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

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

Episoder(318)

The Woolworths Bombings — Part Four: Get Benny!

The Woolworths Bombings — Part Four: Get Benny!

After “Mr Bridge” is caught red-handed with the $1m Woolworths ransom, the suspect tells Task Force detectives he’s only a courier hired for the job. The mastermind’s name? Benny. From that moment on,...

5 Jan 202145min

The Woolworths Bombings — Part Three: Operation Alpha

The Woolworths Bombings — Part Three: Operation Alpha

As 1980 ends and the New Year begins, Woolworths and the NSW police wage a war of nerves with Mr Dunmore over arrangements for the $1m ransom handover. While the extortionist bomber has a cunning plan...

30 Des 202036min

The Woolworths Bombings — Part Two: Keep Calm & Carry On Shopping

The Woolworths Bombings — Part Two: Keep Calm & Carry On Shopping

After the Christmas Eve bombing of Woolworths' flagship Sydney store, the company awaits contact from the extortionist calling himself Mr Dunmore. Meanwhile, Woolies receives dozens more threats, a be...

24 Des 202037min

Interview with Allan Duncan — First Police Responder to Woolies Xmas Bomb Threat 1980

Interview with Allan Duncan — First Police Responder to Woolies Xmas Bomb Threat 1980

On Christmas Eve 1980, young constable Allan Duncan responded to the Woolies Town Hall bomb threat and would be inside the building when the device detonated. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo...

18 Des 202017min

The Woolworths Bombings — Part One: Christmas Eve 1980

The Woolworths Bombings — Part One: Christmas Eve 1980

On Christmas Eve 1980, the Woolworths’ head office in Sydney gets a phone call from the man already responsible for two regional store bombings in the past week. An explosive device has been placed in...

18 Des 202042min

Australia's First Sporting Heroine — The Marvellous Mrs Douglas: Part Two

Australia's First Sporting Heroine — The Marvellous Mrs Douglas: Part Two

On Christmas Eve 1859, Margaret Douglas and Beverley Howard started their epic 1500-mile walking match in Melbourne — which the city’s newspapers did their very best to ignore. Despite such hostility ...

16 Des 202042min

Australia's First Sporting Heroine — The Marvellous Mrs Douglas: Part One

Australia's First Sporting Heroine — The Marvellous Mrs Douglas: Part One

Melbourne’s Margaret Douglas was an endurance pedestrian every bit as remarkable as her Sydney contemporary The Flying Pieman. After stumbling upon a passing reference to her in an 1878 newspaper, I t...

11 Des 202043min

Australia's First Sporting Hero — The Flying Pieman: Part Three

Australia's First Sporting Hero — The Flying Pieman: Part Three

Having made his dazzling pedestrian comeback, The Flying Pieman takes another tilt at politics in typical comedic fashion before jolting the Sydney establishment with one last audacious stunt. Feeling...

27 Nov 202049min

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