - 10 minutes - 13.9 MB

The IJN Ibuki was a Japanese battlecruiser which in 1914 escorted the Gallipoli bound Australian and New Zealand troops from Albany at the Southern tip of Western Australia to the Middle East.

Swan Barracks: Northbridge, Western Australia

February 16, 2021 08:25 - 11 minutes - 16.1 MB

Now a backpackers hostel, the Old Swan Barracks on Francis Street in Northbridge, former headquarters and home to Perths Central Drill Hall, was an important feature of the pre-Federation military forces in Western Australia.

Dilhorn House: An Introduction

February 09, 2021 05:29 - 8 minutes - 11.7 MB

Dilhorn is a Federation Queen Anne style house located in the Perth suburb of Highgate. It was designed by Soldier Architect Joseph John Talbot Hobbs in 1897.

Sydney Harbour Attacked - Postscript: Japanese Submariner funeral 1942

February 12, 2018 08:28 - 10 minutes - 14.4 MB

Following the audacious Japanese midget submarine raid on Sydney Harbour in 1942 the remains of 4 Japanese submariners were recovered. The officer commanding Sydney Harbour Rear Admiral Muirhead-Gould ordered that the men be cremated with full military honours. This was done both out of respect for their bravery and in the hope that the conditions of the many Australians held in Japanese Prisoner of War camps might be improved. Nevertheless it was an extraordinary gesture at a time of height...

Japanese Indian Ocean Raid 1944

October 18, 2017 06:48 - 8 minutes - 11.5 MB

In March 1944 a powerful Imperial Japanese Navy flotilla entered the Indian Ocean with the purpose (it is believed) of attacking the Western Australian port of Fremantle, then the largest submarine base in the Southern hemisphere. Artillery expert Phil Rowson gives a brief account of the details of the incursion.

Sydney Harbour Attacked: The Japanese Midget Submarine Raid

July 30, 2017 09:20 - 41 minutes - 57.5 MB

This episode is an interview with Peter Grose, author of 'A Very Rude Awakening' an excellent account of the May 1942 Japanese raid on Sydney Harbour.

BOMBING OF DARWIN 1942: Interview with author Peter Grose

March 08, 2017 12:43 - 47 minutes - 65.6 MB

On the 19th of February 1942 Japanese carrier and land based aircraft attacked the Australian port of Darwin. The 1st Air Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy was fresh from it's attack on the US Naval base at Pearl Harbour just 10 weeks prior and focused its attention on Darwin to prevent the allies using it as a base to interfere with the Japanese conquest of Timor and Java. This is an interview with Peter Grose, author of 'An Awkward Truth' an excellent account of the Darwin raid.

Melon Hill Observation Post: Swanbourne, Western Australia

June 01, 2016 09:01 - 7 minutes - 10.6 MB

Melon Hill is located at Allen Park in a beach side suburb of Western Australia. It was the site of an observation post which would have acted in support of nearby coastal defence batteries during the Second World War.

K-Heavy Battery: Point Peron, Western Australia

March 20, 2016 10:14 - 18 minutes - 25.1 MB

K-Heavy Battery was a 155mm gun position located at Point Peron, Western Australia. During WW2 it protected the Southern approach to the strategically important port of Fremantle during WW2. Featured is part of an interview with artillery expert Phil Rowson on the history of K-Battery.

U-Boat Attack: German Submarine Operations in Australian Waters

November 08, 2015 10:36 - 18 minutes - 25.9 MB

A long way from the deadly battles of the North Atlantic, the German Kriegsmarine sent a number of U-Boats to operate out of Japanese bases in British Malaya and the Dutch East Indies. Their role was stalk the strategic shipping lanes of the Indian Ocean and disrupt commerce in the coastal waters off Australia.

Victoria Barracks: Melbourne, Australia

June 10, 2015 12:28 - 8 minutes - 11.2 MB

Melbourne's Victoria Barracks was named after Queen Victoria and was built between 1856 and 1872. It was once the home of British redcoats before becoming the headquarters for Victorian and then Australian military forces. It is a beautiful building, which is framed by 4 guns captured during conflicts with the Britain's various enemies over the past 150 years. Located on St Kilda Road, it is has great historical and architectural significance and is one of the most striking 19th century gove...

Anzac Cottage: Mount Hawthorn, Western Australia

May 19, 2015 13:58 - 12 minutes - 17.5 MB

Anzac Cottage is a house on Kalgoolie Street in the Perth suburb of Mount Hawthorn. It was built in 1916, in a single day by local and enthusiastic volunteers and given as a gift to a wounded veteran of Gallipoli. It was intended to be a 'practical' war memorial and a tribute to all those that served in the first world war. It is a wonderful and unique contribution to the story of ANZAC and is an important part of Australia's military history.

Rotto Guns: Fremantle Coastal Defence Fortress, Rottnest Island, Western Australia

March 16, 2015 03:10 - 6 minutes - 9.52 MB

During WW2 the Western Australian island of Rottnest hosted a key link in the Fremantle Coastal Defence Fortress. It was there to protect Fremantle, a strategic port and submarine base from enemy attack.

Sirius Cannon: Sydney, Australia

December 29, 2014 07:30 - 7 minutes - 8.87 MB

How many thousands of people have walked past a lonely ships cannon in Macquarie Place and not known that it belonged to the flagship of the First Fleet? This podcast tells the story of HMS Sirius, it's connection to Australia's military history and how a Royal Navy cannon came to be sitting amongst the bars and cafes of Macquarie Place.

Backyard Battlefields

Episodes