Forgotten Australia
Forgotten Australia is a true crime and history podcast that digs into bloody crimes, unsolved mysteries, eccentric celebrities, dark events, and bizarre happenings from Australia's past. It features never-before-told stories, author interviews, weekly flashbacks, and a trivia quiz. The show is created and hosted by Michael Adams, author of acclaimed true crime books and a regular commentator on ABC Nightlife and Australian True Crime. Listeners can support the podcast for ad-free early episodes and bonus content.
Episodes
Australian Frankenstein – Part Two: The Infernal Machine
Having successfully toured Australian cities with Frankenstein, Professor Hornburg invents a new machine man that uses a new energy source. But he and his creation – called Adam Iron, first man of iron – will have to share the limelight with a snake charmer and his nest of vipers. Two showmen scientists. Deadly serpents and an infernal machine. What could possibly go wrong?Support Forgotten Austra
Australian Frankenstein – Part One: The Steam Man
Just as the Iron Outlaw Ned Kelly is going to the gallows, Australians are astonished by a walking automaton called ‘Frankenstein - The Steam Man’. Professor Hornburg’s invention is intriguing, ingenious and imaginative. But is it really ‘the greatest piece of mechanism in the universe’? How much is science and how much is showmanship? To put it bluntly: Is Hornburg a Humbug?Step right this way an
Mysteries of the Sea – Part Three: Beyond Human Knowledge
In March 1912, Australia was stunned to learn that Koombana was missing in nearly identical circumstances to Yongala. In this final episode, we look at how good and bad luck again decided who lived and who died, how the Koombana story crossed over with the loss of Titanic, and how the Adelaide Steamship Company put greed over need. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mysteries of the Sea – Part Two: Dead Unlucky
Alongside Yongala, the Adelaide Steamship Company prided itself on its luxury vessel Koombana, designed especially to work the Western Australian coast. But this was a seemingly cursed vessel, where anything that could go wrong did, from disappearing and dead passengers, to collisions, fires and a broken loaf of bread that not only triggered a national crisis but sent a handful of men to their fat
Mysteries of the Sea – Part One: More Haste, Less Speed
In March 1911, with the loss of the ship Waratah still fresh in memory, a big passenger liner went missing in a cyclone off northern Queensland. As a massive search began, Australia tried to believe that ‘no news is good news’. Incredibly, a year later almost to the day, the same scenario played out again – involving a ship from the same company, in the same conditions, in the same latitude. In th
Short – The Mystery of the Waratah
I’m re-releasing this short as background for the new miniseries, Mysteries of the Sea.In July 1909, the world wondered what had become of the SS Waratah, last seen off coast of South Africa with more than 200 souls aboard. This grim mystery was even more sensational for featuring a double murderer, a passenger plagued by prophetic visions and a veteran sea captain with a charmed reputation. But o
Short – Good Evening and Welcome to Television: The Real Story Behind An AI Slop Promo
This week marks the 70th anniversary of regular television broadcasting in Australia. Channel Nine recently 'recreated' the 'Good Evening and Welcome to Television' moment in a fakes-over-facts promo generated by artificial intelligence. In this short, we look at the strange evolution of Australian TV, which started in colonial times. It’s a rich history, and one that deserves better than cheap sl
Talking History – Blackbirding: A Reckoning With the Australian Slave Trade
Blackbirding – A Reckoning with the Australian Slave Trade. We talk about the practices and policies that led to a staggering death toll – and how we don’t remember because our forgetting was engineered by language and laws meant to obscure and hide the true horrors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Australia’s Slave Ship Massacre – Part Three: Confessions of Mass Murderers
Dr James Patrick Murray kidnaps and kills more people, and goes mad and is nearly murdered himself, before returning to Australia to be acclaimed as a saviour during a smallpox outbreak. But the hero becomes villain overnight when the truth of the massacre is revealed. Yet the doctor – dubbed ‘the worst demon of them all’ – still has diabolical tricks to play. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac
Australia’s Slave Ship Massacre – Part Two: Shoot Them All
Dr James Patrick Murray takes the brig Carl to the sunny South Seas and into a heart of darkness beyond the imagination of even Joseph Conrad. In this nightmare of his creation, shooting dozens of defenceless men is only the start of the atrocities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Australia’s Slave Ship Massacre – Part One: Doctor Evil
