Forgotten Australia

While the evidence against Veronica Monty was damning, she was also damned by the hypocritical morality of Australia in the 1950s. Tried for attempted murder, she was convicted of far worse — and would pay the price.

It’s easy to get a free trial that will give you access to ad-free, early and bonus episodes. Hit either of these links:

Patreon: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Apple: apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Want more original Australian true crime and history? Check out my books!

They’ll Never Hold Me:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/they-ll-never-hold-me-michael-adams/book/9781923046474.html

The Murder Squad:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781923046504.html

Hanging Ned Kelly:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Australia’s Sweetheart:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

Email: [email protected]

When Sydney detectives confirm star Balmain rugby league player Bob Lulham has been poisoned with Thall-Rat, they begin an investigation that at first turns up few leads. A series of mysterious phone calls to the CIB keeps the police wondering until they finally make a shocking arrest. While the identification of the suspect is sensational, what emerges at the accused's committal hearing has jaws on the floor in 1950s Australia — as it would be today. 

Wanna hear the rest of the story now, ad-free?

It’s easy to get a free trial that will give you access to ad-free, early and bonus episodes. Hit either of these links:

Patreon: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Apple: apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Want more original Australian true crime and history? Check out my books!

They’ll Never Hold Me:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/they-ll-never-hold-me-michael-adams/book/9781923046474.html

The Murder Squad:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781923046504.html

Hanging Ned Kelly:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Australia’s Sweetheart:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

Email: [email protected]

On the 20th of July 1953, Sydney detectives discovered that someone had used rat poison to try to murder star Balmain rugby league player Bob Lulham. More than 70 years later, this remains one of Australian sport’s most sensational, strangest and saddest scandals — and among the least remembered. In part one of this deep dive, we explore Bob’s proud family legacy – his father fought at Gallipoli on 25 August 1915 — and Bob’s meteoric rise in rugby league, which included his record-breaking 1947 debut season and him donning the Kangaroo jersey to represent Australia against England in 1948-49.

Wanna hear the rest of The Poisoned Footy Player right now?

It’s easy to get a free trial that will give you access to parts 2 and 3 - and to a dozens of other ad-free, early and bonus episodes. Hit either of these links:

Patreon: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Apple: apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Want more original Australian true crime and history? Check out my books!

They’ll Never Hold Me:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/they-ll-never-hold-me-michael-adams/book/9781923046474.html

The Murder Squad:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781923046504.html

Hanging Ned Kelly:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Australia’s Sweetheart:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

Email: [email protected]

A judge is gunned down, we welcome our first test tube baby and we try to save the world’s rarest bird. Meanwhile, Sydney sets a record house price and the Village People score bigly Down Under. Plus: Why does President Trump love the YMCA? How did Aussies feel about a Moscow Olympics boycott? Which Hollywood actor’s history with Australia intersected with George Orwell, Oscar Wilde, Sidney Nolan and Port Arthur Gaol? And: the strange story of Sydney Opera House’s strangest solo act!

It’s easy to get a free trial that will give you access to ad-free, early and bonus episodes. Hit either of these links:

Patreon: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Apple: apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Want more original Australian true crime and history? Check out my books!

They’ll Never Hold Me:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/they-ll-never-hold-me-michael-adams/book/9781923046474.html

The Murder Squad:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781923046504.html

Hanging Ned Kelly:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Australia’s Sweetheart:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

Email: [email protected]

Media links:

Candice's Marie Claire article: https://www.marieclaire.com.au/latest-news/candice-thum-australia-first-ivf-baby-birthday/

Debi Marshall's 2014 article ‘The Road To Revenge’ - https://www.smh.com.au/national/road-to-revenge-20140825-3e8yo.html

The Family Court Murders on ABC iView – https://iview.abc.net.au/show/family-court-murders

1984 - Australian touring production: https://shakeandstir.com.au/mainstage/1984

Vincent Price in 2UE's 1955 radio adaptation of 1984: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIDOieVBqdg

Vincent Price narrates 1965 Port Arthur doco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5V7MV-hLx0&t=32s

Vincent Price as Oscar Wilde in Diversions and Delights: https://www.thesoundofvincentprice.com/diversions-and-delights/

While Sydney welcomes African-American entertainers, Moree bans Aboriginal Australians from exercising their human rights on the land that’s always been their home. But this regressive act will have progressive consequences… eventually. Plus, while Australia plans to vaccinate against polio and the government commits ground forces to a war in Asia, the manhunt for escaped murderer Patrick Platts reaches a climax. But the Platts story will have its sequel nearly 20 years later – in the ‘Murderphobia’ murder case.

To read more about the 1965 Freedom Ride:

https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/1965-freedom-ride

To get hip to the beat with Dewey ‘Pigmeat’ Markham’s Here Comes The Judge:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRS62nccwmw&list=RDNRS62nccwmw&start_radio=1

It’s easy to get a free trial that will give you access to ad-free, early and bonus episodes. Hit either of these links:

Patreon: patreon.com/forgottenaustralia

Apple: apple.co/forgottenaustralia

Want more original Australian true crime and history? Check out my books!

They’ll Never Hold Me:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/they-ll-never-hold-me-michael-adams/book/9781923046474.html

The Murder Squad:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781923046504.html

Hanging Ned Kelly:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.html

Australia’s Sweetheart:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html

Email: [email protected]