The Skeptical Historian

In 1891, Melbourne was in the midst of an economic depression, a land crash, a maritime strike and a locust plague. To add insult to injury, the sewers caught fire and (much to the horror of the political establishment) women chose this time to start demanding the vote. In the midst of all these calamities, someone stole the Legislative Assembly's mace, a gold-plated stick with purely ceremonial v...

In 1900, bubonic plague, the Black Death, arrived in Sydney and within a year, it had found its way to Melbourne, Fremantle, Adelaide and Far North Queensland. So how come our brush with this most infamous and deadly disease doesn't get more pages in the history books? Juliana takes a deep dive into Australia's 30-year plague epidemic to understand how a disease with a track record for killing mil...

In 1888, in front of a sold-out audience at the Princess Theatre, British-Italian Opera Singer Frederick Baker suffered a massive heart attack as he descended into "hell" through a trapdoor on the stage. Despite the desperate attempts by doctors to save him, he was declared dead forty minutes later... except that his co-stars swore he joined them for the final curtain call! In this episode, Julian...

When Europeans arrived in Australia more than 200 years ago, they brought with them horses, cattle, pigs, goats, deer, dogs... and big cats! Ever since, people have claimed to see these animals lurking in the bush, and strange tales abound of livestock killed and cached in trees, while huge pawprints are seen on bushwalking trails. But could it possibly be true? Are there really big cats in Austra...

In Fall River, Massachusetts, on a hot August day in 1892, Andrew Borden and his wife Abby were murdered, struck multiple times in the head with a hatchet. The only person home at the time of the attacks was Andrew's daughter Lizzie, who was later charged with two counts of murder. Juliana looks over the infamous North American case to consider if Lizzie Borden really "took an axe and gave her mot...

In 1788, when the First Fleet landed in New South Wales, it not only brought convicts, soldiers and administrators to Australia, but horses. Now, more than 200 years later, the feral horse population is on the rise and causing havoc in Australia's national parks. Join Juliana as she examines one of the most controversial issues of modern Australia: the Brumby herds of Kosciuszko National Park. She...

History isn't all about worshipping a bunch of dead guys. In fact, most of the history you think you know didn't happen! I'm Juliana Byers, I'm historical researcher and former teacher and on my podcast The Skeptical Historian, we take a deep dive and dissect the mystery that is history. Every second Tuesday I'll be looking at some of the best known stories from Australia (and around the world) to...

In February 1902, Harry "The Breaker" Morant was executed by firing squad in South Africa, after being found guilty of the murder of twelve Boers, nine of them prisoners of war. That should have been the end of him, but 120 years later we're still debating whether this man was a war criminal, or a true-blue Aussie hero. Juliana takes a hard look at the truth behind The Breaker, revealing disturbin...

Have a look at some of the dark stories behind your favourite nursery rhymes in this special, bonus episode.

Dedicated to my sister. Have you ever wondered where the myth of the unicorn came from? In honour of International Fairy Day, I explore the history, mystery and myth surrounding one of the best loved fairytale creatures on earth.

On the 10th of June 1960, Trans Australia Airlines Flight 538 was attempting to land at MacKay airport in Queensland, Australia. Within the space of five minutes, the plane had lost radio contact and disappeared. Five hours later, the wreckage was found floating off the Queensland coast and the story of T.A.A Flight 538's final five minutes have continued to haunt investigators to this day. What h...

The Battle of the Eureka Stockade is one of the most famous events of Australian history. The gold miners, furious over their constant mistreatment by the authorities, erected a stockade at a place known as Eureka... only to be violently routed within days. Join Juliana as she picks apart this well-known legend and searches for truth beneath the glitter of gold and the time honoured trope that the...

In 1854, Italian gold miner Raffaelo Carboni declared that the Australian gold fields were "a refuge for all the oppressed people's of the earth". Out there, sifting through dirt and rock, or ankle deep in filthy water at the bottom of a shaft, it didn't matter who you were, where you'd come from, what language you spoke, or the colour of your skin: everyone was equal on the goldfields. Except, th...

Every year since 1916, Australia and New Zealand have commemorated ANZAC Day on the 25th of April. This date recalls out landing on the infamous Gallipoli Peninsula and the beginning of an eight month struggle that ended in a desperate evacuation. When the date was chosen, the Australia New Zealand Army Corps had not been in any other engagements, and the Gallipoli campaign remains the best known...

On 17 December 1967, Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt swam out into the rough seas of Cheviot Beach and never returned. Despite a massive search, his body was never recovered and it wasn't until forty years later that the corner returned a verdict of death by drowning. Harold Holt's disappearance sparked numerous conspiracy theories, as people rushed to fill gaps in public knowledge. In this...

In this first, full length episode of The Skeptical Historian, Juliana takes a deep dive into the legendary Burke and Wills Expedition to uncover some disturbing truths about these supposably heroic explorers. The Victorian Exploring Expedition left Victoria in August 1860, headed up by Robert O'Hara Burke. The aim was to cross the continent of Australia from south to north, and accompanying him w...

In this very first teaser episode, Juliana takes a look at some of the myths around one of the most famous events in nineteenth century Australian history: The Battle of the Eureka Stockade. History will tell you this was a fight between valiant Australian diggers and bad British soldiers, but when it comes to Eureka, nothing is quite what it seems.