Dr James Patrick Murray ranks as one of the most evil characters in Australian history.In September 1871, he ordered the massacre of 70 men that his slavers had kidnapped from Bougainville and imprisoned aboard their ship.In Part One, we look at Dr Murray’s background – and how he became widely hated across Australia long before he became a mass murderer.Originally released in 2021. Re-released to
The Last Gasp: Stubbing Out Ciggie Commercials – Part Two
From 1972, Paul Hogan was the Australian tobacco industry’s most formidable marketing weapon, the Winfield warrior in a new era of mandatory health warnings. When a total ban on ciggie commercials loomed, the manufacturers were to pivot and spend even more money with media companies and sporting bodies to ensure they stayed in play after that fateful day. Much later, Aussie A-list ciggie frontmen
The Last Gasp: Stubbing Out Ciggie Commercials – Part One
Fifty years ago this week – 1 September 1976 – tobacco commercials were banned on Australian television. So, it was goodbye to Paul Hogan, Stuart Wagstaff, Norman Gunston and other celebs selling ciggies and smoking to adults and kids alike via the idiot box. In this episode, we sift the dirty ashtray of recent history for a look at the powerful profiteers who put the A-list on the payroll, chroni
Short - Our Forgotten Crime Fiction Mastermind
Aussie writer Charles Shaw came from the school of hard knocks to create a true-blue noir antihero in a series of novels that were internationally popular and compared with the work of hardboiled master Mickey Spillane. He also wrote another bestseller that was adapted into a Hollywood classic in the 1950s. You may even have seen it!Support Forgotten Australia for a few bucks per month for ad
Short – Bravery & Barbarism: The Wave Hill Walk-Off
Sixty years ago this week, Gurindji elder Vincent Lingiari led 200 Aboriginal stockmen and their families in the Wave Hill Walk-Off. They were protesting pitiful pay and conditions and demanding the return of traditional lands. The Walk-Off was the start of a brave eight-year struggle. In this episode, we also look at the brutality of the killing times at Wave Hill.Support Forgotten Australia for
The Small Town ‘Teacher’s Pet’ Murder
Nearly 100 years ago, the village of Wolumla on the far south coast of NSW was shocked by its first murder. The motive for this crime was so scandalous that a wall of silence protected suspects and other victims from police and public exposure.Available for the first time on general release, this episode was made for supporters in 2021. For access to more than a dozen ad-free exclusive bonus episo
Aussie History Trivia Quiz #4 – Cops, Crims, Kooks, Censors & Singers
How well do you know your murderers, mobsters, armed robbers and bent coppers? How good is your memory for Aussie rock hits of the 1970s and 1980s? Test yourself with this all-new trivia quiz. 30 questions across three rounds.How high can you score?Use a free trial for access to supporter benefits:Patreon: patreon.com/forgottenaustraliaApple: apple.co/forgottenaustraliaEmail: forgottenaustral
Dead Men Don’t Fill Out Census Forms – Part Two: A Forgotten Serial Killer?
Digging into the murderer’s past and future is to find two more cold-blooded killings.Forgotten Australia is created and hosted by Michael Adams, author of the acclaimed true crime books The Murder Squad, Hanging Ned Kelly and They'll Never Hold Me. He’s also a regular guest on ABC Nightlife, ABC Overnight and Australian True Crime.Support Forgotten Australia for a few bucks per month for ad-free
Dead Men Don’t Fill Out Census Forms – Part One: Murder at Scrubby Creek
A shocking early result of our first national census was... murder!In 1911, a Cloncurry census collector's investigations into an unreturned form turned up a dead man, burned to bones in the vastness of the Never Never.But this cold-blooded crime was very likely not the killer's first murder – nor his last.Get a supporter free trial here:Patreon: patreon.com/forgottenaustraliaApple: apple.co/forgo
Talking History – Abe Saffron: Mr Sin as Man and Myth
Did Abe Saffron kill Juanita Nielsen? Order the Luna Park fire? Or was so-called Mr Sin exerting a more subtle yet no less more sinister force on Australian society? Author Stuart Coupe joins us to talk about separating fact from fiction in his new book Saffron Incorporated: The First King Of The Cross And Fifty Years Of Sex, Murder, Music And Mayhem.Support Forgotten Australia for a few bucks per
True Crime Classic Miniseries: Bloody Murder in the Blue Mountains – Part Three
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 for a few bucks per month for ad-free early and exclusive bonus episodes and the chance to win prizes.Patreon: patreon.com/forgottenaustraliaApple: apple.co/forgottenaustraliaEmail: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.
