Weird Crap In Australia

When 10,000 people converged on the lawns of parliament to protest incoming workplace changes, it seemed like it was going to be another day. There were speeches, placards and families - everything you expect from a protest.Somewhere in the mix, a group of people got it into their heads that occupying Parliament House would go a long way to showing how angry they were.What followed was an event so infamous that it's not talked about in civilised company, but its ripples continue to be felt today. (As of posting, we're up to 946,000 listens! Listen the whole way through for why that's important!)Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod"Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin MacLeodUsed under a Creative Commons license.

The bush between the Victorian Goldfields, the coast and Sydney were some of the most dangerous areas you could travel in the 1860s. Constantly laid up and robbed, the coaches became fewer, and much more armoured.So the bushrangers of the era hit out at other people - riders, minding their own business as they travelled. and in the 1860s, the Clarke Brothers were the worst of the worst.Join holly and Matthew as they look into some local (for them) history and dive back into the world of the bushrangers.

On an evening in August 1950, the small town of Toukley was awoken late at night to search for a pair of missing girls. Grace and Kathleen Holmes went for a walk that afternoon, and still had not returned.What happened to the girls, and is the man charged actually responsible? Join Matthew and Holly as they look into this small Central Coast history, and the ghost story connected to it...

The world of the Wasteland is the longest-running Australian film franchise we can think of, and for good reason. Though some of the films have waited literally decades for the right circumstances for them to be made, the original film and its sequel have had a marked and well-studied effect on Hollywood and the Australian cinema experience since its initial release. What kind of effects could Mad Max have had? Aside from releasing Mel Gibson into the world, that is? Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the film, its production, and the reasons behind it conception - and subsequent durability. Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod"Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin MacLeodUsed under a Creative Commons license.Sources cited: -- (1985) Tina Turner to Establish Self as Major Actress. 29 July. Jet Magazine. Accessed 23 December 2022. https://books.google.com.au/books?id=mLQDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA30&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false-- James McCausland biography, IMDB. Quotes. Accessed 23 December 2022. https://www.i

The world of the Wasteland is the longest-running Australian film franchise we can think of, and for good reason. Though some of the films have waited literally decades for the right circumstances for them to be made, the original film and its sequel have had a marked and well-studied effect on Hollywood and the Australian cinema experience since its initial release. What kind of effects could Mad Max have had? Aside from releasing Mel Gibson into the world, that is? Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the film, its production, and the reasons behind it conception - and subsequent durability. Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod"Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin MacLeodUsed under a Creative Commons license.Sources cited: -- (1985) Tina Turner to Establish Self as Major Actress. 29 July. Jet Magazine. Accessed 23 December 2022. https://books.google.com.au/books?id=mLQDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA30&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false-- James McCausland biography, IMDB. Quotes. Accessed 23 December 2022. https://www.i

The world of the Wasteland is the longest-running Australian film franchise we can think of, and for good reason. Though some of the films have waited literally decades for the right circumstances for them to be made, the original film and its sequel have had a marked and well-studied effect on Hollywood and the Australian cinema experience since its initial release. What kind of effects could Mad Max have had? Aside from releasing Mel Gibson into the world, that is? Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the film, its production, and the reasons behind it conception - and subsequent durability. Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod"Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin MacLeodUsed under a Creative Commons license.Sources cited: -- (1985) Tina Turner to Establish Self as Major Actress. 29 July. Jet Magazine. Accessed 23 December 2022. https://books.google.com.au/books?id=mLQDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA30&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false-- James McCausland biography, IMDB. Quotes. Accessed 23 December 2022. https://www.i

On December 25, 1933, two young men were out for a morning of fishing. The pair were treating themselves to a little peace and quiet before the inevitable insanity that often accompanies Christmas, an often-hectic day filled with family, friends and foods as many go about their merriment. The men bunted along the Murrumbidgee River, near Wagga Wagga, and found a spot they could use to pass the time. The pair set up their rods, tilted their hats and laid back to bask in the serenity of the morning on the river. Join Holly and Matthew as they celebrate Christmas the only way we know how - with a gruesome murder!Merry Christmas, everyone!

When many people think of Australia in the 1960s, they picture an era of protests, sexual exploration and counter-revolutions staged namely by what we now call "The Baby Boomer Generation", who began Australia's first timid steps towards cultural maturity. These Australians began exercising their influence against restrictive legislation, outdated morality and social issues within Australian society, which is exactly the opposite of what their generation stands for now. Cinema around the world was transitioning from big studio led productions to an "Auteur director"-led model. Young experimental film makers with a little cash and a lot of spirit began to make the movie industry their own. Their creativity was influenced by anti-government sentiment after the disastrous results of the Vietnam War, the second wave feminist movement, and the push for the acceptance of the homosexual community. Young Australian film makers were watching, taking notes and preparing for their first steps into the industry. Join Hol

When many people think of Australia in the 1960s, they picture an era of protests, sexual exploration and counter-revolutions staged namely by what we now call "The Baby Boomer Generation", who began Australia's first timid steps towards cultural maturity. These Australians began exercising their influence against restrictive legislation, outdated morality and social issues within Australian society, which is exactly the opposite of what their generation stands for now. Cinema around the world was transitioning from big studio led productions to an "Auteur director"-led model. Young experimental film makers with a little cash and a lot of spirit began to make the movie industry their own. Their creativity was influenced by anti-government sentiment after the disastrous results of the Vietnam War, the second wave feminist movement, and the push for the acceptance of the homosexual community. Young Australian film makers were watching, taking notes and preparing for their first steps into the industry. Join Hol

As the world exited the Swinging 60s, Australia was looking to their own people for inspiration in the world of the cinema landscape. There were lots of American films to go see, European films were all the rage, but there was something missing from the world of Australian cinemas - the Australian.The Naked Bunyip was the first truly Australian film released to this country, as recent as 1970. It wasn't an easy ride for the director and his team, however, and to celebrate their achievement, we're going to have a long look into what made The Naked Bunyip so popular, so controversial, and so morally grey. Warning: This program contains Nude Sex Scenes; Lewd Humour; and a naked dancing bunyip. Viewer discretion is advised.

