Tales from Rat City

Miners, and the people of the goldfields of Victoria were often a superstitious lot. Deadly lantern flames, witches cursing cows, and gold hunting with tinder (no, not like that) are just some of the stories that can be found in the history of this region.

Research and script: Dr. David Waldron
Production : Shannon Nicholls
Voices supplied by; Bretagne Foy, Shannon Nicholls, Collin Van Uden, Katrina Hill

This episode of Tales from Rat City discusses the numerous sightings of ‘Unidentified Flying Objects’ over Victoria in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the increased sense of “airmindedness” as aviation technology took off!

Research and script: Dr. David Waldron
Production Assistant: Katrina Hill
Recording, Editing & Sound Direction: Shannon Nicholls
Interview snippets: Dr. Brett Holman
Voices supplied by; Timothy Corrigan, Sean Inkester, Katrina Hill, Collin Van Uden, Shannon Nicholls

This tour was originally released in 2021, as a series of episodes to be listened to while walking the Ballarat Avenue of Honour. The episodes can be found individually at https://honouringouranzacs.com.au/page/lucas_girls#AudioTour

This audio podcast series tells the stories of the men and women who served in ‘the war to end all wars’ and the lives of those on the home front who commemorated them with the planting of Ballarat’s unique Avenue of Honour and Arch of Victory.  A stretch of nearly 4000 trees with each representing a man or woman who served their country in the first world war; a powerful symbol for the people who planted them and remained back home.   

Each Audio tour focuses on an aspect of the lives of the men and women from Ballarat who served in the First World War, following the stories of individuals who are commemorated by trees in the Ballarat Avenue.  They also tell the story of the building of the imposing Ballarat Arch of Victory and the committed efforts by the employees of E. Lucas and Co, and others, who worked tirelessly to raise funds and plant this remarkable Avenue of Honour.

This podcast was created for the Ballarat Avenue of Honour. Funding for this project was received from the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (Veterans Branch) through the Victoria Remembers Minor Grant Program.  Generous support was also received from Federation University and the Ballarat Mechanics Institute. 
Thanks to Garry Snowden for his meticulous reviewing and fact checking of scripts and production.
Thanks especially to the Ballarat Arch of Victory/Avenue of Honour Committee and the Lucas Past Employees Association for their support.
Thanks also to the Lepp and Tongway families for access to family records, images and recordings pertaining to Ballarat’s Chinese ANZACs

Lead researcher and writer- David Waldron
Co-Investigator-s CeRDI and Dr Fred Cahir
Casting and Production Manager- Katrina Hill
Sound design- Shannon Nicholls
Intro music- Maggie Littlejohn

-Shannon John Nicholls
-David Waldron
-Katrina Hill
-Timothy Corrigan
-Rebecca O’Callaghan
-Benjamin Marshall
-Zerene Jaadwa
-Kaine Hanson
-Collin Van Uden
-Michael Taffe
-Garry Snowden

Last Post sound file sourced from; FREESOUND.ORG USER BENBONCAN https://freesound.org/people/Benboncan/sounds/62050/
LICENCED UNDER THE CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION LICENCE

Image file sourced via honouringouranzacs.com.au, at; https://res.cloudinary.com/dxsrldfkg/image/upload/v1527478129/HOA/static/1a.jpg

In collaboration with the Ballarat African Association, this episode of Tales from Rat City hopes to shed light on the oft-forgotten experiences of African immigrants during Victoria’s gold rush; especially that of John Josephs, the first man to be tried (and exonerated) for treason after the Eureka rebellion of 1854.

Research and script: Dr. David Waldron and Dr. Michael Akindeju
“Actor Wrangling”: Katrina Hill
Recording, Editing & Sound Direction: Shannon Nicholls

We would like to thank Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne, Germa Adan, Alison Solomon, and the English Folk Dance and Song Society for providing us with the music which accompanies this episode

Narrator: Bretagne Foy
John Josephs, African American from San Francisco paper: Grant Young
Olaudah Equiano: Chike-Obuekwe Ugo
Journalist: Collin Van Uden
Butter Cole Aspinall; Defence Attorney: David Waldron
Rafaello Carboni, William Stawell; Attorney General: Barry Kay
Patrick Lynott, John Lynch: Shannon Nicholls
Interview responses: Dr. Michael Akindeju, Dr Anne Beggs-Sunter

Many thanks to our listeners, and our Patrons!

State Prisoners from The Revolt at Eureka’ by R. Wenban. Schools Publishing House, 1959.

The final episode in our three part series on the dashing and doomed Captain Moonlight. Hear as Moonlight is hounded from charismatic reformer to reckless chaos and ruin. Our cast of talented actors bring the Siege of Wantabadgery to vivid, bloody life.

