Forgotten Australia
237 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★★ - 88 ratingsCreated by Michael Adams, author of The Murder Squad and Hanging Ned Kelly, Forgotten Australia delves deep into bloody crimes, dark histories, unsolved mysteries, eccentric personalities and bizarre happenings that are almost always stranger than fiction. Each episode brings to life people and events that were once known to everyone but are now barely remembered by anyone. Based on intensive original research, Forgotten Australia is crafted with a novelist’s eye for character and detail to create gripping narratives that sound so fresh it's like they're ripped from today's headlines. This is the history you wish you’d been taught in school.
You can get early ad-free access and bonus Forgotten Australia episodes by subscribing at Apple or supporting at Patreon.
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Episodes
The Nature of the Scorpion – Part One
April 21, 2024 19:00 - 36 minutes - 66.6 MBForgotten 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.
Nightmare on the Night Train – Part Three
April 17, 2024 19:00 - 31 minutes - 57.9 MBTrapped 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 http...
Nightmare on the Night Train – Part Two
April 14, 2024 18:01 - 39 minutes - 72.1 MBHow 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 i...
Nightmare on the Night Train – Part One
April 11, 2024 08:59 - 35 minutes - 64.4 MBIt'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...
Your Stories: ‘My Great-Great Grandfather was a Serial Killer!’
March 28, 2024 00:04 - 51 minutes - 94.8 MBIn 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.pa...
The Human Glove Mystery – Part Two
March 17, 2024 22:10 - 51 minutes - 93.8 MBWith ‘The Human Glove’ murder trial just about over, gunshot rings out in Wagga Wagga and another person falls dead. This victim? A witness. Support Forgotten Australia: Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia To send me a question for the David Hunt Book Club episode: [email protected] or https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia Check out my books: The Murder Squad https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murde...
The Human Glove Mystery – Part One
March 10, 2024 13:51 - 1 hour - 124 MBOn 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/...
Murder in the Treasury Gardens – Part Four: The Gallows of Gay Hate
March 03, 2024 13:05 - 47 minutes - 86.4 MBWith the survivor of the tragedy tried for murder, the only hope is an insanity defence and mercy from Melbourne’s most powerful men. To get in touch with Ancestry about your military family members: [email protected] Support Forgotten Australia: Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia Check out my books: The Murder Squad https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.html Hanging Ne...
Murder in the Treasury Gardens – Part Three: Posing With Pistols
February 25, 2024 22:11 - 47 minutes - 86.1 MBAfter having their photos taken holding hands and pointing pistols at each other, Ned and Charlie head for the Treasury Gardens. Only one will emerge alive – to face a fate worse than death as their private lives are exposed in the courts and in the press. Support Forgotten Australia: Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia To get in touch with Ancestry about your military family members: [email protected] Check out my...
Murder in the Treasury Gardens – Part Two: Romeo & Romeo
February 18, 2024 19:00 - 39 minutes - 73.1 MBIn 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: ance...
Murder in the Treasury Gardens – Part One: We Die Together
February 12, 2024 11:51 - 46 minutes - 85.4 MBIn 1872, Australia was shocked by a shooting in Melbourne’s Treasury Gardens. One man lay dead, the other lay nearby smoking a cigar. What had led these best friends to point their guns at each other? Using original archival records, we explore the circumstances of one of our history’s most tragic crimes, committed during a time of hateful homophobia. To get in touch with Ancestry about your family's military history: [email protected] Support Forgotten Australia: Apple - htt...
The City Bank Axe Murders – Part Two
January 28, 2024 15:00 - 43 minutes - 79.2 MBWith the survivors of the bank massacre identifying the axe-wielding maniac, a frantic search is undertaken in western NSW. But if he’s caught, will he escape justice with a plea of insanity? Support Forgotten Australia: Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia To send me a question for the David Hunt Book Club episode: [email protected] or https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia Check out my books: The M...
The City Bank Axe Murders – Part One
January 24, 2024 15:00 - 38 minutes - 70.1 MBIn 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-t...
The Battle For Rothbury – Part Two
January 17, 2024 14:20 - 58 minutes - 107 MBAfter 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 For...
