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)

Short – Sydney’s Horror Shipwreck

Short – Sydney’s Horror Shipwreck

In 1857, Sydneysiders awoke to the nightmare vision of their harbour bobbing with bodies. The great ship Dunbar been dashed against The Gap and there seemed to be no survivors. But one lucky chap had ...

23 Nov 202516min

Short – Australia’s First Night at the Flicks

Short – Australia’s First Night at the Flicks

In August 1896, Aussies went to the movies for the first time – and it happened at Melbourne’s Opera House just nine months after the French Lumiere brothers got le punters to pay to see the moving pi...

20 Nov 202511min

Short – Escaping Hell

Short – Escaping Hell

In 1824, two desperate convicts escaped the penal outpost of Macquarie Harbour, risking murder and cannibalism for a fleeting chance at freedom.It’s easy to get a free trial that will give you access ...

17 Nov 202512min

Short – The Canberra Air Disaster Mystery

Short – The Canberra Air Disaster Mystery

In August 1940, an RAAF Hudson bomber crashed in Canberra, killing four of Australia's top wartime leaders — along with six other men. It was a tragedy that'd lead to the downfall of one Prime Ministe...

13 Nov 202518min

This Week in 1957: Part Two – Keep Watching the Skies

This Week in 1957: Part Two – Keep Watching the Skies

Space dog Laika and Sputnik II were the green light for the Cold War missile and space races to accelerate at warp speed. With the Russians out in front, the Americans were hellbent on catching up, us...

6 Nov 202540min

This Week in 1957: Part One – Dogs In Space

This Week in 1957: Part One – Dogs In Space

The world would never be the same after the Russians launched Sputnik II into space and its cosmonaut canine Laika became the first animal to orbit the Earth. Aussies would have to keep their eyes on ...

2 Nov 202540min

This Week in 1932: 32 Rabbit Holes – Part Three

This Week in 1932: 32 Rabbit Holes – Part Three

In 1932, horror movies are on the rise, reflecting fears of an uncertain age – and fair enough, too, because, in addition to the woes of the Great Depression, the rise of fascism and Nazism, and the s...

31 Okt 20251h 6min

This Week in 1932: 32 Rabbit Holes – Part Two

This Week in 1932: 32 Rabbit Holes – Part Two

While Hitler’s rise to power In Germany seems unstoppable and Mussolini celebrates ten years of fascism in Italy, Australia's homegrown New Guard numbskulls have already become irrelevant – and escape...

29 Okt 202538min

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