Visitors to a Sydney Aquarium on Anzac Day 1935 were horrified to witness the frenzy of a shark disgorging its stomach contents into its tank. Along with the usual debris of the sea - a half-eaten shark, some fishing line and a fish carcass or two - was the unusual sight this day would become known for: a single, human hand with a rope trailing around it, floating up from the mess. Think you know the story? Guess again. Join Holly and Matthew as they look into one of Australia's most famous depression-era cases, and the twists that kept it in the public eye for decades.

There are few Australian bands that are internationally famous, and only one that is so famous as to end up in a book I love reading (Ready Player One, Ernest Cline) highlighting the song everyone knows - though their catalogue has a lot of bangin' hits. For more than 40 years, Midnight Oil has been screaming about climate change and other political movements. Join Holly and Matthew as they look at Midnight Oil, Peter Garrett, and the journey both have taken since 1976.All clips within are copyright of their respective owners, not us. Just in case :)

There are few Australian bands that are internationally famous, and only one that is so famous as to end up in a book I love reading (Ready Player One, Ernest Cline) highlighting the song everyone knows - though their catalogue has a lot of bangin' hits. For more than 40 years, Midnight Oil has been screaming about climate change and other political movements. Join Holly and Matthew as they look at Midnight Oil, Peter Garrett, and the journey both have taken since 1976.All clips within are copyright of their respective owners, not us. Just in case :)

There are few Australian bands that are internationally famous, and only one that is so famous as to end up in a book I love reading (Ready Player One, Ernest Cline) highlighting the song everyone knows - though their catalogue has a lot of bangin' hits. For more than 40 years, Midnight Oil has been screaming about climate change and other political movements. Join Holly and Matthew as they look at Midnight Oil, Peter Garrett, and the journey both have taken since 1976."As we sing the songs night after night, there are lines that pop out which were written 35, 40, maybe even longer, which have more relevance now than when they were written. Even though we don't have any new material that we're playing at the moment, it's interesting how applicable a lot of the old songs are to what's happening in 2017." ~ Rob Hirst

In the depths of February 1893, the banks of the Brisbane River, as it’s wont to do, broke and flooded the town – three times within two weeks. These three major floods in one month led to February 1893 being labelled Black February. Another flood also broke banks in June, but by then the city was recovered from the initial floods, making it a little easier to bear.In the floodwaters, which have been known to host such creatures as bull sharks, crocodiles and other dangerous beasts in Australia, something began preying on the animals that remained in the fields and paddocks around the riverbanks of Lowood. At first, it was supposed that some of the released crocodiles or sharks could be responsible, but the creatures seemed to only vanish at night, and were taken from the riverbank – not while swimming.Final episode of Spooktober 2022. Matthew is sad.

There's always been something weird going on out there on the horizon. Long before nuclear bombs showed up in South Australia, there was a rocket range designed to test rockets. But what else was out there? If you trust the reports, at least a couple of alien visitors...

In February 1986, a woman went out with friends after work, then headed home. When her family awoke the next morning and realised she hadn't arrived, they assumed she'd stayed with her friends for the night. It wasn't until Monday when her workplace called up to say she'd missed a shift that they realised anything was wrong. The role of true crime in the media world is that of cheap clicks (or, in 1986, easy sales). It was the Anita Cobby case that brought the corruption in the 4th estate (and the lack of morality within the shockjock community) to public attention. Join Holly and Matthew as they examine not only the murder, but the trial, the media interference, and the consequences of the entire thing - not just on young women everywhere, but on the media landscape as well.

When Europeans arrived in Port Jackson in 1788, they found that their intended settlement consisted of a couple of different geological features; a marsh, a hilly countryside covered in bushland, and a rocky outcropping. As the free settlers lay claim to the nicer areas, the convicts were sent further west, closer and closer to the steep hillside we now call the Rocks. The Rocks has a long history with Australia, with convicts, with shipping, and with many other industries besides. Join Holly and Matthew as they look through the area's history, its stories, and the ghosts that continue to haunt this little 2km stretch of Sydney Harbour.

In 1920, a young woman ran away from a Catholic convent and into the arms of the Protestant church across town. When she was discovered missing, the Catholic church reported her missing to police, and they went looking for her. What would come is a series of events that seem outlandish and stupid in the 21st Century. Declared insane for rebuffing a return to the Catholic convent, police chased her to Sydney from Wagga Wagga, and had her put on trial. Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the story of Brigid Partridge/Sister Mary Liguori, and her brush with fame, kidnapping and insanity. *To watch Dr. Jeff Kildea's lecture on Sister Liguori and the Irish Australian experience, head to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbiE6K1TZDEMain Theme music – Kevin MacLeod"Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin MacLeodUsed under a Creative Commons license.

As the world was beginning to shut down in 2020, two campers in their 70s headed up into the Alpine National Park for a weekend away. This was the last weekend before Covid restrictions came into effect in Victoria, and a lot of people were taking advantage of the March weather. This would be the last weekend away for our older campers. This would also be the story that spread a new legend in the Australian bush to the mainstream: The Button Man.