Wild: Stories from Western Australia's past

The Rodondo was a steamship that hit a reef travelling through the Recherche Archipelago in 1894. She was wrecked, and sank somewhere near Salisbury Island. The exact location of the sunken ship is unknown - at least until recently! There's some breaking news on this one. Listen to the whole story of the Rodondo here. For sources and more information, visit: www.wildwapodcast.com www.karliflo...

William Dampier might be a familiar name to many Western Australians - the port town of Dampier is named after him, as is the Dampier Archipelago, and several other landmarks. Who was William Dampier, and what significance did he have for Western Australia? Was he a pirate, an explorer, a naturalist, or a writer? Or all of the above?  For more information about the sources I have used in this epis...

This is the story of Western Australia's amazing Robin Miller, also known as the Sugarbird Lady.  If you want to get straight to the story, you can skip ahead to 6:00. To support the podcast, you can buy me a coffee at this link .  For more information about my book, or to get in touch, you can visit my website, www.karliflorisson.com .  To watch the Esperance Historic Homesteads Documentary...

C Y O'Connor was a visionary architect whose work transformed Western Australia. He was hard working, far sighted, and courageous, but ultimately, his story is a tragedy.  Visit www.wildwapodcast.com for more information, or find me on Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/wildwastoriespodcast/ for some photos to go with this episode.  You can find the documentary project that I've been w...

In 1933, Western Australia held a referendum on whether or not we should secede from the Commonwealth of Australia. What led up to this moment, and what did the people of Western Australia decide?  Visit www.wildwapodcast.com for more details. 

John Septimus Roe is probably the most influential person in Western Australian history that you've never heard of. He had a huge impact on the way that Western Australia looks today.  For more information or references, visit www.wildwapodcast.com

In the early days of Western Australia's settlement, the new coastal settlements and towns relied heavily on the coastal mail ships that delivered the mail, brought the news, and did so much more. These ships provided the only way these towns could communicate with the outside world. The coastal shipping service continued on after the telegraph line was put through, and after other options fo...

In 1979, NASA's space station, Skylab, reentered Earth's atmosphere, breaking up over the south west of Western Australia. Here are the details of that event.  For more information about this podcast, including references, check out www.wildwapodcast.com. You can also email me at wildwapodcast@gmail.com I'm on Facebook and Twitter (Just look up Karli Florisson) or you can find me on...

WA Inc. was the name given to a political scandal in Western Australia that resulted in two state Premiers going to jail. At the center of it all was Brian Burke, a charismatic reporter turned politician. Listen in for the full story!  For more details about sources used in this podcast, visit my website, www.wildwapodcast.com. You can also follow me on social media! I'm on Twitter @KarliFlor...

Rottnest Island has had a long and colourful history, filled with a great deal of tragedy. While these days we know the island as Perth's little holiday destination, filled with cute quokkas, it has been a prison island, a reformatory, and an army barracks, among other things. Listen in to hear the whole story of Rottnest Island.  For details about sources, you can visit www.wildwapodcast.com...

What does a Japanese doomsday cult and a terror attack have to do with a sheep station in the remote outback of Western Australia? Listen to find out!  This is the story of the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo and their connection with Banjawarn Station.  For more information, and to see references for this episode, check out www.wildwapodcast.com

This town has been called Australia's most contaminated site, and it has a deadly history. So how did Wittenoom go from being a bustling mining town to having such a tragic past? Listen in to find out.  With host Karli Florisson For information about sources used in this podcast, go to www.wildwapodcast.com

In 1876, a steamship called the Georgette started to take in water. This story includes the brave rescue of the passengers and crew, as well as some detail about the Bussell family.  Go to www.wildwapodcast.com for more details

Before there were European settlers in Western Australia, there were sealers and whalers operating off our coastline. This episode covers the very long history of sealing and whaling in Western Australian waters, with more than a few digressions along the way.  For more information, and for sources that I have used in researching this podcast, visit www.wildwapodcast.com. 

In 1946, Aboriginal Station workers across the Pilbara went on strike for better wages and conditions. Was the strike successful? Listen in to find out more.  Sources available at www.wildwapodcast.com

The story of a horse that sparked a gold rush!  It's also the story of one of the ordinary families that came from hardships and overcame difficulties, helping to shape our state into what it is today. For more information, and episode notes, see www.wildwapodcast.com

A gold rush, a dangerous mine, a short detour to talk about a US President who might have fallen in love with a Kalgoorlie Barmaid, and an amazing rescue that was decades before its time.  For sources, go to www.wildwapodcast.com

In 1629, the Batavia hit a reef in the Abrolhos Islands, off the coast of Western Australia, with catastrophic consequences. This incident has been called the worst horror story of maritime history.  For more information, visit my website www.wildwapodcast.com. 

In the 1932, a little known military campaign took place in the Western Australian outback. The Great Emu War was short lived - but who was victorious?  For a list of the sources that I used to compile this episode, or for more information, go to www.wildwapodcast.com.  A short clip showing footage of the Emu War can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1wA0PKeJqc

Edith Cowan is featured on our fifty dollar note, as well as having a university and an electorate named after her. But what was significant about her, and what did she achieve? Listen in to hear all about the amazing life of Edith Cowan.  For more episode notes and sources for this episode, visit www.wildwapodcast.com

Thirty years ago, one of Western Australia's worst ecological disasters occurred when the bulk carrier the Sanko Harvest hit a reef off the coast of Esperance.  For more details and the episode notes, visit www.wildwapodcast.com. 

The Catalpa Rescue was a daring attempt to rescue Irish political prisoners from the notorious Fremantle Prison.  More episode notes at www.wildwapodcast.com

The Hutt River Province is a little micronation, 500 kilometres north of Perth. How did we end up with a tiny independent province in the middle of the WA outback? And what happened to the province in the end?  Visit www.wildwapodcast.com for more information, and for all of the show notes. 

According to legend, Black Jack Anderson was a pirate who lived off the coast of Western Australia on Middle Island. While there aren't any peg legs, treasure maps, or parrots in this episode, there is plenty of violence, thievery, and scandal.  Visit www.wildwapodcast.com for the full show notes on this episode, and a list of references. 

Wild: Stories from Western Australia's past is a new podcast launching on the 15th of January, 2021.