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.

Avsnitt(321)

Anzac Hero: Sister Savage and the Centaur Sinking — Part Two

Anzac Hero: Sister Savage and the Centaur Sinking — Part Two

Sister Ellen Savage was the hero of Centaur and over the next four decades she'd keep alive the memory of her fallen sisters and brothers.She was an Anzac hero who was to pass away on an Anzac Day.To ...

24 Apr 202138min

Anzac Hero: Sister Savage and the Centaur Sinking — Part One

Anzac Hero: Sister Savage and the Centaur Sinking — Part One

On 14 May 1943, the Australian Hospital Ship Centaur was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off the coast of Queensland, with the loss of 268 people. Nursing sister Lieutenant Ellen Savage was one of t...

23 Apr 202139min

The Guyra Ghost — Part Two

The Guyra Ghost — Part Two

Part two introduces us to a hard-charging cop and a spiritually minded reporter as the search for a solution to the Guyra Ghost mystery takes us to Gallipoli and onto the mean streets of Sydney. Hoste...

5 Apr 20211h 15min

The Guyra Ghost — Part One

The Guyra Ghost — Part One

Starting 100 years ago this week, Australia was mystified by strange happenings at a farmhouse at Guyra in northern New South Wales. Showers of stones and unexplained bangings occurred night after nig...

28 Mars 202149min

Percy Brookfield: Our Hero Politician

Percy Brookfield: Our Hero Politician

One hundred years ago today – 22 March 1921 – a gunman shot up the Riverton railway station in South Australia. One man would put himself in the firing line to save lives: Percy "Jack" Brookfield, a f...

21 Mars 202156min

The Entombed Miner

The Entombed Miner

In March 1907 Australia was gripped by the plight of Italian miner Modesto Varischetti, trapped deep underground and underwater at the Bonnie Vale gold mine in Western Australia. The Entombed Miner's ...

14 Mars 202159min

The Woolworths Bombings — Finale: Go Out With A Bang

The Woolworths Bombings — Finale: Go Out With A Bang

With Greg McHardie on the loose, there's another Woolworths bombing. Is the fugitive out for revenge or is he leading a far more laidback life? Even if his plans to leave the country don't come off, i...

7 Feb 202149min

The Woolworths Bombings — Part Eight: Larry's Last Stand

The Woolworths Bombings — Part Eight: Larry's Last Stand

In this, the second-last instalment of this special series, Greg McHardie is as free as a bird after his audacious Easter escape from Parramatta Jail. That leaves consummate entertainer and storytelle...

1 Feb 202144min

Populärt inom Historia

motiv
kod-katastrof
massmordarpodden
historiska-brott
p3-historia
historiepodden-se
rss-historien-om
olosta-mord
historianu-med-urban-lindstedt
rss-brottsligt
rss-seriemordarpodden
krigshistoriepodden
rss-massmordarpodden
palmemordet
rss-arkiv-stieg
militarhistoriepodden
nu-blir-det-historia
rss-borgvattnets-hemligheter
rss-folkets-historia
harrisons-dramatiska-historia