True Crime Classic Miniseries: Bloody Murder in the Blue Mountains – Part Two
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?Parts 3 will be on general release soon. You can hear it now early and ad-free by supporting the podcast:Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustraliaPatreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia Hosted on Acast
True Crime Classic Miniseries: Bloody Murder in the Blue Mountains – Part One
A Katoomba hotel. A locked room. Screams in the night and a body in the morning. The mystery of what happened in Australia’s favourite resort town 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/forgottenau
The Bunbury Bombing
Fifty years ago this month – 19 July 1976 – Australia’s first act of environmental terrorism was directed at the Bunnings-owned wood chip export facility in Bunbury. Who were the bombers? What had they hoped to achieve? What was the fallout for the growing green movement?Support Forgotten Australia for a few bucks per month for ad-free early and exclusive bonus episodes and the chance to win prize
Talking History – White Death: The American Legend Behind Australia’s Best-Worst Movie
In 1936, western author Zane Grey came Down Under to catch giant sharks and film his adventures. The result was White Death, a so-bad-it’s-good monster movie. Vicki Hastrich, author of The Last Days of Zane Grey, joins us to talk about his time on our shores and seas, how we reacted to and were changed by this American celebrity, and how she reckoned with disturbing revelations about him in her bo
True Crime Classic – Sydney’s Wildest Woman
While 1950s eccentrics Bea Miles and Rosaleen Norton are well remembered, Luba Shishova was twice as wild yet she's all but forgotten. Dubbed ‘Olga from the Volga’ and 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 –
A Murder of Note – Part Four: Cursed From Birth
Having bent justice to their will successfully once, Kenneth Brown and his supporters tried a new defence tactic: arguing that he’d been cursed from birth as a hereditary homicidal maniac.If you’re in danger from domestic violence, call Triple 0.National Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Counselling Service
Tel: 1 800 737 732
https://1800respect.org.au Lifeline
Tel: 131 114
https://www.life
A Murder of Note – Part Three: The Villain as Victim
With Mary Ann Brown dead, and no doubt that Kenneth killed her, his April 1876 murder trial appeared to be an open-and-shut case. But he had the best defence that money could buy – and a colonial elite closing ranks to protect one of their own.If you’re in danger from domestic violence, call Triple 0.National Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Counselling Service
Tel: 1 800 737 732
https://1
A Murder of Note – Part Two: Shotgun Marriage
In part one, we heard about Kenneth Brown. In this episode, we look at Mary Ann Tindall and how she became his wife and victim.If you’re in danger from domestic violence, call Triple 0.National Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Counselling ServiceTel: 1 800 737 732https://1800respect.org.au LifelineTel: 131 114https://www.lifeline.org.au/Support Forgotten Australia for a few buck
New Miniseries: A Murder of Note – Part One: A Man of the Killing Times
We all know Edith Cowan – first woman elected to an Australian parliament – graces out $50 note. But did you know she was shaped by a traumatic childhood?In 1876, her father, the prominent colonial settler and explorer Kenneth Brown, shot her stepmother dead. This was a crime that shocked Western Australia – and one whose elements are all too common 150 years later.In Part One of this ne
Australia's Forgotten Serial Maniacs
In 1837, three cold-blooded killers committed a series of bloody outrages that left nine people dead. Two of these murderers were to face their own gruesome fates. But, in an ironic twist, the third would be legally untouchable despite all the victims he'd shot and axed.Support Forgotten Australia for ad-free early episodes, exclusive bonus episodes and the chance to win prizes in the special edit
