The Australian outback is vast, isolated, and unforgiving. A place where distance, heat, and terrain can quickly turn ordinary travel into a life-threatening situation.

In this episode of Territory Famous, we examine two separate disappearances connected by the same remote stretch of the Northern Territory: the Stuart Highway.

In 2020, Claire Hockridge became stranded in extreme desert conditions south of Alice Springs. What initially appeared to be a survival story soon became more complex. As searches were carried out and her final movements were pieced together, information emerged that was not immediately known, details that would later change how the situation was understood.

Years earlier, Jason Richards disappeared in the outback under very different circumstances, yet in an area just as remote. Despite searches and inquiries at the time, questions about what happened to him remain unanswered. As with Claire’s case, important elements of Jason’s story only came to light well after he was last seen.

Using publicly available reports, police statements, coronial findings, and firsthand accounts, this episode carefully reconstructs the timelines, environments, and decisions involved in both cases. It also explores how unseen factors, impaired judgment, and extreme conditions can quietly influence outcomes in remote country.

This is a story about isolation, vulnerability, and how quickly reality can shift in the outback, where help is distant, and not everything is as it first appears.

Researched and written by: Kellie Arrowsmith

Audio editor: Bar Brawl Records

https://www.facebook.com/BarBrawlRecords

Cover art: http://www.joshbauer.com/

"Skimpy' - a Territory memoir: Kellie Arrowsmith Books - Hachette Australia

Follow Territory Famous:

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Instagram: https://www.intagram.com/territoryfamous/

Tik Tok: Territory Famous (@territoryfamous) | TikTok

On 13 August 1983, people near Uluru went out expecting an ordinary night and instead found themselves caught up in sudden and extreme violence. In a matter of minutes, lives were lost, others were seriously injured, and many people were left trying to process something that made no sense at the time.

In this episode, I go through what led up to that night, how events unfolded, and the court process that followed. I also spend time on what came after, because for many people connected to it, that’s where the real damage sat. Long after the incident itself, survivors, families, and witnesses were left dealing with trauma that affected their mental health, relationships, and everyday lives.

More than forty years on, the effects are still felt by those directly impacted, making this a story that continues to carry weight well beyond the night it happened.

Researched and written by: Kellie Arrowsmith

Audio editor: Bar Brawl Records

https://www.facebook.com/BarBrawlRecords

Cover art: http://www.joshbauer.com/

"Skimpy' - a Territory memoir: Kellie Arrowsmith Books - Hachette Australia

Follow Territory Famous:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561090053520

Instagram: https://www.intagram.com/territoryfamous/

Tik Tok: Territory Famous (@territoryfamous) | TikTok

In this episode of Territory Famous, we examine the disappearance of Paddy Moriarty from the remote Northern Territory town of Larrimah. In December 2017, Paddy Moriarty vanished without a trace from a town of just eleven people, creating one of Australia’s most puzzling and unsettling true crime cases.

Larrimah later became nationally known for the so-called meat pie war — a bitter and long-running feud between locals that divided the town and drew widespread media attention. But beneath the eccentric headlines lies a far more serious question: what really happened to Paddy Moriarty?

Despite extensive police searches, investigations and coronial proceedings, no body has ever been found and no charges have been laid. In a place where everyone knows each other, suspicion, resentment and silence have lingered for years.

This episode explores the relationships, rivalries and isolation that shaped life in Larrimah, and how a petty feud may have masked something far more sinister. Drawing on police statements, court and coronial findings, and verified media reporting, we separate fact from speculation while examining how the Paddy Moriarty case has been portrayed in documentaries and public discussion.

The Disappearance of Paddy Moriarty and the Great Larrimah Meat Pie War is a story about isolation, hostility and unanswered questions — and how, in the harsh Northern Territory heat, the truth can remain buried.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Researched and written by: Kellie Arrowsmith

Audio editor: Bar Brawl Records

https://www.facebook.com/BarBrawlRecords

Cover art: http://www.joshbauer.com/

"Skimpy' - a Territory memoir: Kellie Arrowsmith Books - Hachette Australia

Follow Territory Famous:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561090053520

Instagram: https://www.intagram.com/territoryfamous/

Tik Tok: Territory Famous (@territoryfamous) | TikTok

In this episode of Territory Famous, Kellie examines the Adelaide River murders, a lesser-known Northern Territory true crime case from 2004 involving the deaths of two women in the Adelaide River near Darwin.

The case unfolded during a period of intense national media coverage for the Peter Falconio disappearance, and as a result, this investigation received far less attention than it otherwise might have. Despite the circumstances, the Adelaide River murders remain one of the most disturbing true crime cases in the Northern Territory.

