Shows
The Skeptical HistorianBefore Apple Cider Vinegar: Cures, Cons and Quacks in Colonial AustraliaAt the time of recording, the most watched drama on Netflix in Australia was "Apple Cider Vinegar" which was inspired by the story of fraudster Belle Gibson, who built an empire pretending to have cured herself of cancer. But Gibson was not the first (nor will she be the last) to profit from selling fake cures. In colonial Australia, long before Gibson and "Apple Cider Vinegar," quack medicine was everywhere. In this episode, Juliana examines the allure of deadly soothing syrups for babies, full of opium, alcohol and cannabis, and how a savvy businessman selling...2025-05-0546 min
The Skeptical HistorianThe Death FleetThe horror of the Second Fleet is one of Australia's most shameful untold stories. Just two years after the First Fleet landed with barely any European causalities, six more ships arrived full of dead and dying convicts. But what had gone so wrong?This month, Juliana examines how perverse incentives, greed, poorly written contracts and human frailties all collided to create the catastrophe of the Second Fleet, and what we can learn from it today.2025-04-2845 min
The Skeptical HistorianBad Cops: The Shooting of Detective BrophyOn 22 May 1936, Victoria's most famous detective John O'Connell Brophy, was shot four times in Royal Park, while sitting in an idling car with three civilians. After a bungled cover-up, a Royal Commission was established to sort fact from fiction, but there's still some gaping holes ninety years later.This month, Juliana turns her researcher's eye to this tale, peeling back the layers of cover-up, press speculation and depression-era hysteria to find the answer to the questions which still haunt this case. Buckle up skeptics, this one's a wild ride.2025-03-1740 min
The Skeptical HistorianVictoria's Burning: Black Thursday, 1851On February 6 1851, the most extensive bushfire in Victoria’s history roared through the unprepared colony.At least twelve people, one million sheep, thousands of cattle and countless native animals died in the blaze, and over a quarter of the colony was burnt.But how did such a devastating fire occur, and why have we never had another one so extensive?Listen in to find out more.2025-02-0347 min
The Skeptical HistorianAustralia's Deadliest PicnicOn New Year's Day 1915, Gool Mohamed and "Mullah" Abdullah, two local cameleers from Broken Hill, New South Wales, opened fire on a train full of people setting off to enjoy a picnic in nearby Silverton. The men were shot dead later in the day by police. But what caused them to open fire? Was it Australia's first terrorist attack, as some have claimed? An attack on Australia by the forces of the Ottoman Empire? Or something simpler and (perhaps) more terrifying?Listen in and find out.2025-01-1340 min
The Skeptical HistorianThe Tragedy of Henry WiseCaptain Henry Wise, 40th Regiment, is the most famous of the soldiers who stormed the Eureka Stockade in 1854. His death rocked Ballarat to its core and, even today, debate rages about his character, his actions at the stockade, and who it was that fired the fatal shot.Join Juliana in the season finale of "The Skeptical Historian Writes A Thesis" as she examines the short life of this famous officer and what lessons his death has for the ongoing study of Eureka.2024-12-1552 min
The Skeptical HistorianA Short History of the Age of ConsentIn 1885, the British parliament passed laws which made it illegal to rape a minor child, i.e. anyone under the age of sixteen. This came after more than a decade of campaigning by reformers and pushback from politicians. These 1885 laws were the first time the age of consent laws in Britain and the empire had been updated since the 1500s!But were these laws as benign on the surface as they appeared, or was there something darker about the long-standing campaign to raise the age of consent? It may come as a shock today, but few reformers...2024-12-0156 min
The Skeptical HistorianSkeptical Short: The Tale of Two JohnsWe're talked about Melbourne after the gold rush... but what happened before the shiny metal was found, and what were the dreams of the early Europeans when they arrived on the Yarra River? In this special short episode, Juliana considers the two warring Johns who famously claimed to have founded Melbourne: John Batman and John Pascoe Fawkner. Warning: This podcast contains mentions of colonial era atrocities against Indigenous people.2024-10-0225 min
The Skeptical HistorianThe Impossible Japanese InvasionOn the 8th of December 1941, Australia declared war on Japan. Just over two months later, Japanese planes appeared over Darwin and rained hell on our northernmost city.But was it a prelude to an invasion, or something else?Inspired by a recent conference paper, Juliana takes a break from Eureka to explore the popular belief that Australia narrowly escaped a Japanese invasion in 1941 and '42, and considers why this idea has become so embedded in the Australian psyche. After all, the Japanese weren't really coming... were they?2024-09-0251 min
The Skeptical HistorianBack in Time: Australia's Favourite War CriminalBack in Time: After twelve months of campaigning, the Adelaide city council recently announced that they WILL NOT be adding the name of infamous war criminal Harry Morant to the Boer War memorial in Adelaide. This is a good decision, but who was Morant and why was he such a controversial figure? Find out in this classic episode of the Skeptical Historian.In February 1902, Harry "The Breaker" Morant was executed by firing squad in South Africa, after being found guilty of the murder of twelve Boers, nine of them prisoners of war. That should have...2024-08-1652 min
