Weird Crap in Australia
Welcome to "Weird Crap in Australia," a podcast hosted by Holly and Matthew, a husband and wife team with a passion for all things strange and unusual in the land down under.Each episode, Holly, a trained historian, and Matthew, a pop-culture enthusiast, dive into the weird and wacky aspects of Australian history and society. From the colonial era to the present day, they explore topics such as aliens, monsters, ghosts, and true crime, uncovering the stories and legends that have fascinated Australians for generations.As a social historian, Holly provides a unique perspective on the cultural significance of these...
Episodes
Episode 376 - The Granville Train Disaster Part 2
On the morning of 18 January 1977, Blue Mountains commuters boarded their usual train, expecting nothing more than another routine ride to work. Instead, the Granville train disaster became Australia’s deadliest rail accident. When a commut…
Episode 375 - The Granville Train Disaster Part 1
On the morning of 18 January 1977, Blue Mountains commuters boarded their usual train, expecting nothing more than another routine ride to work. Instead, the Granville train disaster became Australia’s deadliest rail accident. When a commut…
Episode 374 - The Bathurst 1000
Every year, a sleepy New South Wales town gets turned into a pit lane paradise as 150,000 fans descend on Mount Panorama for the Bathurst 1000 — Australia’s most iconic car race. But Bathurst isn’t just about lap times and burnout smoke. Be…
Episode 373 - The Cronulla Riots (2005) Part 3
In this series, we dive into one of the most confronting chapters of modern Australian history: the Cronulla Riots of December 2005. Sparked by rising tensions, fuelled by alcohol, misinformation, and nationalism, what started as a “communi…
Episode 372 - The Cronulla Riots Part 2
In this episode, we dive into one of the most confronting chapters of modern Australian history: the Cronulla Riots of December 2005. Sparked by rising tensions, fuelled by alcohol, misinformation, and nationalism, what started as a “commun…
Episode 371 - The Cronulla Riots Part 1
HIn this episode, we dive into one of the most confronting chapters of modern Australian history: the Cronulla Riots of December 2005. Sparked by rising tensions, fuelled by alcohol, misinformation, and nationalism, what started as a “commu…
Episode 370 - The Birdman of the Coorong
In the lonely dunes of South Australia’s Coorong, legend speaks of a bushranger so strange he’s hard to forget: the Birdman of the Coorong. Unlike his horse-riding peers, this eccentric outlaw was rumoured to have galloped through the saltb…
Episode 369 - The Story of INXS Part 3
Before they were stadium superstars, INXS were just six Aussie blokes carving out a sound in the sweaty pubs of Sydney. In this episode, we chart the meteoric rise of one of Australia’s biggest musical exports—from their gritty early days, …
Episode 368 - The Story of INXS Part 2
Before they were stadium superstars, INXS were just six Aussie blokes carving out a sound in the sweaty pubs of Sydney. In this episode, we chart the meteoric rise of one of Australia’s biggest musical exports—from their gritty early days, …
Episode 367 - The Story of INXS Part 1
Before they were stadium superstars, INXS were just six Aussie blokes carving out a sound in the sweaty pubs of Sydney. In this episode, we chart the meteoric rise of one of Australia’s biggest musical exports—from their gritty early days, …
Episode 366 - Sir Douglas Mawson and the Home of the Blizzard Part 3
Douglas Mawson wasn’t just a survivor—he was a scientific powerhouse who helped put Australia on the map of polar exploration. His adventures began with the 1907–1909 Nimrod Expedition under Ernest Shackleton, during which he became one of …
Episode 365 - Sir Douglas Mawson and the Home of the Blizzard Part 2
Douglas Mawson wasn’t just a survivor—he was a scientific powerhouse who helped put Australia on the map of polar exploration. His adventures began with the 1907–1909 Nimrod Expedition under Ernest Shackleton, during which he became one of …
Episode 364 - Sir Douglas Mawson and the Home of the Blizzard Part 1
Douglas Mawson wasn’t just a survivor—he was a scientific powerhouse who helped put Australia on the map of polar exploration. His adventures began with the 1907–1909 Nimrod Expedition under Ernest Shackleton, during which he became one of …
Episode 363 - The Wedge-Tail Eagle
Australia’s largest bird of prey, the wedge-tailed eagle , is a creature of raw power and mythic presence. With a piercing gaze adapted for hunting across vast landscapes, these raptors are found soaring over deserts, forests, and farmland …
Episode 362 - David Gulpilil
David Gulpilil, born in Arnhem Land in 1953, was more than just an actor—he was a cultural bridge, storyteller, and proud Yolŋu man who changed the face of Australian cinema. From his breakout role in Walkabout (1971) to his haunting final …
Episode 361 - The Legend of the Anzacs Part 2
The legend of the ANZACs was born not through victory, but through courage, endurance, and mateship under fire. From the rocky shores of Gallipoli to the muddy battlefields of the Western Front, Australian and New Zealand troops earned a re…
Episode 360 - The Legend of the Anzacs Part 1
The legend of the ANZACs was born not through victory, but through courage, endurance, and mateship under fire. From the rocky shores of Gallipoli to the muddy battlefields of the Western Front, Australian and New Zealand troops earned a re…
Episode 359 - Old Tom and the Killers of Twofold Bay
In the icy waters of Twofold Bay, a strange alliance once thrived between man and whale. At the heart of it was Old Tom, a killer whale unlike any other—who, along with his pod, helped human whalers hunt baleen whales in exchange for first …
Episode 358 - The Melbourne Gangland Wars 4 - Carl Williams
Carl Williams rose from small-time drug dealer to one of the most powerful—and dangerous—figures in Melbourne’s gangland wars. Known for his smiling, seemingly unbothered public appearances, Williams was anything but harmless. He orchestrat…
Episode 357 - The Melbourne Gangland Wars 3 - Judy and Des Moran
