Today we tell three tales of people who made Australia just that little bit more colourful. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Summer series: Oddballs and eccentrics

From alleyway gangsters to cold war spies to eccentric entrepreneurs, Australian history is full of colourful but forgotten characters. Host Jen Kelly talks with experts, historians and yarn spinners to uncover the untold stories of some of our most interesting and offbeat ancestors. 

History

Society & Culture

WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT. When George Augustus Robinson was employed as the Chief Protector of Tasmania's Aboriginal people, he proclaimed he was there to 'do good' for the indigenous population. Instead, he took from the very people who had already had everything taken from them. Cassandra Pybus joins the show with more.
Note: This episode contains graphic descriptions relating to the deaths of indigenous people.
Learn more about Pybus's book, A Very Secret Trade: The dark story of gentlemen collectors in Tasmania, at https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/9781761066344 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A macabre act of betrayal

He was dubbed the most unpopular AIF commander of World War I, thanks to a series of bungles and mismanagement. But was James McCay mad, bad, or just another hapless officer caught in the slaughter of the trenches? Military historian Mat McLachlan joins the show to discuss.

More on Mat's work at: https://battlefields.com.au/
Like the show? Go to heraldsun.com.au/ibaw for more  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Butcher of Fromelles

Before TV, social media and the internet, Australians turned to magazines to help define their style.And for 43 years William Shum was one of the titans of print who showed modern Australians how to dress themselves - and the places they lived.Now his granddaughter, author Sue Walker, joins the show to recount his colourful life.

More about the book here. 
Like the show? Get features, backgrounders and more at heraldsun.com.au/ibaw See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The man who reinvented the Australian home

Len Fuller was just a trainee pilot when his RAAF aircraft collided mid-flight with another plane. But instead of a fiery tragedy, what happened next was front page news. Author and podcaster Michael Adams joins a special  Anzac Day edition to tell the tale. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Summer series: Oddballs and eccentrics

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