This episode explores:

• The background of the victims and the events leading up to the murders
• The discovery of the bodies in the Adelaide River
• The police investigation and forensic findings
• False confessions and shifting stories involving bikie gangs and organized crime
• The trial, convictions, and sentencing of Phu Ngoc Trinh and Ben William McLean

While crocodiles are often associated with the Adelaide River, this case highlights how misinformation and false narratives complicated an already confronting investigation.

Territory Famous focuses on true crime stories from Australia’s Northern Territory, with an emphasis on cases that are overlooked, misunderstood, or overshadowed by larger national stories.

⚠️ Content warning: This episode discusses murder, violence, and the deaths of two women. Listener discretion is advised.

Researched and written by: Kellie Arrowsmith

Audio editor: Bar Brawl Records

https://www.facebook.com/BarBrawlRecords

Cover art: http://www.joshbauer.com/

"Skimpy' - a Territory memoir: Kellie Arrowsmith Books - Hachette Australia

Follow Territory Famous:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561090053520

Instagram: https://www.intagram.com/territoryfamous/

Tik Tok: Territory Famous (@territoryfamous) | TikTok

Resources:

Sentencing remarks: Wayback Machine

https://www.ntnews.com.au/news/crime-court/teen-killers-ben-mclean-and-phu-ngoc-trinh-dumped-dying-prostitutes-in-crocinfested-waters-of-adelaide-river/news-story/a4b0558e9b87c03fc5a474aa9f5561f

R v McLean & Trinh - Wikipedia

Supreme court appeal : PARTIES:_–––––

In 1986, Michael Anthony Lewis was killed in the Northern Territory during a confrontation with Peter Rudge.

Rudge claimed he was fearing for his life after alleged threats were made against his family. Following those events, he went to Lewis’s residence, where the situation escalated and Lewis was shot and killed.

The case would later focus on a claim of self-defense and how such claims are assessed under Northern Territory law. Despite the circumstances surrounding the shooting, the legal outcome left ongoing questions about escalation, intent, and accountability.

In this episode of Territory Famous, the events are examined in detail, from the reported threats and confrontation through to the court proceedings and final outcome.

Listener discretion advised.

Researched and written by: Kellie Arrowsmith

Audio editor: Bar Brawl Records

https://www.facebook.com/BarBrawlRecords

Cover art: http://www.joshbauer.com/

"Skimpy' - a Territory memoir: Kellie Arrowsmith Books - Hachette Australia

Follow Territory Famous:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561090053520

Instagram: https://www.intagram.com/territoryfamous/

Tik Tok: Territory Famous (@territoryfamous) | TikTok

YouTube: (1) Territory Famous - YouTube

Christmas in the Northern Territory is never quiet. From crocs turning up where they shouldn’t, to drunk Santas, dumb criminals, wet-season chaos and festive decisions that went off the rails, this episode rounds up the Territory’s naughtiest moments.

Researched and written by: Kellie Arrowsmith

Audio editor: Bar Brawl Records https://www.facebook.com/BarBrawlRecords

Cover art: http://www.joshbauer.com/

"Skimpy' - a Territory memoir: Kellie Arrowsmith Books - Hachette Australia

Follow Territory Famous:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561090053520

Instagram: https://www.intagram.com/territoryfamous/

Tik Tok: Territory Famous (@territoryfamous) | TikTok

YouTube: (1) Territory Famous - YouTube

Resources:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-08/family-wakes-to-find-crocodile-in-lounge-room/3762706

https://www.9news.com.au/national/family-finds-crocodile-in-lounge-room/3b19b3d2-542b-4e6c-9c61-68377c2b0437

https://globalnews.ca/news/196889/australian-family-wakes-up-to-find-crocodile-in-living-room-wildlife-rangers-take-it-away/

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-11/man-gets-stuck-in-chimney-in-outback-roadhouse/5806616

https://www.ntnews.com.au/news/alice-springs/hohohopeless-thief-gets-stuck-in-central-australia-chimney/news-story/2fed3e234e89524979862a3aacb602ea

https://www.ntnews.com.au

https://pfes.nt.gov.au

https://nt.gov.au/environment

On Christmas Eve 1974, Cyclone Tracy tore through Darwin, destroying most of the city in just a few hours and changing the Northern Territory forever.

In this episode of Territory Famous, I look back at Cyclone Tracy — not just as a powerful storm, but as a defining moment in Territory and Australian history. From the timing and intensity of the cyclone to the scale of destruction left behind, Tracy reshaped Darwin in ways that are still felt today.