Research by David Waldron
Written by Thomas Hodgson
“Actor Wrangling” Katrina Hill
Recording, Editing & Sound Direction Shannon Nicholls
Title Music Maggie Littlejohn

Andrew Scott/Captain Moonlite: Emil Freund
James Nesbitt: Timothy Corrigan
Thomas Rogan, Witness, Warden: Shannon Nicholls
Thomas Williams, Lindon, Constable Rowe: Tim Harris
Graham Bennet, Chief Inspector Medley: Benjamin Marshall
Gus Wreneckie, David Weir, Constable #3: Beau Adrianius Alexander Shoenmaker
Robert Clark, Journalist: Collin Van Uden
Faulkner MacDonald: David Waldron
Baynes, Sgt Vissard: Kaine Hansen
Mrs Miles: Katrina Hill
Constable Headley, Foreman of Jury: Tim Ian McMullin
Sgt Carrol, Judge: Thomas Hodgson

Many thanks to our listeners, and our Patreons!

Arrival of the Wagga Police at Wantabadgery Station. [picture]. (1879). Melbourne: Alfred May and Alfred Martin Ebsworth. State Library of Victoria. Accessed 21/02/2021 at https://viewer.slv.vic.gov.au/?entity=IE526526

On the 19th of August, Tales from Rat City was invited to participate in the online event Folk-a-pa-lore-za, where folklore pod casters around the world came together to discuss their work, their research and their favourite piece of folklore.

The night took the form of a competition where each podcast was asked to present their favourite example of folklore and, once all stories were told, a discussion and vote for the favourite was held.

Part 1 includes an introduction, and all stories but the final one

Part 2 includes the final story, the discussion, debate, and finally voting for the favourite story.

If any of these stories catch your ear, please do check out the relevant podcast!

On the 19th of August, Tales from Rat City was invited to participate in the online event Folk-a-pa-lore-za, where folklore pod casters around the world came together to discuss their work, their research and their favourite piece of folklore.

The night took the form of a competition where each podcast was asked to present their favourite example of folklore and, once all stories were told, a discussion and vote for the favourite was held.

Part 1 includes an introduction, and all stories but the final one

Part 2 includes the final story, the discussion, debate, and finally voting for the favourite story.

If any of these stories catch your ear, please do check out the relevant podcast!

Tales from Rat City presents the second instalment in the story of notorious Australian bushranger; Captain Moonlight.
Join us, as our actors bring to life the tale of his escape from the Ballarat Gaol, his second trial for the Egerton bank robbery, and the beginning of his famous relationship with James Nesbitt.

Research by David Waldron
Script by Thomas Hodgson
“Actor Wrangling” by Katrina Hill
Editing/Sound Direction by Shannon Nicholls
Intro music by Maggie Littlejohn,
Voice Credits;
Emil Freund: Captain Moonlight
Timothy Corrigan: James Nesbitt/Various
Rohan Waldron: Young Boy
Collin Van Uden: News Reporter/Various
Kaine Hansen: Judge/Various
Beau Adrianius Alexander Schoenmaker: Detective Brown/Various
Shannon Nicholls: Detective Alexander/Various

Many thanks to our listeners, and our patrons!!

Images sourced from:
(James Nesbitt; Right-https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5ab0b03f21ea6c19181930f5?fbclid=IwAR0n3y6EmYmajoCk3DPvsiYiFPyRAhPwE3sjPajvZ9njiTyS8rbjgbjt9UY)
(Andrew Scott: Left-https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5ab0ae9b21ea6c191812ded3?fbclid=IwAR0W4HaU3ZwWmZlpAFCTIfQvgYy-auJ526Wm3mjc0Rws3mKob8ikGtfmF-8)
(Old Ballarat Gaol: https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5253966c2162ef15c0b99d1f?fbclid=IwAR1qKPCjdiyyj4XnEaaVW8Kr7cAAXJW8RyNVzVuFCLQqpCfB1vyjbzVIkJo)

Tales from Rat City presents a three-part dramatisation of the bizarre life of the notorious Australia bushranger Captain Moonlight. Hear our actors bring every twist of his weird story to life, and decide for youself what really happened on that stormy night in the rough mining town of Egerton.

Matilda Cutler escapes Ararat Asylum with a terrible story she is desperate to share. Can one woman change the system?

Join David and Tom as they explore the grim history of the Ararat Asylum.

N.B. this episode contains direct examples of abuse in care occurring across the last 100 years in Victoria. Listeners may find this material distressing. The language used in the period covered to describe people with disability is now highly offensive. Direct quotes retain the use of these terms because they are revealing of past attitudes and understandings of intellectual disability.