Christmas Day 1952 saw three tragedies result in eight sudden deaths in Sydney. But the most haunting of these was the vicious murder of Shirley Butler, a 21-year-old woman whose body was found just a stone’s throw from her home in Waverton on the lower North Shore. Who had killed her and why? An army of detectives would scour the city for clues – and even authorise a world-first radio re-enactment of Shirley’s last tram journey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Christmas Murder – Part One

Created 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

History

Society & Culture

True crime

Jack Brown — murderer of three people, supposedly inspired by reading Deadwood Dick pulp novels — went to trial in October 1906. But could a boy who reckoned he’d slaughtered his best friends in the name of a genocidal revolution for White Australia actually be sane, be convicted and be hanged? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Deadwood Dick Murders – Part Three

Following the supposedly Deadwood Dick-inspired murders committed by Jimmy and Joe Governor, Jack Underwood and Thomas Quinlan, in July 1906 Australia was rocked by a new outrage attributed to “pernicious literature”: the brutal killing and mutilation of three people at German Creek on the NSW north coast. The perpetrator was young Jack Brown. But he said his motivation wasn’t to be a pulp novel hero. Instead, Jack wanted to start a genocidal revolution in the name of White Australia. 
 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Deadwood Dick Murders – Part Two

One more re-release before new episodes. This one originally came out in 2020, and, while it was supposed to be a two-parter, it became a trilogy – fittingly, given it's a bit like the Dark Knight. Parts two and three will be on general release this week, but are available now to Apple and Patreon supporters.
Deadwood Dick was the first pop culture superhero – 50 years before Batman — and he was the first such character to spark widespread moral condemnation as a "cause" of crime. In Australia from the 1890s, Deadwood Dick was blamed for everything, from truancy to... mass murder.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Deadwood Dick Murders – Part One

Having escaped prison, fled interstate and joined the army under yet another new name, George Blunderfield seeks reinvention and redemption on the Western Front — but his true nature compels him to commit his most atrocious crimes yet. 
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.

The Nature of the Scorpion – Part Three

After committing a sickening outrage in the first weeks of 1900, George Blunderfield serves a relatively short jail sentence. When he's set free he sheds his identity but can’t help but follow the nature that causes him to hurt those who only want to help him. 
Part 3 will be released next week. But you can hear it 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.

The Christmas Murder – Part One

Download our free app to listen on your phone