Weird Crap in Australia

Canberra may be the home of our lizard overlords, but in the 1970s, it was also the personal haunting ground for UFOs - and especially the poor woman Vikki Klein. Join Holly and Matthew as they look into Claude and the dog-faced aliens, and the journey of the Klein family. Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod "Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin MacLeod Used under a Creative Commons license. Become a supporte...

If there is such a thing as the perfect cult leader, Anne Hamilton-Byrne could be said to be it. Indoctrinating her cultists and the children she seeks to leave to rule the world, her only flaw (as a cult leader) is that she trusted too much. Join Holly and Matthew for Year 3's Australian cult, the Family, and the consequences of their actions... *Warning violence against kids* Main Theme music –...

If there is such a thing as the perfect cult leader, Anne Hamilton-Byrne could be said to be it. Indoctrinating her cultists and the children she seeks to leave to rule the world, her only flaw (as a cult leader) is that she trusted too much. Join Holly and Matthew for Year 3's Australian cult, the Family, and the consequences of their actions... *Warning violence against kids* Main Theme music –...

Deep in the heartlands of southeast Victoria lives a monster so fearsome, so terrifying, that its very name used to scare the countryside. Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the Wonthaggi Monster, its life in the bush, and possible modern sightings... Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod "Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin MacLeod Used under a Creative Commons license. Become a supporter of this podcas...

Join Holly and Matthew as they examine the history of the Gippsland area, its treatment of the local peoples, and the placement of the cairns that memorialise a bloody point in Australia's history. **Listener submitted - thanks to Akarna for her help with the research** Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod "Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin MacLeod Used under a Creative Commons license. Become a supporter o...

Join Holly and Matthew as they examine the history of the Gippsland area, its treatment of the local peoples, and the placement of the cairns that memorialise a bloody point in Australia's history. **Listener submitted, thanks to Akarna for her help with the research** Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod "Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin MacLeod Used under a Creative Commons license. Become a supporter of...

How did the man in the crocodile-skin vest go from painting on the Sydney Harbor Bridge, to rocking out in Hollywood? Join Holly and Matthew as they go through the life and adventures of Paul Hogan, and his rise to fame and glory. Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod "Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin MacLeod Used under a Creative Commons license. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com...

When two girls from Bega went missing while camping over a long weekend, a manhunt sprouted that would cover 3 states and months of work - and only be solved when one of perpetrators dobbed himself in. Join Holly and Matthew as they examine the link between the Bega Killings, the Russell St Bombings, and the nation's capital, Canberra. Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod "Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin...

It's time for a little fun in the sun. Are you ready to wiggle? In the 1990s, a small band became a hit group in the Australian music industry, and started a legacy that has evolved through 3 generations of members and countless millions of children over the last 30 years. Join Holly and Matthew as they examine the history of the biggest Australian group of all time, and their wholesome origin sto...

It's time for a little fun in the sun. Are you ready to wiggle? Back in the 1980s, Greg, Murray, Anthony and Jeff definitely weren't. Join Holly and Matthew as they examine the history of the biggest Australian group of all time, and their wholesome, lovely origin story. Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod "Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin MacLeod Used under a Creative Commons license. Become a supporter...

On a cold winter's night in 1997, a small town in the Snowy Mountains was rocked by an event that leaves scars on its surface - mental, physical and spiritual - to this day. Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the events of that night, and the two weeks following... Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod "Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin MacLeod Used under a Creative Commons license. Become a supporter...

On a cold winter's night in 1997, a small town in the Snowy Mountains was rocked by an event that leaves scars on its surface - mental, physical and spiritual - to this day. Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the events of that night, and the two weeks following... Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod "Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin MacLeod Used under a Creative Commons license. Become a supporter...

Things happen in Central Station, Sydney, that are hard to explain. People talking with no one present, things moving, the sounds of ghostly trains. What could be causing these strange occurrences? Do they have anything to do with the abandoned stations? Or the graveyard disinterred to make way for the station? Join Holly and Matthew as they go into the history of trains in Australia, and take a c...

