Weird Crap In Australia

They’re loud, they’re messy, and they’ve become one of Australia’s most controversial native animals — the grey-headed flying fox.Found along the east coast, these large fruit bats play a vital role in pollination and seed dispersal, yet their presence in urban areas has made them the centre of ongoing conflict between conservation and community concerns.From mass colonies in suburban parks to debates over relocation and protection, it’s a story that sits at the intersection of environment, policy, and everyday life.In this episode, Holly and Matthew explore the history, behaviour, and ecological importance of grey-headed flying foxes, along with the challenges they present in towns and cities.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

In 1973, a global oil shock reached Australian shores and changed everyday life almost overnight. Fuel shortages, price spikes, and uncertainty rippled through the country, forcing governments and communities to rethink how they used energy.In this episode, Holly and Matthew explore how the oil crisis played out in Australia — from petrol rationing and changing driving habits to the political decisions that shaped the nation’s response. What began as an overseas conflict quickly became a local disruption, exposing just how dependent Australia had become on global supply.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

In December 2022, a routine missing persons check in rural Queensland turned into one of the deadliest attacks on police in recent Australian history. Two officers and a neighbouring resident were killed in a violent ambush at a remote property near the small community of Wieambilla.In this episode, Holly and Matthew walk through the events as they unfolded — from the initial police attendance to the hours-long emergency response that followed. As investigators pieced together what had happened, the scale and planning of the attack became increasingly clear.This is a careful reconstruction of the incident itself: the timeline, the confrontation, and the aftermath of a tragedy that shocked communities across Australia.---Sources used this episode (in appearance order): A Current Affair Staff. (2022, December). Grieving widow remembers hero neighbour husband killed in cop shooting. A Current Affair. Retrieved January 29, 2025, from https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/wieambilla-shooting-grieving-widow-hea

In December 2022, a routine missing persons check in rural Queensland turned into one of the deadliest attacks on police in recent Australian history. Two officers and a neighbouring resident were killed in a violent ambush at a remote property near the small community of Wieambilla.In this episode, Holly and Matthew walk through the events as they unfolded — from the initial police attendance to the hours-long emergency response that followed. As investigators pieced together what had happened, the scale and planning of the attack became increasingly clear.This is a careful reconstruction of the incident itself: the timeline, the confrontation, and the aftermath of a tragedy that shocked communities across Australia.---Sources used this episode (in appearance order): Hinchcliffe, J. (2022, December 16). Wieambilla shooting: Stacey Train had limited contact with family after entering ‘controlling’ relationship with brother-in-law. The Guardian. Retrieved January 29, 2025, from https://www.theguardian.com/aust

In December 2022, a routine missing persons check in rural Queensland turned into one of the deadliest attacks on police in recent Australian history. Two officers and a neighbouring resident were killed in a violent ambush at a remote property near the small community of Wieambilla.In this episode, Holly and Matthew walk through the events as they unfolded — from the initial police attendance to the hours-long emergency response that followed. As investigators pieced together what had happened, the scale and planning of the attack became increasingly clear.This is a careful reconstruction of the incident itself: the timeline, the confrontation, and the aftermath of a tragedy that shocked communities across Australia.---Sources used this episode (in appearance order): Smee, B., & Bucci, N. (2022, December 15). God and guns: the strict religious upbringing of the Wieambilla shooters. The Guardian. Retrieved January 29, 2025, from https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/dec/14/god-and-guns-the-stric

In December 2022, a routine missing persons check in rural Queensland turned into one of the deadliest attacks on police in recent Australian history. Two officers and a neighbouring resident were killed in a violent ambush at a remote property near the small community of Wieambilla.In this episode, Holly and Matthew walk through the events as they unfolded — from the initial police attendance to the hours-long emergency response that followed. As investigators pieced together what had happened, the scale and planning of the attack became increasingly clear.This is a careful reconstruction of the incident itself: the timeline, the confrontation, and the aftermath of a tragedy that shocked communities across Australia.---To celebrate episode 400, stick around after the show for a Q&A with Holly & Matthew, featuring questions from you, our listeners!Sources used this episode (in appearance order): Clarke, H. (2022, December 12). The deep grief felt by Rachel McCrow’s former partner. Country Caller. Retr