The Skeptical Historian200 Yanks vs. 800 Poms: The American Eurkea StoryOut on the road near Ballarat, a party of 200 armed Americans lay in wait for a column of British infantry making haste to the restless goldfield. What would have happened if they'd crossed paths? The American contribution to Eureka has been buried, forgotten and (in some cases) deliberately written out of this famous story. In this episode, Juliana considers why the Americans have been forgotten, and shines a light on their participation in the stockade, and the famous events surrounding it. The Americans made up the largest ethnic group within the stockade, and accounted for...2024-07-251h 04
The Skeptical HistorianBack In Time: Five Final MinutesJuliana's away this fortnight, but listen in as she goes back in time and revisits an early episode from Season 1 of "The Skeptical Historian." 'Five Final Minutes' examines the mysterious crash of Trans Australian Airlines Flight 538, and the surprising safety legacy that followed.***On the 10th of June 1960, Trans Australia Airlines Flight 538 was attempting to land at MacKay airport in Queensland, Australia. Within the space of five minutes, the plane had lost radio contact and disappeared.Five hours later, the wreckage was found floating off the Queensland coast and the story of T...2024-07-0130 min
The Skeptical HistorianEureka: The Military PerspectiveIn the 170 years or so since Eureka, there have been two perspectives which have commanded attention: those of the stockaders, and that of the Victorian Government. The military, who played a major role in the event, have been side-lined from the historical re-telling. In this episode, Juliana explores the report written by Captain John Thomas, the commanding officer at Eureka, to see what it can tell us about why the military acted as they did at Eureka, and the importance of understanding a story from a range of perspectives.2024-06-1858 min
The Skeptical Historian"To the Colonists!" - A Letter from a Liar? : Part IIIn April 1855, while in hiding from the law after the Battle of the Eureka Stockade, Peter Lalor, the rebel Commander-in-Chief, wrote an open letter that has since become the Holy Gospel of Eureka. It is one of the most quoted and referenced documents regarding this event, and is indispensable to any serious study of the Eureka Stockade, or the Ballarat goldfields. But is it all we've been led to believe? Peter Lalor was a smooth political operator with grand ambitions. He wasn't going to let something as big as Eureka pass without using it to his advantage!2024-05-0857 min
The Skeptical Historian"To the Colonists!" - A Letter from a Liar?: Part IIn April 1855, while in hiding from the law after the Battle of the Eureka Stockade, Peter Lalor, the rebel Commander-in-Chief, wrote an open letter that has since become the Holy Gospel of Eureka. It is one of the most quoted and referenced documents regarding this event, and is indispensable to any serious study of the Eureka Stockade, or the Ballarat goldfields. But is it all we've been led to believe? Peter Lalor was a smooth political operator with grand ambitions. He wasn't going to let something as big as Eureka pass without using it to his advantage!2024-04-231h 12
The Skeptical HistorianBurning Down the HouseOn the 17th of October 1854, just six weeks before the famous Battle of the Eureka Stockade, a mob of furious diggers surrounded the opulent Eureka Hotel in Ballarat and burned it to the ground. The publican had recently got away with murder and the burning of the Eureka has been presented ever since as either a triumph of justice for the people, or the symptom of men pushed too far, too hard, who finally snapped.But was it quite as spontaneous as the arsonists would like us to believe? This fortnight, Juliana considers the circumstances...2024-04-0857 min
The Skeptical HistorianDictation-ship: Morals, Marriage & ItalianJust one year after trying to keep activist Egon Kisch out, the Australian government set their sights on excluding Mabel Freer, a British Indian woman who was coming to Australia to get married. She was white, she was a minor aristocrat, she was the very person Australia was trying to encourage to immigrate under the white Australia policy. So why were they excluding her?As it turned out, it had nothing to do with Mabel's ethnicity and was a stinking cauldron of sexism, classism and nasty-old colonial racism. The Australian Government, the Australian Army, and...2024-02-1234 min
The Skeptical HistorianDictation-ship: Communism & Scottish Gaelic In 1934, Czechoslovakian activist Egon Kisch, an anti-war, anti-fascist campaigner who had escaped the horrors of Nazi Germany was invited to speak at an anti-fascist rally in Australia. He was stopped at the border by Australian immigration officials and prohibited from entering the country.Kisch was not the kind of man to go down without a fight, however, and through a series of legal maneuvers he was finally able to speak and lecture to adoring crowds. The government's attempts to keep him out had turned him from a relatively unknown overseas activist into a national celebrity...2024-02-0141 min