Judy Moran, once known as the matriarch of Melbourne’s most notorious criminal family, became a central figure in the city’s brutal gangland wars. Linked to a string of high-profile murders, Judy’s name was never far from headlines as her f…
Episode 356 - The Melbourne Gangland Wars 3 - Les Moran
Leslie “Les” Moran was a veteran of Melbourne’s underworld, deeply entrenched in the city’s organised crime scene. As a senior figure within the Moran family, he survived the early years of the gangland war, watching as his relatives were p…
Episode 355 - The Melbourne Gangland Wars 3 - Jason Moran
Jason Moran was a central figure in Melbourne’s gangland war, born into one of the city’s most notorious crime families. Known for his involvement in drug trafficking and violent underworld disputes, Moran’s life was marked by power plays a…
Episode 354 - The Melbourne Gangland Wars 3 - Mario Condello and Mark Moran
Melbourne’s gangland war claimed many lives, and Mark Moran was one of its most high-profile casualties. A key player in the city’s underworld, Moran was deeply entrenched in organised crime, with connections to drug trafficking and violent…
Episode 353 - The Melbourne Gangland Wars 2 - The Carlton Crew
During Melbourne’s infamous gangland wars, one criminal organisation loomed large—the Carlton Crew. Made up of powerful underworld figures, the group controlled illegal gambling, drug trafficking, and extortion throughout the city. Their in…
Episode 352 - The Melbourne Gangland Wars 1 - The Kane Brothers Part 2
The Melbourne gangland war was a brutal chapter in Australia’s criminal history, and the Kane brothers—Brian and Leslie—were right at its core. Known for their violent reputations and deep ties to organised crime, the Kane brothers became i…
Episode 351 - The Melbourne Gangland Wars 1 - The Kane Brothers Part 1
The Melbourne gangland war was a brutal chapter in Australia’s criminal history, and the Kane brothers—Brian and Leslie—were right at its core. Known for their violent reputations and deep ties to organised crime, the Kane brothers became i…
Episode 350 - The Adventures of Blinky Bill (1934-2016) (Child-friendly)
Blinky Bill, created by Dorothy Wall in the 1930s, has captured the hearts of generations through books, television, and film. More than just a cheeky bush troublemaker, Blinky represents resilience, adventure, and the spirit of the Austral…
Episode 349 - The Connell Murders Part 2 (1978-1979)
A mother and her two young children vanished from their home in Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, in August 1978. Their disappearance quickly turned into a horrifying crime that shocked the nation. The family had been abducted, taken on a te…
Episode 348 - The Connell Murders Part 1 (1978-1979)
A mother and her two young children vanished from their home in Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, in August 1978. Their disappearance quickly turned into a horrifying crime that shocked the nation. The family had been abducted, taken on a te…
Episode 347 - The North Head Quarantine Station
The North Head Quarantine Station, located on the northern headland of Sydney Harbour, holds a chilling legacy as one of Australia's most significant quarantine sites. Operating from 1833 to 1984, the station housed those afflicted by conta…
Episode 346 - The Wooreen School Kidnapping
Edwin Eastwood was back at it again. Armed with a firearm, he entered the Wooreen State School and took nine students and their teacher, Rob Hunter, hostage. The kidnapper's demands for a ransom and threats heightened the terror of those in…
Episode 345 - The Faraday School Kidnapping
The Faraday School kidnapping shocked Australia, as a group of six schoolgirls and their teacher, Mary Gibbs, were taken by two armed kidnappers. They stormed the small Faraday School in rural Victoria and held the group hostage, demanding …
Episode 344 - The Royal Train Wreck (1920)
A Royal Train carrying Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), derailed near Jarnadup, Western Australia, during his Australian tour. The accident occurred when the rails spread, causing the last two carriages, including the Princ…
Episode 343 - The 1949 Coal Miners' Strike
In 1949, one of Australia’s largest industrial actions took place when coal miners staged a well-planned strike. Beginning in June and lasting nearly seven weeks, the strike involved more than 23,000 workers protesting poor wages and danger…
Episode 342 - The Royal Flying Doctor Service Part 2
Australia's Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) has stood as a beacon of hope for those living in its most remote and unforgiving regions. Founded in 1928 by Reverend John Flynn, the service was born out of the need to provide critical medic…
Episode 341 - The Royal Flying Doctor Service Part 1
Australia's Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) has stood as a beacon of hope for those living in its most remote and unforgiving regions. Founded in 1928 by Reverend John Flynn, the service was born out of the need to provide critical medic…
Episode 340 - The Thallium Craze of the 1950s Part 4
In the 1950s, Australia was gripped by a bizarre and terrifying trend of thallium poisoning, one of the most sinister and mysterious poisoning cases in Australian history. Thallium, a highly toxic metal, was used in a range of household ite…
Episode 339 - The Thallium Craze of the 1950s Part 3
In the 1950s, Australia was gripped by a bizarre and terrifying trend of thallium poisoning, one of the most sinister and mysterious poisoning cases in Australian history. Thallium, a highly toxic metal, was used in a range of household ite…
Episode 338 - The Thallium Craze of the 1950s Part 2
In the 1950s, Australia was gripped by a bizarre and terrifying trend of thallium poisoning, one of the most sinister and mysterious poisoning cases in Australian history. Thallium, a highly toxic metal, was used in a range of household ite…
Episode 337 - The Thallium Craze of the 1950s Part 1
In the 1950s, Australia was gripped by a bizarre and terrifying trend of thallium poisoning, one of the most sinister and mysterious poisoning cases in Australian history. Thallium, a highly toxic metal, was used in a range of household ite…