The Mysteries of Mystery Island — Part One

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

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Episoder(323)

The Nature of the Scorpion – Part Three

The Nature of the Scorpion – Part Three

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The Nature of the Scorpion – Part Two

The Nature of the Scorpion – Part Two

After committing a sickening outrage in the first weeks of 1900, George Blunderfield serves a relatively short jail sentence. When he's set free he sheds his identity but can’t help but follow the nat...

28 Apr 202444min

The Nature of the Scorpion – Part One

The Nature of the Scorpion – Part One

Forgotten fiend George Blunderfield left a trail of violence and murder across Australia from the late 19th century until near the end of the First World War. Parts 2 & 3 will be released next week. B...

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Nightmare on the Night Train – Part Three

Nightmare on the Night Train – Part Three

Trapped in Melbourne in bizarre circumstances, Herbert Kopit's last chance is to talk his way out of an arrest and flee the country.First released in 2022, this episode is re-released as part of Seaso...

17 Apr 202431min

Nightmare on the Night Train – Part Two

Nightmare on the Night Train – Part Two

How did Herbert Kopit become the most wanted man in Australia, trying to escape a massive tri-state murder manhunt while dressed as a woman?Part 3 will be released next week. But You can hear it now a...

14 Apr 202439min

Nightmare on the Night Train – Part One

Nightmare on the Night Train – Part One

It's just after dawn on 2 April 1936 at Brisbane's Central Railway Station and as a porter enters a sleeping car on the overnight train from Bundaberg he discovers a slaughterhouse. Within minutes Que...

11 Apr 202435min

Your Stories: ‘My Great-Great Grandfather was a Serial Killer!’

Your Stories: ‘My Great-Great Grandfather was a Serial Killer!’

In Victoria in September 1883, moments before he was hanged for murder, Robert Burns made a startling confession, claiming he’d killed not one but eight people. Flash forward 140 years and Bendigo wom...

28 Mar 202451min

The Human Glove Mystery – Part Two

The Human Glove Mystery – Part Two

With ‘The Human Glove’ murder trial just about over, gunshot rings out in Wagga Wagga and another person falls dead. This victim? A witness.Support Forgotten Australia:Apple - http://apple.co/forgotte...

17 Mar 202451min

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