The Battle For Rothbury – Part One
January 15, 2024 05:16 - 39 minutes - 72.4 MBOn 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...
Australia’s First Serial Killer Manhunt – Part Three
January 07, 2024 15:25 - 1 hour - 114 MBIn 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 came...
Australia’s First Serial Killer Manhunt – Part Two
December 31, 2023 04:10 - 51 minutes - 94.7 MBWith 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 Australi...
Australia’s First Serial Killer Manhunt – Part One
December 30, 2023 21:08 - 51 minutes - 93.9 MBIn 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 Australi...
Free Beer For All!
December 28, 2023 12:38 - 45 minutes - 83.3 MBNearly a century before cocaine bundles started washing up on the Sydney coast, the city’s citizens clamoured to recover a different sort of illicit bounty from the sea: kegs of beer that’d floated free of Malabar, the happiest shipwreck disaster in Australian history. Support Forgotten Australia: Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia To send me a question for the David Hunt Book Club episode: [email protected] ...
When Santa Broke Into Pentridge
December 20, 2023 22:15 - 32 minutes - 60 MBIt was the criminal Christmas miracle to warm the hardest heart. During the festive season in 1951, Pentridge prisoners got a surprise visit from Santa, aka the cheeky crook Harold 'Dusty' Sheehan, who could get out of — and into — prisons as easily as Old St Nick down a chimney. This ‘regifted’ episode was originally released in 2021. Another new episode will be out next week. Merry Christmas! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Birth of the Bodgies
December 18, 2023 00:31 - 39 minutes - 71.5 MBIn 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/forgo...
How The Bikini Conquered Bondi Beach
December 10, 2023 14:00 - 52 minutes - 95.3 MBOnce 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 ...
In the Execution of Their Duty
November 29, 2023 13:21 - 39 minutes - 73 MBOn the 3rd of January 1931, Sydney suffered one of the worst days in Australian police history — the result of a trauma that had festered since a "White Feather" taunt from the Great War. *This episode was originally released in 2019 and has been archived since May 2022* Support Forgotten Australia: Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Murder at Devils River - Part Three: Australia’s First Femme Fatale
November 26, 2023 13:03 - 47 minutes - 87.8 MBTo colonial Australia, Betsy Scott had become a ‘female monster’ – all the more dangerous and diabolical for being alluring and attractive. But how much did this image influence her fate? Support Forgotten Australia: Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia To send a question to David Hunt for the Book Club episode: Email - [email protected] Audio - https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia Buy my books, Austr...
Murder at Devils River - Part Two: I’m Innocent But I’ll Know I’ll Hang
November 22, 2023 18:29 - 40 minutes - 74.4 MBWith 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/forgo...
Murder at Devils River - Part One: Bob Scott is Shot!
November 19, 2023 18:15 - 40 minutes - 74.7 MBOn 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 Fatal...
RAAF Hero Len Fuller - Part Three: Blood Moon and the Setting of the Sun
November 05, 2023 21:02 - 1 hour - 116 MBLen’s arrival to RAF Bomber Command makes for morale-boosting news. But more than half the men who serve as air crew will not live to see the end of the war. Len’s luck will need to hold if he’s to return to Australia and marry Thelma. For a free trial: Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia To send a question to David Hunt for the Book Club episode: Email - [email protected] Audio - https://www.speakpipe.com/fo...
RAAF Hero Len Fuller - Part Two: The Mid-Air Miracle
October 29, 2023 13:10 - 1 hour - 117 MBFaced 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/forgottenaus...
RAAF Hero Len Fuller - Part One: Born to Fly and Fight
October 21, 2023 01:17 - 1 hour - 120 MBIn 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 L...
Your Stories: ‘I Was Hunter S. Thompson’s “Fear and Loathing in Australia” Tour Manager’
October 06, 2023 02:51 - 1 hour - 114 MBIn 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 ...
Our First Cop Killer, the Luckiest Man Unhung and the Birth of Australia True Crime Reporting - Part Two
September 21, 2023 04:33 - 30 minutes - 56.2 MBIn 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/978192280640...