Talking History - Australia’s Real-Life Jack Sparrow
Ahoy, me hearties! William Swallow became the pirate captain of the convict ship Cyprus after he seized the vessel in Tasmania in 1829. From there, it was a case of ‘Bring me that horizon!’, with Swallow and his crew of motley misfits setting sail for freedom on the far side of the world. Author Ally Burnham joins us to explain how she researched this swashbuckling true story for Swallow, the
True Crime Classic – The Botanic Gardens Massacre
A True Crime Classic from the Forgotten Australia archives: Just over 100 years ago, Australia suffered one of the world's first random mass shootings when a man went berserk with a rifle in Melbourne’s 1924 Botanic Gardens Massacre. The public was panicked for as long as he evaded the massive manhunt. Then came the copycat shooter... This episode was first released in Season One, way back in
Australia’s First Sporting All-Nighters
This week, when we stay up (or get up) to cheer the Socceroos, we’ll be doing what Aussies first did one winter nearly a century ago. In 1930, the Ashes test cricket series was broadcast live from England via the new marvel of the age – radio! Night after night, Australians defied sleep to hear sporting history being made, with record-smashing new champion Don Bradman leading the charge. In this e
Aussie History Pod Trivia Quiz #3 – Sexy Sinema, Ghostly Figures and a PM Minus His Pants
Who named Australia? Which former Prime Minister lost his pants in public?Which celebrity came chasing ghosts Down Under?What were the weirdest names suggested for Melbourne before Melbourne became Melbourne?Welcome to the pub trivia night that plays out in your podcast playerHow well do you know our weird and wonderful history?30 Questions over 3 Rounds. What will you score out of 30?**Original u
Aussie History Pod Trivia Quiz #2 – Failing film stars! Flailing Frenchmen! Falling space junk!
Failing film stars! Flailing Frenchmen! Falling space junk! They’re all here, the true and the false, the serious and the deeply stupid.Three rounds. 30 questions. Like pub trivia! Just minus the overcooked rigatoni and the annoying team at the next table who are definitely cheating.Play by yourself, against mates or – for an almost-guaranteed victory – against your dimmest pet.Not happy writ
Aussie History Trivia Quiz #1 – Serial killers! Chocolate animals! Robot chaos!
Serial killers! Chocolate animals! Robot chaos! They’re all part of the first-ever Aussie History Pod Trivia Quiz. Three rounds. 30 questions. Just like pub trivia! So, how well do you know your Aussie history?Play along by yourself or play against mates!There’s a free downloadable answer sheet at: www.forgottenaustralia.com PLUS: supporters automatically hear the Bonus Expert
Shoot to Kill – How an Aussie Won the Worst 'Olympic' Event Ever Held
Donald Mackintosh was the world’s best shooter and in 1900 in Paris he won what is still the most shocking sporting event ever associated with the Olympic Games. Did he really win gold? Why is that the least controversial thing about his claim to fame? Plus: the first Aussie History Pod Trivia Quiz episode is coming this Thursday test how much you know about the way were were! Everyone can play al
A Cannibal Convict & Other Grave Tales
This week in 1826 was a bad time to be a cannibal bushranger. Plus: Bold Ben Hall bites the dust; the first Brit buried Down Under; and the making of a murderer in On Our Selection.See Forgotten Australia live!"Crashes, Chases and Crooks in Melton History" – as part of the Melton Heritage Festival.More info and free tickets:https://libraryevents.melton.vic.gov.au/event?id=209608Forgotten Australia
Aussie Insults: Where Did 'Boofhead' Come From?
