The Untold Stories – Hidden History, Dark Tales and Unforgettable Places

What happens when a name on an old prison wall leads you down a rabbit hole into one of Victoria’s darkest stories?

While visiting Ararat Gaol, I noticed the name Robert Francis Burns — and one small detail caught my attention: Limerick, the same name as the street where I grew up.

That little connection sent me searching for the story behind the man.

Robert Burns was convicted of the murder of Michael Quinlivan and hanged at Ararat Gaol on 25 September 1883. But his story goes beyond a single murder. He was also connected to other suspicious deaths and alleged poisoning attempts.

So who was Robert Francis Burns? Was he guilty of the crimes attributed to him? And could he really be considered Australia’s first serial killer?

Join me as I follow the trail from Ararat Gaol into the life, crimes and execution of Robert Burns — and uncover the story behind the name that started it all.

The Untold Stories with Amy
Travel, hidden history, dark tales and unforgettable places.

What happens when a giant Maremma sheepdog is asked to protect a colony of tiny penguins?

Meet Oddball, the unlikely Australian hero whose story became one of Warrnambool’s most famous conservation stories.

In this feel-good episode of The Untold Stories with Amy, we travel to Middle Island in Warrnambool, Victoria, where a tiny colony of Little Penguins was being threatened by foxes.

Enter Oddball — a fluffy Maremma with a very unusual job.

But the real story isn't quite what Hollywood told us. Oddball herself didn't stay on the island for years — in fact, she got lonely and returned home! Yet her trial helped pave the way for the remarkable Maremma guardian dog program that followed.

We'll uncover the real story behind Oddball, Swampy Marsh, the penguins, the foxes, and the incredible conservation project that followed.

🐶 One very odd dog.
🐧 Some very tiny penguins.
🦊 A very big problem.
❤️ And one wonderfully Australian solution.

Every place has a story… and sometimes that story has four paws.

🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts
▶️ Watch on YouTube

#Oddball #Warrnambool #Maremma #LittlePenguins #AustralianHistory #TheUntoldStoriesWithAmy #Victoria #Penguins #AustralianStories #Conservation #TravelAustralia

The Inquest: Who Failed Maureen?

This is Part 3 and the final chapter of our three-part story about Maureen Neave.

Following Maureen's death in 1955, a coronial inquest was held in Wangaratta. Eleven witnesses gave evidence, including doctors, nurses, hospital staff and police.

But then something unexpected happened.

Social worker Marjorie McDonald stood up from the public gallery and asked to give evidence. She had known Maureen and believed the young girl had been failed by the system that was supposed to care for her.

Other women who had worked with Maureen also spoke out, challenging the way she had been portrayed and raising serious concerns about the treatment of children in state care.

In this episode, we examine the evidence from the inquest, what those who knew Maureen had to say, the questions surrounding her care, and the broader failures within Victoria's child-welfare and mental-health systems.

We also look at the reforms that followed — and why changing the law didn't necessarily mean changing the lives of vulnerable children.

Maureen's story isn't simply about how she died. It's about what happened when the people responsible for protecting a child couldn't agree on how to help her.

The Forgotten Girl: Maureen Neave & Beechworth Mental Hospital

In Part Two of The Untold Stories with Amy, we uncover the real identity behind the mysterious girl known only as “Jill” — Maureen Neave.

At just sixteen years old, Maureen had already spent years moving through Victoria's child welfare and justice systems before being admitted to Beechworth Mental Hospital in 1955.

Using historical records, medical reports and original coronial depositions, Amy follows Maureen's final months inside Beechworth — the escapes, suicide attempts, violence, periods of calm, her hopes for the future and the people who tried to help her.

Then, in September 1955, Maureen's life came to a tragic end.

But there is another mystery.

During a paranormal investigation at Beechworth, Amy noticed an M carved into the back of a door in the room connected to Maureen's story — before she even knew Jill's real name was Maureen.

Coincidence?

Or something more?

In this episode, we leave the legends behind and follow the historical record.

Because behind every haunted place is a real person.

And Maureen's story deserves to be remembered.

Part Three will take us into the coronial inquest, where doctors, nurses, police and witnesses were questioned about what happened to Maureen — and we'll investigate what happened to Victoria's mental-health system in the years that followed.

Some stories stay with you long after you leave a place.

In Part 1 of this four-part Beechworth Asylum series, Amy tells the story of the girl at the window — a young girl whose story became deeply connected to her experience inside the old asylum.

As Amy uncovers the history surrounding her life and death, she begins to explore the questions that have remained around her story for decades.

But this isn't just a story from the history books.

During a paranormal investigation at Beechworth Asylum, Amy found herself drawn to a particular window — and to an experience she has never forgotten.

Was there something still lingering inside those walls?

Amy shares the history, the story of the girl, what she experienced, and why this encounter changed the way she looked at Beechworth Asylum forever.

This is Part 1 of 4: The Girl at the Window.