This episode covers what happened during the storm, the immediate aftermath, and the mass evacuation that followed. It also looks at how the people of Darwin responded in the days and weeks after Tracy, showing resilience, humor, and mate ship in the face of enormous loss.

Cyclone Tracy remains one of the most significant natural disasters in Australian history — not only for what it destroyed, but for how it changed the Territory and the country.

Researched and written by: Kellie Arrowsmith

Audio editor: Bar Brawl Records https://www.facebook.com/BarBrawlRecords

Cover art: http://www.joshbauer.com/

"Skimpy' - a Territory memoir: Kellie Arrowsmith Books - Hachette Australia

Follow Territory Famous:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561090053520

Instagram: https://www.intagram.com/territoryfamous/

Tik Tok: Territory Famous (@territoryfamous) | TikTok

YouTube: (1) Territory Famous - YouTube

Resources:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-25/cyclone-tracy-warning-to-aboriginal-people-to-leave-darwin/5987974?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Survivor stories were taken from: Cyclone Tracy – Remembering Cyclone Tracy, fifty years later

Bill Barlow's full account (Red Cross Volunteer): Bill Barlow.pdf

Joy White: Cyclone Tracy: Bagot resident Joy White recalls losing her home in winds and floods - ABC News

Cyclone Tracy - Wikipedia

Documentary: Karla Grant Presents - Blown Away | SBS On Demand

https://iview.abc.net.au/show/tracy-a-force-of-nature/video/NS2439D001S00

Trevor arrived in Darwin in 2005 after giving up his belongings and wandering Australia collecting rubbish. He became known for turning rubbish into sculptures, getting himself listed in the NT News “Most Powerful Territorians” list, and then spending the next decade arguing with councils, churches, politicians, judges, and basically anyone who told him no.

Highlights from this episode:

• His time in Wadeye and why the council and Trevor could never agree on what went down • Getting kicked out of a chaplaincy course and a church for being “disruptive” • Running for Lord Mayor with the slogan “Vote one homeless bum” • Graffitiing the Darwin Magistrates Court in blue paint while wearing judicial robes • The NT Literary Awards incident and one of the funniest courtroom transcripts I’ve ever read • Why Trevor was eventually declared a vexatious litigant

Check out photos of Trevor’s artwork on the Territory Famous socials so you can see what those Blair Witch style sculptures looked like.

Researched and written by: Kellie Arrowsmith

Produced by: Territory Famous

Audio edited by: Bar Brawl Records

Cover art:

Link to 'Skimpy' a Territory memoir: Kellie Arrowsmith Books - Hachette Australia

Follow Territory Famous:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561090053520

Instagram: https://www.intagram.com/territoryfamous/

Tik Tok: Territory Famous (@territoryfamous) | TikTok

YouTube: (1) Territory Famous - YouTube

Resources:

Council argument news clip: Rubbish row - YouTube

Kels Gone Bush blog post: https://kelsgonebush.wordpress.com/2012/03/19/trevor-the-rubbish-warrior/

Court transcripts: PARTIES:_–––––

NTSC 58 Jenkins v City of Darwin 2 Aug.rtf

Timeline of Trevor's life in the Territory (paywall): Subscribe to NT News

Trevor running for council: 'Rubbish warrior' and disgraced former mayors in running for colourful Top End council elections - ABC News

You would think having a movie written about your life—especially one as wildly successful as Crocodile Dundee—would set you up for life, right? Unfortunately for Rod, that’s not what happened. Rod didn’t get his happy ending. Instead, his story spiraled into a tragic series of events that culminated in the deaths of two men: one died a hero, and the other died a criminal.

Audio editor: Bar Brawl Records https://www.facebook.com/BarBrawlRecords

Cover art: http://www.joshbauer.com/

"Skimpy' - a Territory memoir: Kellie Arrowsmith Books - Hachette Australia

Kel's Gone Bush - Coober Pedy episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/785ffgRqtUIlsGorXEuT64?si=4JqX74jdSfeNG8FBDocfhg

Resources

Cattle tossing reference: Tomahawks adventure travel and Survival blog: July 2014

Freemasons: Freemasonry - Wikipedia

Coronial inquest Microsoft Word - 102-103

Glen Huitson tributes : Glen Anthony - National Police Memorial

Police Remembrance Day: Remembering Northern Territory Sergeant Glen Huitson - ABC News

Wikipedia with links to multiple sources: Rod Ansell - Wikipedia