The Modern Meltdown
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...
Author
The Modern Meltdown
Category
Podcast website
Latest episode
Jul 6, 2026
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Episodes
Episode 126 - The Year of the Alien: February (1954) 02.11.2020 52:51
In 1954, the Royal Australian Air Force was faced with a problem: Alien sightings were at an all-time high. What was driving this phenomena? Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the sightings that rocked the country, one month at a time. This episode, we examine January 1954, and the aliens of Adelaide and Melbourne. Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod "Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin MacLeod Used un...
Episode 125 - The Family Court Bombings Part 5 (1980-1985) 25.10.2020 1:06:33
In the 1970s, the entire institution of marriage in Australia was overhauled. Gone were the days where you had to prove your significant other was beating you, drinking you out of house and home, or just plain old cheating; now, the idea of a 'no-fault' divorce was introduced, and boy, did jump on it. However, not everyone was happy. The brand new Family Court was seen as heavily favouring the wom...
Episode 124 - The Family Court Bombings Part 4 (1980-1985) 18.10.2020 1:14:33
In the 1970s, the entire institution of marriage in Australia was overhauled. Gone were the days where you had to prove your significant other was beating you, drinking you out of house and home, or just plain old cheating; now, the idea of a 'no-fault' divorce was introduced, and boy, did jump on it. However, not everyone was happy. The brand new Family Court was seen as heavily favouring the wom...
Episode 123 - The Family Court Bombings Part 3 (1980-1985) 11.10.2020 1:07:55
In the 1970s, the entire institution of marriage in Australia was overhauled. Gone were the days where you had to prove your significant other was beating you, drinking you out of house and home, or just plain old cheating; now, the idea of a 'no-fault' divorce was introduced, and boy, did jump on it. However, not everyone was happy. The brand new Family Court was seen as heavily favouring the wom...
Episode 122 - The Family Court Bombings Part 2 (1980-9185) 04.10.2020 1:10:09
In the 1970s, the entire institution of marriage in Australia was overhauled. Gone were the days where you had to prove your significant other was beating you, drinking you out of house and home, or just plain old cheating; now, the idea of a 'no-fault' divorce was introduced, and boy, did jump on it. However, not everyone was happy. The brand new Family Court was seen as heavily favouring the wom...
Episode 121 - The Family Court Bombings Part 1 (1980-1985) 28.09.2020 47:22
In the 1970s, the entire institution of marriage in Australia was overhauled. Gone were the days where you had to prove your significant other was beating you, drinking you out of house and home, or just plain old cheating; now, the idea of a 'no-fault' divorce was introduced, and boy, did jump on it. However, not everyone was happy. The brand new Family Court was seen as heavily favouring the wom...
Episode 120 - The Year of the Alien: January (1954) 21.09.2020 1:13:33
In 1954, the Royal Australian Air Force was faced with a problem: Alien sightings were at an all-time high. What was driving this phenomena? Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the sightings that rocked the country, one month at a time. This episode, we examine January 1954, and the aliens of Adelaide and Melbourne. Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod "Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin MacLeod Used un...
Episode 119 - Australia's First Invaders 13.09.2020 1:24:23
For thousands of years, the invaders have stood upon the shores of Australia, searing out a meal in every goanna hole, every kangaroo pouch and every termite mound. These creatures lived in general harmony with the First Nations, and when Europeans found the shores of this continent, man and beast were there to meet them. Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the creature known by the local peo...
Episode 118 - The Legacy of the Batavia (1629) 06.09.2020 1:23:38
It's commonly known that the Dutch arrived at Australia long before the British "discovered" the continent. They even have the distinction of claiming ownership over the first permanent European inhabitants of the land. But why do we not speak Dutch? Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the Batavia, and the legacy of its wreck... Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod "Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin Ma...
Episode 117 - AC/DC Part 2: The Brian Johnson Era (1980-2016) 30.08.2020 1:15:54
Among all the bands to make it out of Australia, only 3 have become international sensations: INXS, The Wiggles... and AC/DC. Starting as a garage band in Sydney in the early 1970s, AC/DC took the world by storm with hit album after hit album, raging their way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2010. Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the 2nd biggest band on Australian shores, and the jou...
Episode 116 - AC/DC Part 1: The Bon Scott Era (1974-1980) 23.08.2020 1:07:25
Among all the bands to make it out of Australia, only 3 have become international sensations: INXS, The Wiggles... and AC/DC. Starting as a garage band in Sydney in the early 1970s, AC/DC took the world by storm with hit album after hit album, raging their way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2010. Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the 2nd biggest band on Australian shores, and the jou...
Episode 115 - Peter Khoury and the Alien Hairs Part 2 (1973-1992) 16.08.2020 1:25:32
In the 1990s, Peter Khoury was already worried about strange encounters felt by both himself and his family. From strange men standing at second-storey windows, to footsteps with no owner, he thought he'd "seen" it all. Nothing would prepare him for his next encounter with aliens, right in his bedroom one July morning... Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod "Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin MacLeod Used un...