Between Morwell and Traralgon in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley lies a stretch of road with a reputation that refuses to fade. Known locally as Haunted Hills, this unassuming patch of bushland has generated decades of whispered stories — strange lights drifting through the trees, shadowy figures on the roadside, unexplained cold spots, and the unnerving sense that something is watching from the dark.In this episode, Holly and Matthew explore the origins of the legend, the reported sightings, and the possible explanations behind them. Are the stories tied to tragic accidents, natural phenomena, or something more sinister?**One more episode to 400!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

For decades, Australia treated video games differently.Titles were banned. Content was refused classification. Games were edited, delayed, or never released at all. For years, we didn’t even have an R18+ category for games — meaning adult players were restricted by a system built for something else entirely.In this episode, we trace the history of video game censorship in Australia — from early classification battles to moral panics, high-profile bans, and the eventual fight for an R rating. What was actually being censored? Who decided? And why were games singled out?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

For decades, Australian audiences were told what they could and couldn’t watch — often with scissors, black ink, and outright bans. From silent films and imported reels to grindhouse classics and modern cinema, Australia developed a reputation as one of the most restrictive film-censoring countries in the Western world.Join Holly & Matthew as they trace the history of Australian film censorship, from early morality laws and customs seizures to the creation of classification boards and the long fight over violence, sex, and “community standards”. Along the way, we'll examine infamous bans, bizarre edits, and the cultural anxieties that shaped what Australians were allowed to see on screen.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

For decades, Australian audiences were told what they could and couldn’t watch — often with scissors, black ink, and outright bans. From silent films and imported reels to grindhouse classics and modern cinema, Australia developed a reputation as one of the most restrictive film-censoring countries in the Western world.Join Holly & Matthew as they trace the history of Australian film censorship, from early morality laws and customs seizures to the creation of classification boards and the long fight over violence, sex, and “community standards”. Along the way, we'll examine infamous bans, bizarre edits, and the cultural anxieties that shaped what Australians were allowed to see on screen.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

For decades, Australian audiences were told what they could and couldn’t watch — often with scissors, black ink, and outright bans. From silent films and imported reels to grindhouse classics and modern cinema, Australia developed a reputation as one of the most restrictive film-censoring countries in the Western world.Join Holly & Matthew as they trace the history of Australian film censorship, from early morality laws and customs seizures to the creation of classification boards and the long fight over violence, sex, and “community standards”. Along the way, we'll examine infamous bans, bizarre edits, and the cultural anxieties that shaped what Australians were allowed to see on screen.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

Yes… we’re doing it again.Holly & Matthew return to Wolf Creek for a full watch-along commentary, folding in everything they learned while researching Episode 272 — the trivia, the controversies, the odd little production quirks, and the lingering weirdness that’s cropped up since.If you’ve ever wanted to watch the film armed with far too much context (and a healthy sense of unease), this one’s for you. Hit play, sync up, and come suffer joyfully alongside us.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

In the late 1970s, a string of disappearances around Adelaide quietly escalated into one of South Australia’s most disturbing serial crime cases. Young women vanished after accepting lifts, their movements barely noticed until the pattern became impossible to ignore. What followed would expose a trail of violence, manipulation, and institutional blind spots that still haunt the case today.Join Holly & Matthew as they unravel the timeline of the Truro Murders — the victims, the offenders, the police investigation, and the failures that allowed the crimes to continue for so long. They examine how early warning signs were missed, how survivor testimony reshaped the case, and why this remains one of the most confronting chapters in Australian true crime.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

In the late 1970s, a string of disappearances around Adelaide quietly escalated into one of South Australia’s most disturbing serial crime cases. Young women vanished after accepting lifts, their movements barely noticed until the pattern became impossible to ignore. What followed would expose a trail of violence, manipulation, and institutional blind spots that still haunt the case today.Join Holly & Matthew as they unravel the timeline of the Truro Murders — the victims, the offenders, the police investigation, and the failures that allowed the crimes to continue for so long. They examine how early warning signs were missed, how survivor testimony reshaped the case, and why this remains one of the most confronting chapters in Australian true crime.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