Our First Cop Killer, the Luckiest Man Unhung and the Birth of Australian True Crime Reporting - Part One
September 14, 2023 15:54 - 41 minutes - 75.2 MBIn 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...
Bolts From The Blue
August 31, 2023 15:25 - 51 minutes - 94.5 MBIn 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...
The Garden Palace Fire Mystery
August 17, 2023 13:26 - 1 hour - 121 MBRaised 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 Forgot...
The Birdman of Adelaide Gaol – Part Three: Not Dead But Gone
August 03, 2023 07:27 - 52 minutes - 96.9 MBThe 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 Kell...
The Birdman of Adelaide Gaol – Part Two: Dark Threats & Darker Secrets
July 31, 2023 01:57 - 56 minutes - 103 MBAt 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...
The Birdman of Adelaide Gaol – Part One: Murder on the High Seas
July 27, 2023 13:11 - 49 minutes - 90.9 MBIn 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/...
Your Stories: ‘I Found Australia’s Lost Rock ’n’ Roll Concert Film’
July 13, 2023 12:59 - 51 minutes - 94.7 MBIn 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: htt...
Book Preview – The Murder Squad
July 03, 2023 07:34 - 37 minutes - 68.4 MBExclusive 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:/...
Book Club: Peter Doyle – Suburban Noir
June 19, 2023 13:45 - 1 hour - 117 MBPeter 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 ...
History Matters: The Birth & Rebirth of The Sun News-Pictorial
June 08, 2023 15:13 - 39 minutes - 72.4 MBLaunched 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 ...
Your Stories: 'My Father, the Spitfire Pilot'
May 25, 2023 12:58 - 50 minutes - 91.7 MBSue 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...
Bloody Murder in the Blue Mountains – Part Three
May 10, 2023 22:54 - 46 minutes - 84.9 MBEven when the verdict is delivered in the Katoomba murder trial, the story is far from over – especially after the convicted man makes a startling allegation. Support Forgotten Australia: Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Bloody Murder in the Blue Mountains – Part Two
May 07, 2023 02:16 - 41 minutes - 76.7 MBIn 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 o...
Bloody Murder in the Blue Mountains – Part One
April 30, 2023 05:43 - 45 minutes - 82.8 MBA 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...
The Notorious Lady Munro – Part Three: A Most Remarkable Woman
April 19, 2023 14:05 - 53 minutes - 97.3 MBDid Lady Justice favour Lady Munro? Would she have the last laugh on her copper nemesis? Has anyone ever faced court more often in Australian history or done it with more style? All will be revealed... almost! Support Forgotten Australia: Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia To submit questions for the Peter Doyle Book Club episode: https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia or: [email protected] Hosted on...
The Notorious Lady Munro – Part Two: Drunk Around the Universe
April 16, 2023 14:02 - 50 minutes - 92.4 MBHaving come back from the grave once, Lady Munro faces another close call with death, becomes ever-more popular in colonial culture and goes toe-to-toe with one of Australia's most prominent gentlemen in a high-profile criminal court case. Support Forgotten Australia: Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia To submit questions for the Peter Doyle Book Club episode: https://www.speakpipe.com/forgottenaustralia or: forgottenaustrali...
The Notorious Lady Munro – Part One: The Woman in the Waterhole
April 10, 2023 11:57 - 1 hour - 123 MBThe 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, ...
Unholy War – The Salvation Army vs The Skeleton Army
March 27, 2023 11:36 - 1 hour - 124 MBWhile 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 th...
The Pashometer Craze – Measuring Aussie Sex Appeal In The 1930s
March 13, 2023 10:14 - 44 minutes - 82 MB“GIRLS ON PYLON SEX MACHINE”– it’s gotta be the weirdest newspaper headline of the 1930s. So what’s the strange story behind it? Join me for a plunge into the "Pashometer" craze that had Australians going bonkers to have a go on the machine that scientifically measured their all-important Sex Appeal! Change.org petition to fully fund Trove - https://www.change.org/p/fully-fund-trove Contact Tony Burke - https://www.tonyburke.com.au/contact Support Forgotten Australia: Apple - http://app...