Weird Crap in Australia

In 1936, a man disappeared from the small New South Wales town of Grenfell. More than a decade later, a travelling shearer named Fred McDermott found himself at the centre of a murder investigation that would change his life forever. Join Holly & Matthew as they explore the disappearance of Harry Lavers, the investigation that followed, and the extraordinary case against Fred McDermott. With c...

In 1936, a man disappeared from the small New South Wales town of Grenfell. More than a decade later, a travelling shearer named Fred McDermott found himself at the centre of a murder investigation that would change his life forever. Join Holly & Matthew as they explore the disappearance of Harry Lavers, the investigation that followed, and the extraordinary case against Fred McDermott. With c...

Fred Hollows was a surgeon who believed that eyesight shouldn't be determined by where you were born or how much money you had. His work took him from Australia to some of the world's poorest communities, where he helped establish eye-care programs and trained local medical staff to continue the work. Join Holly & Matthew as they explore the life and legacy of Fred Hollows, from his early care...

Fred Hollows was a surgeon who believed that eyesight shouldn't be determined by where you were born or how much money you had. His work took him from Australia to some of the world's poorest communities, where he helped establish eye-care programs and trained local medical staff to continue the work. Join Holly & Matthew as they explore the life and legacy of Fred Hollows, from his early care...

What happens when you take one of Australia's most beloved coming-of-age stories and put Holly & Matthew in a room with it? You're about to find out. Join us as we watch Looking for Alibrandi (2000), the Australian film adaptation of Melina Marchetta's much-loved novel. Along the way, we talk about family, identity, growing up, Italian-Australian culture, class, religion, and all the other thi...

What do you get when a bunch of Australians decide to hold a boat race in the middle of the desert, where there isn't actually any water? The Henley-on-Todd Regatta. Join Holly & Matthew as they head to Alice Springs to explore one of Australia's strangest sporting traditions, where competitors race across the dry Todd River in boats that never actually touch the water. What started as a joke...

For decades, death cap mushrooms were regarded as a rare but deadly hazard, claiming lives through tragic mistakes and misidentification. But in recent years, two Australian cases thrust these lethal fungi into the national spotlight for very different reasons. Join Holly and Matthew as they examine the mysterious Canberra poisonings of 2012 and 2014 before turning to the case that captivated the...

For decades, death cap mushrooms were regarded as a rare but deadly hazard, claiming lives through tragic mistakes and misidentification. But in recent years, two Australian cases thrust these lethal fungi into the national spotlight for very different reasons. Join Holly and Matthew as they examine the mysterious Canberra poisonings of 2012 and 2014 before turning to the case that captivated the...

For decades, death cap mushrooms were regarded as a rare but deadly hazard, claiming lives through tragic mistakes and misidentification. But in recent years, two Australian cases thrust these lethal fungi into the national spotlight for very different reasons. Join Holly and Matthew as they examine the mysterious Canberra poisonings of 2012 and 2014 before turning to the case that captivated the...

In 1966, teenagers Garry Heywood and Abina Madill disappeared after leaving a dance in Shepparton. Weeks later, their bodies were discovered in bushland, launching one of Victoria's longest-running murder investigations. Detectives had fingerprints from the crime scene, but no name to match them, and for nearly two decades the case remained unsolved. Join Holly and Matthew as they unravel the rema...

For more than four decades, Fred Nile was one of the most recognisable and controversial figures in Australian politics. As the founder of the Call to Australia Party, later the Christian Democratic Party, he built a career campaigning on conservative Christian values, influencing legislation in New South Wales despite rarely holding the balance of power outright. Join Holly and Matthew as they tr...

For more than four decades, Fred Nile was one of the most recognisable and controversial figures in Australian politics. As the founder of the Call to Australia Party, later the Christian Democratic Party, he built a career campaigning on conservative Christian values, influencing legislation in New South Wales despite rarely holding the balance of power outright. Join Holly and Matthew as they tr...

For more than four decades, Fred Nile was one of the most recognisable and controversial figures in Australian politics. As the founder of the Call to Australia Party, later the Christian Democratic Party, he built a career campaigning on conservative Christian values, influencing legislation in New South Wales despite rarely holding the balance of power outright. Join Holly and Matthew as they tr...

