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(315)

The Marvellous Mary Stoddard

The Marvellous Mary Stoddard

In 1881, plucky Mary Stoddard won the Great Australian Christmas Card Competition and launched her long and brilliant career in the Sydney art scene. While colonial gentlemen usually didn’t take ‘lady...

30 Des 20251h 5min

The Garden Palace Mystery Revisited

The Garden Palace Mystery Revisited

Hope you all had a great Christmas. New episodes will be out next week. In the meantime...Australia's first Christmas cards were displayed at The Garden Place. In this episode, originally released in ...

26 Des 20251h 4min

Australia’s Great Christmas Card Competition

Australia’s Great Christmas Card Competition

In 1881, after years of a Christmas card market dominated by wintry imports, the John Sands company launched a competition for Australian-themed designs, with the best and most popular artworks to be ...

21 Des 20251h 3min

When Santa Broke Into Pentridge

When Santa Broke Into Pentridge

A new Christmas episode is on the way. In the meantime, let’s revisit the cheekiest Santa Claus in Australian true crime history: Dusty Sheehan – the young Melbourne larrikin, hapless crook and serial...

15 Des 202532min

Shirley Butler: The Christmas Murder  – Part Two

Shirley Butler: The Christmas Murder – Part Two

In the weeks after Shirley Butler's murder, newspaper reports hinted that police weren't divulging everything they knew. Then, in June 1953, nearly six months after her death, detectives announced a s...

8 Des 202541min

Shirley Butler: The Christmas Murder  – Part One

Shirley Butler: The Christmas Murder – Part One

In this re-release episode, we revisit one of Australia’s most haunting murder cases. On Christmas Day 1952, the body of Shirley Butler was found not far from her Sydney home. The vivacious 21-year-ol...

7 Des 202538min

Short – Stunt Pilot Percy Snell

Short – Stunt Pilot Percy Snell

In September 1920, Captain Percy Snell thrilled Brisbane by performing aviation stunts in a biplane right over the centre of the city. Forgotten today, this fearless flier was a man of many adventures...

28 Nov 202520min

Short – The “Man-Woman” Murder Case That Shocked Australia

Short – The “Man-Woman” Murder Case That Shocked Australia

In 1920, Sydney police arrested a man named Harry Crawford for murder — giving Australian newspapers the story of the year when it was revealed this male suspect was biologically female. The Eugene Fa...

26 Nov 202516min

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