Back in the 1920s, a war between rival 'pushes' erupted on the streets of Melbourne, resulting in multiple hospitalisations, a few deaths, and a city on the edge of panic. Who were the main players? Why did this happen? Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the life and legacy of Australia's first gangland figures, and the effect he and his friends would have on Melbourne's criminal history. Ma...

Back in the 1920s, a war between rival 'pushes' erupted on the streets of Melbourne, resulting in multiple hospitalisations, a few deaths, and a city on the edge of panic. Who were the main players? Why did this happen? Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the life and legacy of Australia's first gangland figures, and the effect he and his friends would have on Melbourne's criminal history. Ma...

Nestled in the south-eastern most tip of South Australia lives a mountain and the town named after it. This town is famous in the world of cryptozoology and ufology for the rare and unusual things that happen there. Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the weird and wonderful of the town, the mountain and its crater lakes. Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod "Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin MacLeod U...

The 1975 Constitutional Crisis has played a part in the Australian psyche in much the same way that Ned Kelly has: the main players in the game are either saint or sinner, depending on your pre-conceived biases and preferences. But what actually happened? With the recent release of the Palace Letters tot he public, more of a clue to the inner workings of the Crisis has been revealed - though wheth...

The 1975 Constitutional Crisis has played a part in the Australian psyche in much the same way that Ned Kelly has: the main players in the game are either saint or sinner, depending on your pre-conceived biases and preferences. But what actually happened? With the recent release of the Palace Letters tot he public, more of a clue to the inner workings of the Crisis has been revealed - though wheth...

Oz-sploitation was a big thing back in the 1990s. In the Christmas 2019 special, we teased doing the Last Continent for the 2020 special - and here we go. Holly & Matthew pull apart the work of Terry Pratchett to examine the different cultural milestones and icons touched on with in the book. We couldn't cover everything, so we covered the most exciting pieces! Merry Christmas for another year! Ma...

Snake awareness is something covered in the Australian education system alongside the likes of mainstays like Captain Cook and sunscreen. However, just like those subjects, the significance and impact of snakes on the Australian way of life is a little exaggerated. Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the ever-present menace that is the Australian serpents, their impacts on Australians and eve...

Australia's traditional religious tradition has always been a Catholic one, even if the majority of people in this country didn't - and still don't - subscribe to it. The danger of this history comes in stark relief when fundamentalists and fanatics take control of situations. In 1993, the situation turned deadly for one 49 year old woman in Antwerp, VIC. Join Holly and Matthew as they investigate...

Piracy in Australia has always been a big problem, whether they were aboard ships, on street corners, or in loungerooms. But where did that legacy start? Who were our most famous pirates? And why are New Zealand claiming them? Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the history of the Pirates of Venus, a pair of women who stole a ship, raided another, and sailed from Tasmania to New Zealand. Main...

There are few tv shows in Australian media that can boast the kind of longevity as Hey Hey, It's Saturday. Starting life as a kid's show, evolving into the most popular variety show on the air of its era, and moving into that show you're embarrassed your parents still watch, HHIS has seen it all. Join Holly and Matthew as they explore 30 years of Australian TV, and the legacy that came out of it....

In the 1990s, a killer prowled amongst the people of Perth, picking up women in the early hours of the morning as they staggered home. However, this was not the first time the perp had committed crimes against women. As far back as the early 1980s, he was seen roaming the streets, searching out victims. However, it wasn't until the late 2010s that links were joined and a theory was posited: the Ki...

In the 1990s, a killer prowled amongst the people of Perth, picking up women in the early hours of the morning as they staggered home. However, this was not the first time the perp had committed crimes against women. As far back as the early 1980s, he was seen roaming the streets, searching out victims. However, it wasn't until the late 2010s that links were joined and a theory was posited: the Ki...