Long before the animated adaptation unsettled generations of children, Dot and the Kangaroo began life as an 1898 children’s book by Ethel C. Pedley — a purely Australian story that reflects how we once taught our youngest readers about nature, danger, and survival Down Under.Join Holly & Matthew as they explore the beginnings of Australian identity, the birth of a franchise, and one of the only surviving examples of an extinct animation style — all while riding through the bush on the back of a kangaroo.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

In the mid-1860s, the goldfields and bush tracks of New South Wales were ruled by one of Australia’s most notorious outlaw groups: the Ben Hall Gang. Led by the charismatic and deeply divisive Ben Hall, the gang carried out a daring string of robberies that humiliated police, terrified settlers, and turned bushranging into front-page news. But this was no romantic Robin Hood tale. As pressure mounted and the government introduced brutal new laws to crush the outlaws, the violence escalated. Betrayals followed, loyalties fractured, and the line between legend and reality blurred beyond recognition.In this episode, we trace the rise and fall of the Ben Hall Gang — the robberies, the manhunts, the myths, and the bloody end that cemented their place in Australian history. It’s a story of mateship, desperation, and a colony determined to make an example of its most famous criminals.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

This week, we sit down with Around the World with Dot — the animated adventure that whisked an Australian bush child across continents in a strange blend of live-action backdrops, talking animals, and Cold War-era messaging.From the peculiar pacing to the international diplomacy-through-cartoon logic, we explore how this film tried to reimagine Dot’s bushland origins on a global stage — and how the hybrid animation style both charmed and bewildered audiences. Was it a heartfelt plea for unity, an ambitious creative experiment, or a fever dream that only Australian children’s cinema could produce? Well, that’s what we’re here to find out.But really? We mostly talk about our Christmases.So cue up the film, settle in, and watch along as we dissect, laugh, and marvel at one of the more unusual entries in Australia's animation history.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

In the mid-1860s, the goldfields and bush tracks of New South Wales were ruled by one of Australia’s most notorious outlaw groups: the Ben Hall Gang. Led by the charismatic and deeply divisive Ben Hall, the gang carried out a daring string of robberies that humiliated police, terrified settlers, and turned bushranging into front-page news. But this was no romantic Robin Hood tale. As pressure mounted and the government introduced brutal new laws to crush the outlaws, the violence escalated. Betrayals followed, loyalties fractured, and the line between legend and reality blurred beyond recognition.In this episode, we trace the rise and fall of the Ben Hall Gang — the robberies, the manhunts, the myths, and the bloody end that cemented their place in Australian history. It’s a story of mateship, desperation, and a colony determined to make an example of its most famous criminals.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

Australia has produced many formidable creatures: sharks, snakes, drop bears… but none strike fear into the national heart quite like the humble magpie. We’re diving beak-first into the legend of Australia’s Flying Terror — from swooping season strategies and infamous attack hotspots to the science behind why these monochrome missiles pick their targets.Join Matthew & Holly as they explore the birds' surprising intelligence, their role in folklore, and the heroic lengths Australians go to simply check the letterbox in spring. Lace up your shoes, keep your eyes front, and join us as we unravel how a beloved national icon also became one of the country’s most efficient airborne menaces.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

In January 2000, a car was found at the bottom of an embankment in Heathcote National Park. Inside were Bill and Pam Weightman — a respectable south-west Sydney couple, seemingly the victims of a tragic late-night accident. Police found no skid marks. No witnesses. No sign of another vehicle. Within hours, the case was closed.But nothing about the scene truly added up. Why were two cautious, routine-driven people out so late? Why did their injuries raise quiet questions no one followed up? And how did a forensic report — later revealed to contain a startling error — help bury the truth for four long years?In this episode, join Holly & Matthew as they examine the threads of a case that looked simple… until you examine the facts. It’s a story of suspicion, persistence, broken systems, and the unsettling realisation that sometimes the most ordinary tragedies aren’t what they seem.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.