Who was Boofhead and where did he come from? We say happy 85th birthday to an iconic yet idiotic Aussie bloke who appeared in our midst when we needed him most. Plus: a brief history of the $1 coin and a salute to the astute astronomer who wound up on our $100 note.Forgotten Australia supporters get early ad-free access to all episodes, along with bonus shows and a podcast shout-out.To access a fr
Talking History – The Wildest Showman
Author and music journalist Jeff Apter joins us to discuss his recent book, Lee Gordon Presents: How One Man Changed Australian Life Forever, the first biography of the wild man who not only brought rock ’n’ roll Down Under, but who pioneered so much else, from jazz festivals and strip shows to female roller derby and drive-in burger joints.Apple and Patreon supporters get exclusive access to the
Blue Murder On The Golden Mile — Part Five
In this final instalment, the jury delivers its verdict in the marathon trial of Phillip Treffene and William Coulter for the murders of Detective-Inspector John Walsh and Detective-Sergeant Alexander Pitman. But their decision isn't the end of the story — with twists even brilliant barrister Arthur Haynes couldn't see coming.See Forgotten Australia live!"Crashes, Chases and Crooks in Melton Histo
Blue Murder On The Golden Mile — Part Four
On Monday 16 August 1926, a large crowd gathered outside Perth's Supreme Court, hoping to get access to what promised to be the most sensational criminal trial Western Australia had ever seen. Had Phillip Treffene and William Coulter murdered Detective-Inspector John Walsh and his partner Detective-Sergeant Alexander Pitman? What the court heard was an incredible new version of events that left ma
Blue Murder On The Golden Mile — Part Three
After police swoop on their suspects, Evan 'Teddy' Clarke, Phil Treffene and William Coulter are charged with the murder. But one of these men will turn against the others, with brilliant barrister Arthur Haynes using this betrayal as a chisel with which to chip away at the crown case. See Forgotten Australia live!"Crashes, Chases and Crooks in Melton History" – as part of the Melton Heritage
Blue Murder On The Golden Mile — Part Two
Re-released to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the crime that shocked a nation.On 12 May 1926, south of Kalgoorlie, at an abandoned mine known as Miller's Find, Detective-Sergeant Grenville Purdue makes a horrifying discovery. The biggest manhunt in Western Australia is now on for the murderers of Detective-Inspector John Walsh and Detective-Sergeant Alexander Pitman. See Forgotten Austr
Miniseries – Blue Murder on the Golden Mile – Part One
A special re-release to commemorate the 100th anniversary.On 28 April 1926, Detective-Inspector John Walsh and Detective-Sergeant Alexander Pitman disappeared while investigating gold thefts around Kalgoorlie. It was nearly two weeks before they were missed. When the alarm was raised, a massive search was started. Grave fears were held for these two popular veteran officers.See Forgotten Australia
Hidden History: The First Anzac Day Took Place Before Gallipoli Was Over!
While history tells us Anzac Day started on 25 April 1916, the first such event took place six months earlier in South Australia. The name 'Anzac Day' was coined for this colourful military parade and pageant, staged in Adelaide on 13 October 1915, which was usually reserved for the Eight Hours' Day public holiday. The first Anzac Day was to raise funds for wounded soldiers – and a forgotten Aussi
Talking History – The Aussie Legend Beloved By Diggers During WWI
In this interview episode, Dr Daniel Reynaud, author of The Man The Anzacs Revered, tells us about the colourful and incredibly brave AIF chaplain William McKenzie, who was a Salvation Army officer on the frontlines with the Diggers at Gallipoli and then on the Western Front. In his time, ‘Fighting Mac’ was beloved around Australia and the inspiration for many tall tales. But his truth is even mor
The First Aussie Olympic Hero – Part Two
Having already won two events at Athens in 1896, young Aussie athlete Teddy Flack throws himself at a third victory by entering the Marathon – and he’ll reckon the result ensures the success of the first modern Olympic Games. Despite Teddy’s historic wins, noble defeats and curious claims, in his time he’ll be a marginal character in Australian reporting – a stark contrast with modern Olympic
The First Aussie Olympic Hero – Part One