Episode 114 - Peter Khoury and the Alien Hairs Part 1 (1973-1992) 09.08.2020 1:01:40
In the 1990s, Peter Khoury was already worried about strange encounters felt by both himself and his family. From strange men standing at second-storey windows, to footsteps with no owner, he thought he'd "seen" it all. Nothing would prepare him for his next encounter with aliens, right in his bedroom one July morning... Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod "Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin MacLeod Used un...
Episode 113 - Australia's Jack the Ripper Suspect (1891-1892) 03.08.2020 1:09:08
In 1888, as Gentleman Jack stalked the nights in the East End, people grew terrified and suspected everyone, from a Prince of Windsor to the local hairdresser. Thousands of miles away, Fred Deeming was on the hunt for his own victims. Or was he? Sources indicate that Deeming may have been in London at the time those murders took place. Whatever the answer, this episode is not about the Whitechapel...
Episode 112 - The Cabbage Tree Mob Fiasco (1843) 26.07.2020 1:00:54
Captain Charles Hyndman was known for making himself a nuisance around Sydney in whatever way he could manage during the 1840s. An opponent of such horrible ideas as education for all and abolishing Squatters' rights, he took to explaining his political ideas to large audiences, wherever they had gathered. In 1843, Hyndman was arrested for grandstanding on the edge of a race track, and given a psy...
Episode 111 - To Drown a Unionist; or, The Manly Ferry Incident (1949) 19.07.2020 1:02:41
On the evening of Aug 6, 1949, a sensational story appeared on page 1, next to news of a deadly quake in Ecuador; the headline read, Thrown into sea by Reds! While fear of the Red Tide was not as strong in Australia as it was in the USA, the idea that the Russians and other communist nations sought to influence Australia's politics was still strong. Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the Red...
Episode 110 - Australian Outlaws Part 6: The Legend of Moondyne Joe (1861-1900) 12.07.2020 1:03:37
Renowned illusionist Harry Houdini started his career back in the 1890s, forging a path to fame through his ability to escape any situation unharmed. But 40 years beforehand, in the 1850s, a convict sentenced to Transportation for thievery began his own tale of daring escapes in Western Australia. Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the life and escapes of Joseph Johns, aka Moondyne Joe. Main...
Episode 109 - Mr Cruel Part 2 (1987-1991) 05.07.2020 1:05:48
Around the world, there are cases that have gone unsolved so long that they enter the realm of mythology, rather than history. In the UK, Jack the Ripper fascinates true crime buffs. In the USA, it's the Zodiac killer. In Australia, we don't have a serial killer, but we do have Mr Cruel. Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the case, and examine what gives it such longevity. *contains crimes a...
Episode 108 - Mr Cruel Part 1 (1987-1991) 28.06.2020 57:30
Around the world, there are cases that have gone unsolved so long that they enter the realm of mythology, rather than history. In the UK, Jack the Ripper fascinates true crime buffs. In the USA, it's the Zodiac killer. In Australia, we don't have a serial killer, but we do have Mr Cruel. Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the case, and examine what gives it such longevity. *contains crimes a...
Episode 107 - The Sydney Hyde Park Barracks 21.06.2020 1:09:42
In the middle of the Rocks, Sydney, lives a building that has stood the test of time. Originally constructed by convicts for convicts, the Barracks has a long, colourful history, and a few ghosts to boot. Join Holly and Matthew as they examine the Barracks, its ghosts and its history! Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod "Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin MacLeod Used under a Creative Commons license. Becom...
Episode 106 - Monsters from the Dreamtime 14.06.2020 1:17:59
When Europeans came to Australia, they brought with them their monsters - demons, devils and starving men. What they didn't know was that monsters already stalked the Australian landscape, targeting people for their dinner. We've covered Bunyips and Yowies in this series (Episode 3). We've covered the monsters that live in our country - or did before they were extinguished (Episodes 5, 16, 19, 30,...
Episode 105 - The Comic Book Killer Part 2 (1927-2003) 07.06.2020 59:46
As Rosaleen Norton was exhibiting her artwork and being raided for obscenity, a young man indulged in the black market of pornographic art - while making a living as a children's comic book illustrator. Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the story of the Lone Avenger, his creator, and the justification for Australian comics' censorship. Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod "Slow Ticking Clock" –...
Episode 104 - The Comic Book Killer Part 1 (1927-2003) 31.05.2020 56:40
As Rosaleen Norton was exhibiting her artwork and being raided for obscenity, a young man indulged in the black market of pornographic art - while making a living as a children's comic book illustrator. Join Holly and Matthew as they look into the story of the Lone Avenger, his creator, and the justification for Australian comics' censorship. Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod "Slow Ticking Clock" –...
Episode 103 - The Legend of Crocodile Dundee: Rod Ansell (1954-1999) 25.05.2020 40:25
The legend of Crocodile Dundee has melted into the pop culture collective of the Australian stereotype. Join Holly and Matthew as they look at the man who inspired the legend of Crocodile Dundee, and other parts of Australia's reputation. Main Theme music – Kevin MacLeod "Slow Ticking Clock" – Kevin MacLeod Used under a Creative Commons license. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spre...
Episode 102 - The House of Monte Cristo 18.05.2020 1:26:33
There are a few places put forward as the "MOST HAUNTED" places in Australia. We looked into the one most cited (and requested) amongst experts and fans alike... 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/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support .
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