For generations of Australian schoolchildren, a visit from Healthy Harold was a highlight of the school year. Whether it arrived in a brightly coloured caravan or at a dedicated education centre, Life Education taught millions of children about nutrition, personal safety, drugs, relationships, and growing up through the country's most recognisable giraffe. Join Holly and Matthew as they explore th...

For generations of Australian schoolchildren, a visit from Healthy Harold was a highlight of the school year. Whether it arrived in a brightly coloured caravan or at a dedicated education centre, Life Education taught millions of children about nutrition, personal safety, drugs, relationships, and growing up through the country's most recognisable giraffe. Join Holly and Matthew as they explore th...

In June 1997, the disappearance of 13-month-old Jaidyn Leskie from the small Victorian town of Moe captured the attention of the nation. What began as a frantic search for a missing toddler soon became one of Australia’s most heartbreaking and controversial criminal investigations. As police worked to piece together Jaidyn’s final hours, conflicting stories, unanswered questions, and a lack of cle...

In June 1997, the disappearance of 13-month-old Jaidyn Leskie from the small Victorian town of Moe captured the attention of the nation. What began as a frantic search for a missing toddler soon became one of Australia’s most heartbreaking and controversial criminal investigations. As police worked to piece together Jaidyn’s final hours, conflicting stories, unanswered questions, and a lack of cle...

In 1921, the quiet New South Wales town of Guyra became the centre of one of Australia’s strangest paranormal cases. Rocks rained from empty rooms, objects moved on their own, furniture overturned, and terrified witnesses claimed unseen forces were haunting a local farmhouse. What began as a family disturbance quickly drew neighbours, police, reporters, and sceptics from across the country. Some b...

In 1971, Adelaide woke to a bizarre sight: an FJ Holden hanging from a pedestrian footbridge above North Terrace outside the University of Adelaide. The stunt became an instant legend, baffling authorities and sparking a mystery that lingered for decades. Part prank, part engineering feat, and entirely Australian, the hanging Holden captured the larrikin spirit of university Prosh Week culture at...

In this episode, we explore the rise and fall of Rolf Harris — from his beginnings in Perth during the Great Depression to becoming one of the most recognisable entertainers in Britain and across the Commonwealth. Join Holly and Matthew as they follow Harris through the early days of television, novelty music, children’s entertainment, painting, the wobble board, and the strange cultural landscape...

In this episode, we explore the rise and fall of Rolf Harris — from his beginnings in Perth during the Great Depression to becoming one of the most recognisable entertainers in Britain and across the Commonwealth. Join Holly and Matthew as they follow Harris through the early days of television, novelty music, children’s entertainment, painting, the wobble board, and the strange cultural landscape...

Welcome to the start of Year 9!!!!! In this episode, we explore the rise and fall of Rolf Harris — from his beginnings in Perth during the Great Depression to becoming one of the most recognisable entertainers in Britain and across the Commonwealth. Join Holly and Matthew as they follow Harris through the early days of television, novelty music, children’s entertainment, painting, the wobble board...

On the morning of October 14, 1968, the small Western Australian town of Meckering was torn apart by one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded in Australia. Roads split open, railway lines twisted, buildings collapsed, and a fault line ripped visibly through the landscape — leaving behind destruction that stunned the nation. In this episode, Holly and Matthew explore the events of the Mec...

Hidden in the hills near Gympie, Queensland, sits a structure that has sparked decades of debate: the Gympie Pyramid. To some, it’s evidence of an ancient civilisation or Egyptian contact with Australia. To others, it’s nothing more than a terraced hillside built by early European settlers. In this episode, Holly and Matthew dig into the claims, the history, and the investigations surrounding the...

In September 2000, on a warm night in Sydney, Cathy Freeman stepped onto the track carrying the weight of expectation — and delivered one of the most iconic moments in Australian sporting history. But her story didn’t begin there. In this episode, Holly and Matthew trace Freeman’s journey from a young athlete in Queensland to a global symbol of achievement, resilience, and reconciliation. From her...