Teddy Flack becoming our first Olympic champion is the prototypical tale of the Aussie have-a-go sporting hero. But in 1896, when Teddy was undertaking his Greek odyssey, and making history against the odds, there wasn’t a lot of interest in him, his achievements or the Olympic Games. In part one, we look at how Teddy’s twin interests – athletics and accountancy – meant he was the right man in the
Short – The Mystery of Mr Eternity
Arthur Stace is an Australian legend. But for decades the identity of ‘Mr Eternity’ was a Sydney mystery. Who was this man? Why was he writing this message over and over? How did one word chalked by an eccentric fellow of faith reach billions of people all over the world?Forgotten Australia live!"Crashes, Chases and Crooks in Melton History"More info and free tickets:https://libraryevents.melton.v
Short – Boots on the Ground
‘Boots on the ground’: it rolls off the tongue all too easily. But America – and Australia – learned that in Vietnam they didn’t have boots on the ground. They had them in a quagmire. The first Australian soldier killed in action was Kevin Conway, who in 1964 fought beside US Green Berets in a pivotal battle that provided a glimpse of the military debacle that was to last a decade, kill millions o
Miniseries Finale – Death-Defying Destiny Deciders – Part Ten: Nature & Nurture
I'm adopted and – while I come from colourful characters who roamed from Ireland and England to Western Australia, Lord Howe Island and Sydney, via South Africa and the Western Front – I didn't know *any* of this family history before tracking down my birth mother in 2018! How much are we the product of nature and how much of nurture? How much of our lives is choice and chance? My family reunion s
Death-Defying Destiny Deciders – Part Nine: Rumtough to the Rescue!
After tragedy strikes, Emma Murtough begins the colourful third act of her life – as "Mrs Rumtough", fearless travelling housekeeper of the Western Australian wheatbelt and goldfields! Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, on even more remote Lord Howe Island, as chance and choice would have it, Norah Murtough meets the man who’ll be my grandfather.See Forgotten Australia live!"Crashes, Cha
Death-Defying Destiny Deciders – Part Eight: The Land of Better Chance
Having made her unthinkable decision, my great-grandmother Emma Murtough takes her children for a new life in Australia. But getting to the Land of Better Chance is to require a scandalous sea voyage, while life in remote Western Australia will come with plenty of hardships – and they'll only get harder during the Great Depression. Despite these tough times, Norah proves she's the daughter of two
Death-Defying Destiny Deciders – Part Seven: All Disquiet After the Western Front
Beyond the propaganda about glory, duty and sacrifice, the aftermath of the Great War ushers in a grave new world for my great-grandmother Emma Murtough and her three children. To escape and have a new life, she’ll have to make a shocking choice.*All episodes will be available early & ad-free to Patreon and Apple supporters*It’s easy to get a free trial that will give you access. Follow these
Death-Defying Destiny Deciders – Part Six: Somewhere in France
My great-grandfather Peter Murtough arrives on the Western Front in August 1915. He is soon plunged into some of the most horrific battles of the Great War. Casualty rates soar in his battalion. Some months, more men are killed or wounded than come through unscathed. With bullets flying, shells falling and deadly poison gas drifting across the battlefield, how long will it be until Peter's luck ru
Death-Defying Destiny Deciders – Part Five: It’s A Long Way to Tipperary
Celebrated high diver Peter Murtough takes the plunge when he marries Emma Hanbury – my colourful great-grandmother. But being a husband and father to three young children doesn't stop him from taking the greatest risk of his life – enlisting at age 40 to fight in the Great War. As Emma cheers him on with her special version of 'It's A Long Way To Tipperary', she can't know that the horrors of the
Death-Defying Destiny Deciders – Part Four: Nightmare in South Africa
After the patriotic fervour that sends Peter Murtough to South Africa, he and hundreds of thousands of soldiers discover the reality of the Boer War is hunger, thirst, filth and sudden bursts of deadly violence. But the most dangerous enemy? Typhoid. Fortunately, a vaccine has been developed – but most soldiers won't take it.*All episodes will be available early & ad-free to Patreon and Apple
Death-Defying Destiny Deciders – Part Three: Diving & Dicing With Death
