The Mysteries of Mystery Island — Part One
Forgotten Australia19 Heinä 2021

The Mysteries of Mystery Island — Part One

In 2018 I found and reunited with my biological family, discovering that my people go back to 1842 on Lord Howe Island. On my first visit that Christmas, I became fascinated by the mystery surrounding the early talkie Mystery Island, which was shot on Lord Howe in 1936. Why did its leading man Brian Abbot — who had everything to live for — try to sail to Sydney across the treacherous Tasman Sea in a tiny motor launch? Was he mad, like they said, or was there something else at play?


In the past few months, my investigations have unearthed dozens of startling stranger-than-fiction stories that each shine a different light on this question. So, strap in for an eight-part epic series. You're going to meet Hollywood hopefuls, surf rescuers, plucky canoeists, turf tricksters, war heroes, daredevil aviators, shipwreck survivors and a handful of accused killers. Then there’s one chap who wrestled an octopus, rode sharks, hunted a humpback whale in Sydney Harbour, tried to reel in an Olympic swimming champion and led an expedition to catch a mysterious sea serpent — twice. Underlying all of these dramatic, tragic and comic tales is a haunting question: what role does “the element of luck” play in who lives and who dies?


In Part One, we meet young George Rikard-Bell, who rejected his privileged upbringing to become an adventurer and a conman in the Great Depression — before reinventing himself as the actor Brian Abbot. Part Two will be released on Thursday. Instalments will be out on Mondays after that. But you can binge all eight parts now by becoming a Forgotten Australia supporter for just a few bucks per month — go to: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaksot(318)

The Boys of Death Row – Part Three: The Hooded Bandit

The Boys of Death Row – Part Three: The Hooded Bandit

Another young criminal faces the ultimate penalty after being convicted of shooting a man during a Sydney railway robbery. But is the Hooded Bandit about to be hanged because the government is making ...

18 Elo 202446min

The Boys of Death Row – Part Two: The Calmest Killer

The Boys of Death Row – Part Two: The Calmest Killer

With Monty Henwood’s 17-year-old alleged killer in custody, police are amazed by the youth’s calm confessions… even though they might see him sentenced to death.*Part two of The Boys of Death Row. The...

14 Elo 202437min

The Boys of Death Row – Part One: A Body on the Line

The Boys of Death Row – Part One: A Body on the Line

On a Monday morning in November 1935, a battered man is found dead beside railway tracks in the Blue Mountains. The victim is revered and his death is a mystery. But Sydney police, led by murder exper...

11 Elo 202450min

The Masked Murderer

The Masked Murderer

Originally released in 2019, this episode tells the story of a Saturday night stick-up in Sydney that went very, very wrong – leaving a mystery that has endured for nearly a century.My upcoming minise...

30 Heinä 202459min

The Forgotten Man – Part Four: The Truth

The Forgotten Man – Part Four: The Truth

One of Australia’s most respected journalists tells us about his early career on Sydney tabloid The Sun and how he got an exclusive interview with The Forgotten Man to ask the question: ‘Did you do it...

28 Heinä 202441min

The Forgotten Man – Part Three: The Trial

The Forgotten Man – Part Three: The Trial

The man accused of John Smillie’s murder finally has his day in court. But the verdict won’t settle the haunting question of his guilt or innocence.To support the show:Apple - http://apple.co/forgotte...

25 Heinä 202458min

The Forgotten Man – Part Two: The Accused

The Forgotten Man – Part Two: The Accused

Following new information, received six months after the murder of John Smillie, detectives from Sydney’s CIB swoop on their suspect. What happens next is decried as a travesty of justice.To support t...

21 Heinä 202459min

The Forgotten Man – Part One: The Murder

The Forgotten Man – Part One: The Murder

In September 1935, John Smillie was shot dead in his taxi in western Sydney. Who had murdered this war veteran, loving husband and doting father? Was it a robbery gone wrong? A maniac with a grudge ag...

16 Heinä 202448min

Suosittua kategoriassa Historia

olipa-kerran-otsikko
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
mayday-fi
huijarit
mystista
totuus-vai-salaliitto
tsunami
rss-ikiuni
konginkangas
rouva-diktaattori
rss-subjektiivinen-todistaja
rss-i-dont-like-mondays-2
sotaa-ja-historiaa-podi
rss-peter-peter
tiedetta-ja-sirkushuveja-vanhojen-aikojen-podcast
rss-kirkon-ihmeellisimmat-tarinat
rss-kalmakabinetti
rss-sattuu-sita-suomessakin
maailmanpuu