Share

cover art for The Ghost of Mount Victoria Pass

Forgotten Australia

The Ghost of Mount Victoria Pass

Season 1, Ep. 12

In 1891 Henry Lawson published a poem called “The Ghost at the Second Bridge”, which told of encountering a terrifying spectre on lonely Mount Victoria Pass in the Blue Mountains. While a fright of fancy, Lawson’s poem was based on a tragic true story. Gather round for the haunting tale of a handful of murders, a couple of hangings, chaotic court cases, drunken witnesses, shock acquittals, and, of course, sightings of the restless spirit known as “The Woman in Black”. For more information and photos: www.forgottenaustralia.com Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/forgottenoz

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 43. To Live & Die in D.C. – Part Three: Dead Ends and Another Dead Woman

    56:33||Season 8, Ep. 43
    Despite the best efforts of D.C. detectives and Sydney cops – including Senior Constable Roger Rogerson – Sherry and Sharan’s killer remains at large. When a breakthrough comes, it’ll be in the worst possible circumstances.To pre-order They'll Never Hold Me:https://affirmpress.com.au/browse/book/Michael-Adams-They%27ll-Never-Hold-Me-9781923046474To support the show:Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustraliaPatreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustraliaCheck out my new book, They’ll Never Hold Mehttps://affirmpress.com.au/author/61917Email: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com
  • 42. To Live & Die in D.C. – Part Two: A Race Against Time

    58:49||Season 8, Ep. 42
    Sherry Frahm and Sharan Tapp settle into living and working in Washington. But it’s dangerous being a counter girl in a McDonald’s during D.C.’s ever-bloodier wave of senseless murders.The five-part miniseries is based on information unearthed in Australian government archives, US court transcripts, American and Australian historic newspaper articles – and on recent interviews with two family members.More than a true crime deep dive, this miniseries remembers two fearless Australian women whose fates have been overlooked while Billy and Sonia McMahon’s ‘sexy’ White House shenanigans became part of pop culture history.To Live & Die in D.C. poses still relevant questions about sexism, racism, crime and justice – and who we remember and why.To pre-order They'll Never Hold Me:https://affirmpress.com.au/browse/book/Michael-Adams-They%27ll-Never-Hold-Me-9781923046474To support the show:Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustraliaPatreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustraliaCheck out my new book, They’ll Never Hold Mehttps://affirmpress.com.au/author/61917Email: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com
  • 41. To Live & Die in D.C. – Part One: Two Aussie Girls

    51:58||Season 8, Ep. 41
    In November 1971, at the exact moment that Prime Minister Billy McMahon’s wife Sonia stepped out in her infamously revealing dress at a White House dinner, Australian embassy officials in Washington were thrust into the first crucial hours of a serial killer investigation. Two young women had just been found murdered in a nearby apartment and D.C. homicide detectives believed the victims were from Down Under. In a race against time, American and Australian cops and diplomats would have to work together to identify the maniac before he stuck again.To Live & Die in D.C. reveals - for the very first time - an extraordinary instance of Australian true crime and Australian political history colliding during a shocking murder wave that was engulfing not only the American capitol but all of the United States.The five-part miniseries is based on information unearthed in Australian government archives, US court transcripts, American and Australian historic newspaper articles – and on recent interviews with two family members.More than a true crime deep dive, this miniseries remembers two fearless Australian women whose fates have been overlooked while Billy and Sonia McMahon’s ‘sexy’ White House shenanigans became part of pop culture history.To Live & Die in D.C. poses still relevant questions about sexism, racism, crime and justice – and who we remember and why.To pre-order They'll Never Hold Me:https://affirmpress.com.au/browse/book/Michael-Adams-They%27ll-Never-Hold-Me-9781923046474To support the show:Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustraliaPatreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustraliaEmail: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com
  • 40. The Rise of Roger Rogerson – Part Two: Men Died Because of What He Did

    39:27||Season 8, Ep. 40
    How was the 1976 case of armed robber Phillip Western a prototype for the “Green Light” that’d soon be given to Neddy Smith? Continuing our in-depth interview, veteran journalist Neil Mercer explains how Roger Rogerson perverting the legal system for profit resulted in a forgotten murder and set the scene for future bloodbaths. Be sure to read Neil Mercer’s new book, The Kingpin and the Crooked Cop: The Definitive Inside Story of Neddy Smith and Roger Rogerson, Partners in Crime.Buy it here: https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Neil-Mercer-Kingpin-and-the-Crooked-Cop-9781760879952Support Forgotten Australia:Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustraliaPatreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustraliaCheck out my books:The Murder Squadhttps://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.htmlHanging Ned Kellyhttps://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.htmlAustralia’s Sweethearthttps://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html
  • 39. The Rise of Roger Rogerson – Part One: All Hell Broke Loose