In July 1898, my great-grandfather Peter Murtough competes for the title of best diver in the world. But seeking more than the thrills of the life aquatic, he ratchets up the risks to himself – and future me – by enlisting to fight the Boer in South Africa.*All episodes will be available early & ad-free to Patreon and Apple supporters*It’s easy to get a free trial that will give you acces
Death-Defying Destiny Deciders – Part Two: From Waterloo to the Waters of Life
Having fought the French and beaten the odds, Bernard Murtough’s family goes on to prominence in peacetime, establishing themselves and their mineral water business in Portsea. While raised a child of privilege, restless youngster Peter Murtough strikes out for London, set on high adventure as a high diver.*All episodes will be available early & ad-free to Patreon and Apple supporters*It’s eas
New miniseries: Death-Defying Destiny Deciders – Part One: War, Peace & Plague
I recently discovered that my great-grandfather was a champion diver who was active in the very same London scene as the doomed stuntmen who featured in my recent miniseries Death-Defying Death Divers!With this as my, um, jumping off point, I’m taking a plunge into my family history, tracing the men and women of the Murtough family, from the Battle of Waterloo, the Boer War and the Western Front,
Short – Maestro! (feat. Goering + Hitchcock)
From a run-in with the future Nazi villain, to working with the master of movie suspense, Aussie musical genius Arthur Benjamin lived a big life, even if he’s these days overshadowed in our cultural history by the scandalous Percy Grainger and Eugene Goosens.It’s easy to get a free trial that will give you access to ad-free, early and bonus episodes. Hit either of these links:Patreon: patreon.com/
Short – Australia's First Typewriter
A century and a half ago, the age of the typewriter dawned in Australia.Who was the first to import these new American gizmos? Would they cause the extinction of handwriting? Would typewriters increase efficiency or simply empower people to churn out rubbish?How many parallels are there to the modern push for AI?To read Robert Messenger’s typewriter histories, check out:https://oztypewriter.b
Short – The Strange Story of the Australian Flag
This year marks the 125th anniversary of the Australian flag being raised for the first time – the winning design selected from a competition that attracted over 32,000 entries. Who sponsored the contest and why? How many winning designers were there?How did one chap so successfully claim sole credit over the next half century that two Australian prime ministers felt it necessary to officiall
This Week in 1966 – Part Three: Mr Stinky, a Rogue Cop and the Beaumont Children
Having just retired from the NSW police, infamously bent Sydney detective Ray Kelly injects himself into the Beaumont case in what is one of Australia’s most cynical newspaper stunts. At the same time, the disappearance of two teens in Victoria marks the sad start to another haunting murder mystery. Plus: Aussie dollars and cents finally drop, Gough Whitlam vs Arthur Calwell, and the Rolling Stone
This Week in 1966 – Part Two: H-Bomb Horror & All the Way With LBJ
In Spain, a B-52 accident has left a nuke lost at sea – while on land a fallout cover-up is in full swing. In Australia, even as more Diggers than ever are dying on the battlefield, and our Americans allies are freezing us out of planning, new Prime Minister Harold Hold doubles down on our commitment to the war in Vietnam. Plus: the BBC bans an unsparing atomic war documentary because it’s too rea
This Week in 1966 – Part One: The Dawn of the Decimals
In the second week of February 1966, Australians are preparing for ‘Changeover Day’, when we’ll say 'G’bye' to pounds, shillings and pence and say 'G’day' to dollars and cents. But would we have been better off with a currency called the ‘Roo’, the ‘Dinkum’ or the… ‘Nostril’? Plus: Sir Robert Menzies retires in the dark, Harold Holt is immortalised in wax, and the Russians land on the moon.*Hear P
This Week in 1986 – Part Three: The Murders of Anita Cobby, Sallie-Anne Huckstepp and Megan Kalajzich
Australia is shocked by three Sydney murders – even as a spate of brutal attacks on sex workers goes ignored by the police and tabloid media. Plus: Lindy Chamberlain freed as the newspapers dodge accountability, and David Brett’s strange tale gets lost; DNA set to revolutionise crime fighting, while science explains how you don’t get AIDS; Paul Hogan's peak year gathers pace; and cult leaders
This Week in 1986: Part Two – A Billionaire Tyrant Terrorises His People
In the Philippines, authoritarian ‘strongman’ President Ferdinand Marcos – having once survived a sex tape scandal that should've sunk him, and having siphoned billions from the people he's impoverished, oppressed, tortured and murdered – unleashes his police and military goons to assassinate and terrorise the opposition during ‘free’ elections.Plus: Rupert Murdoch smashes the print unions; M