    41:09||Season 8, Ep. 39
    How did a hero detective become Australia’s most notoriously corrupt killer cop? In an in-depth conversation, veteran journalist Neil Mercer talks about the Rogerson he interviewed and investigated, starting with their first meeting in 1982. Be sure to read Neil Mercer’s new book, The Kingpin and the Crooked Cop: The Definitive Inside Story of Neddy Smith and Roger Rogerson, Partners in Crime.Buy it here: https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Neil-Mercer-Kingpin-and-the-Crooked-Cop-9781760879952Support Forgotten Australia:Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustraliaPatreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustraliaCheck out my books:The Murder Squadhttps://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.htmlHanging Ned Kellyhttps://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.htmlAustralia’s Sweethearthttps://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html
  • 38. The Boys of Death Row – Part Six: Lives Hanging in the Balance

    58:33||Season 8, Ep. 38
    A new murder committed by a 17-year-old brings the tally of boys on Death Row to ten. From April 1936 onwards, the NSW government has to decide who’ll live and who’ll die. With time running out in one case, they rush towards a ‘ghastly mistake’, while in another what they decide will lead to another murder more than 50 years later in Queensland.To support the show:Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustraliaPatreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustraliaCheck out my books:(there’s a new one…)They’ll Never Hold Me @ Dymockshttps://www.dymocks.com.au/book/theyll-never-hold-me-by-michael-adams-9781923046474Hanging Ned Kelly @ Dymockshttps://www.dymocks.com.au/book/hanging-ned-kelly-by-michael-adams-9781922992185The Murder Squad @ Dymockshttps://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-murder-squad-by-michael-adams-9781923046504Email: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com
  • 37. The Boys of Death Row – Part Five: The Defence of Consent

    32:10||Season 8, Ep. 37
    In March 1936, a young Italian woman testifies against her seven rapists in open court, speaking bravely against their claims she’d consented to their violent group assault.To support the show:Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustraliaPatreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustraliaCheck out my books:(there’s a new one…)They’ll Never Hold Me @ Dymockshttps://www.dymocks.com.au/book/theyll-never-hold-me-by-michael-adams-9781923046474Hanging Ned Kelly @ Dymockshttps://www.dymocks.com.au/book/hanging-ned-kelly-by-michael-adams-9781922992185The Murder Squad @ Dymockshttps://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-murder-squad-by-michael-adams-9781923046504Email: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com
  • 36. The Boys of Death Row – Part Four: A Murderer About Town

    39:45||Season 8, Ep. 36
    In the lazy days between Christmas and New Year in Wagga Wagga in 1935, a 17-year-old boy spends the festive season indulging in romantic fakery, prepared to defend his deception with cold-blooded murder.To support the show:Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustraliaPatreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustraliaCheck out my books:(there’s a new one…)They’ll Never Hold Me @ Dymockshttps://www.dymocks.com.au/book/theyll-never-hold-me-by-michael-adams-9781923046474Hanging Ned Kelly @ Dymockshttps://www.dymocks.com.au/book/hanging-ned-kelly-by-michael-adams-9781922992185The Murder Squad @ Dymockshttps://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-murder-squad-by-michael-adams-9781923046504Email: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com
  • 35. The Boys of Death Row – Part Three: The Hooded Bandit

    46:33||Season 8, Ep. 35
    Another young criminal faces the ultimate penalty after being convicted of shooting a man during a Sydney railway robbery. But is the Hooded Bandit about to be hanged because the government is making a ghastly legal mistake?To support the show:Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustraliaPatreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustraliaCheck out my books:(there’s a new one…)They’ll Never Hold Me @ Dymockshttps://www.dymocks.com.au/book/theyll-never-hold-me-by-michael-adams-9781923046474Hanging Ned Kelly @ Dymockshttps://www.dymocks.com.au/book/hanging-ned-kelly-by-michael-adams-9781922992185The Murder Squad @ Dymockshttps://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-murder-squad-by-michael-adams-9781923046504Email: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com