This Week in 1986 – Part One: The Strange Death That Freed Lindy Chamberlain
After an Englishman fell to his death at Uluru on Australia Day 1986, a search of the area would find the crucial evidence that proved Lindy Chamberlain was innocent of the murder of her baby daughter Azaria. But who was the tortured soul whose fate set her free?Also: the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster; Star Wars can't live up to the hype; President Reagan guns for Colonel Gadaffi; and Donald T
Spotlight – History Daily – The Rum Rebellion – 26 January 1808
Welcome to the first episode of Forgotten Australia Spotlight, which is to showcase the work of other history storytellers. First up, History Daily, with their episode about the Rum Rebellion, which took place on the 20th anniversary of what would later be called Australia Day. It’s easy to get a free trial that will give you access to ad-free, early and bonus episodes. Hit either of these li
Death-Defying Death Divers – Part Four
Having left his mark on Australia, Professor Charles Peart’s legend is to fade with the years, even as others step up to even greater heights for even more dangerous plunges – intentional and accidental.To support Forgotten Australia:www.patreon.com/forgottenaustraliawww.apple.co/forgottenaustraliaLifeline13 11 14 0477 13 11 14 https://www.lifeline.org.au/ Want more original Austral
Death-Defying Death Divers – Part Three
Arriving in Australia, Professor Charles Peart lives up the hype and wows crowds in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, before showing New Zealand audiences what he can do. But the daredevil has even wilder stunts planned for his return season in 1896.Hear the final instalment now early and ad-free by becoming a Forgotten Australia supporter.Patreon: patreon.com/forgottenaustraliaApple: appl
Death-Defying Death Divers – Part Two
After a diving tragedy shocks London, Professor Charles Peart rises to fame with his daring and dizzying head-first pool stunts. When Australian circus owners come looking for acts to take Down Under, they believe they’ve found a star performer.Hear Death-Defying Death Divers parts 3 and 4 now early and ad-free as a Forgotten Australia supporter. You can use a free trial that's easy to cancel. If
New Season Miniseries: Death-Defying Death Divers – Part One
Welcome to Season 10! There are a lot of wild stranger-than-fiction episodes and miniseries coming your way in 2026. To start the New Year, let's splashback 130 years...In 1895, Australians were astounded by Charles Peart, whose claim to fame was diving head-first from 100 feet into water just six feet deep. How did he do it? How long could he do it?In this four-part miniseries, we plunge into the
The Marvellous Mary Stoddard
In 1881, plucky Mary Stoddard won the Great Australian Christmas Card Competition and launched her long and brilliant career in the Sydney art scene. While colonial gentlemen usually didn’t take ‘lady artists’ terribly seriously, Mary’s mastery of the pen and brush, particularly when doing portraits of powerful men, commanded respect, praise and plenty more prizes. She was a true pioneer.To h
The Garden Palace Mystery Revisited
Hope you all had a great Christmas. New episodes will be out next week. In the meantime...Australia's first Christmas cards were displayed at The Garden Place. In this episode, originally released in 2023, we look at the raising – and blazing – of colonial Sydney's most spectacular building. Nearly 150 years after its conception, questions linger about its destruction.It’s easy to get a free trial
Australia’s Great Christmas Card Competition
In 1881, after years of a Christmas card market dominated by wintry imports, the John Sands company launched a competition for Australian-themed designs, with the best and most popular artworks to be reproduced for sale to the public. Who would win? What did this contest and ongoing card mania mean for Australian cultural identity, women's employment, art and culture, education and industry – and
When Santa Broke Into Pentridge
A new Christmas episode is on the way. In the meantime, let’s revisit the cheekiest Santa Claus in Australian true crime history: Dusty Sheehan – the young Melbourne larrikin, hapless crook and serial prison escape artist – who made news everywhere in 1951 when he broke into Pentridge to bring joy to jailbirds.It’s easy to get a free trial that will give you access to ad-free, early and bonus epis