The Skeptical HistorianBONUS: Time to Stick the 26th?Australia Day. Invasion Day. An arbitrary date in January everyone likes to argue about. Whatever the 26th of January is for you, there's no other day in the Australian calendar that sparks so much passionate debate and fierce hatred, but what what is it about this day that gets people so hot under the collar?In this special bonus episode, we'll unpack some of the myths abut Australia Day and fact check a post that's been doing the rounds on social media about the Citizenship Act and its link to January 26. Regular programming will continue as usual...2024-01-2548 min
The Skeptical HistorianThe 40th Regiment & The Crisis of 1851In 1851, the colony of Victoria was hovering on the verge of complete collapse as gold fever swept the inhabitants. Unable to cope, facing record high levels of inflation and with a famine threatening the colony, Governor La Trobe wrote in desperation to London to ask for a military force to restore order. They responded by sending one of the most famous regiments of their day: the 40th Regiment of Foot. But why? The 40th were far away, it took almost twelve months from when La Trobe sent his letter for them to arrive in Victoria. What was...2024-01-1541 min
The Skeptical HistorianNightmare on New Year's EveOn New Year's Eve in Sydney, 1908, things got so out of hands that the council came close to banning the celebration forever! Join Juliana in the very first episode of 2024 to discover what happened, why everything went wrong that year and the lasting legacy that began with a a gang of larrikins with explosive sticks... The Skeptical Historian Writes A Thesis is available every second Tuesday, wherever your get your favourite shows.2024-01-0140 min
The Skeptical HistorianThe Umbrella Man: JFK's Assassination Sixty Year OnSEASON FINAL!Sixty years ago, 35th President of the United States John Fitzgerald Kennedy, better known as JFK, was murdered in Dallas, Texas by Lee Harvey Oswald: a violent political extremist.But, despite multiple, investigations coming to the same conclusion, conspiracy theories about JFK's murder live-on into the present day, and none more so than 'Umbrella Man.'Was he signaling a gunman, as is commonly believed, or was he just "in the wrong place, at the wrong time, doing the wrong thing?" Listen in and find out.This is the...2023-12-0333 min
Let's Share!Sharing Leads to Safe FamiliesIn this episode, guest Juliana Albino, Director of Safe Families in Miami, and host Leigh Byers discuss their blessed friendship starting with meeting through Vacation Bible School and summer camp events, and sharing experiences related to serving children and families. The overall mission of Safe Families is "to engage families via faith communities to open their homes to care for vulnerable children." Learn more about Safe Families on their website - Meet Our Chapter - Miami (safe-families.org) . They value connecting with local churches, volunteers, and donors. Let's share this podcast to inspire!2023-11-1126 min
The Skeptical HistorianBad Cops: Blamey, Badge 80 & The Police Strike of 1923What do you get when you cross low wages with tumbledown barracks, overwork, corporate spies and the Melbourne Cup Carnival? You get the Victoria Police Strike of 1923!Following the first and only police strike in Australian history, Former Army Chief of Staff Thomas Blamey was appointed as Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police. Unfortunately, his penchant for controversy quickly infected the force and he found himself mired in scandal after scandal. Just six week after he was appointed, he was found wearing naught but his badge in an illegal brothel in Fitzroy. Or was he?Join...2023-11-1058 min
The Skeptical HistorianNed Kelly: The Story of Australia's Most Infamous Outlaw - Part IIPart 2 of 2. Edward "Ned" Kelly is perhaps one of the best konwn as most controversial figures in Australian history. Join me for Part II of his story, where we examine Ned's claim that the murder of three policeman at Stringybark Creek was nothing more than self-defense, and put to the test the idea that he robbed banks in Euroa and Jerilderie and handed his proceeds out like a regular Robin Hood. Listeners please note, there are some audio glitches due to difficulty with my equipment, so please excuse any slight jumps in the podcast. This episode discusses gun violence...2023-11-021h 07
The Skeptical HistorianWhere's Our Episode?Hey Skeptics,Due to external deadlines related to my study, I haven't been able to produce Part II of my episode on infamous Australian outlaw Ned Kelly. Rather than serve you something rushed, I've decided to postpone the release until I can get back in my studio. Thank you all so much for sticking with me during this time!Next episode will be released on 31 October 2023.2023-10-2301 min
The Skeptical HistorianNed Kelly: The Story of Australia's Most Infamous Outlaw - Part IPart 1 of 2.Edward "Ned" Kelly is perhaps one of the best known and most controversial figures in Australian history. Join me in this first two-part episode of the Skeptical Historian for a deep dive into Kelly's story, and examine the facts, the myths and the people who were involved.Listeners please note, this episode discusses gun violence, violent crime, police brutality and capital punishment. It may not be suitable for all listeners.2023-10-1050 min
The Skeptical HistorianAn a-MACE-ing MysteryIn 1891, Melbourne was in the midst of an economic depression, a land crash, a maritime strike and a locust plague. To add insult to injury, the sewers caught fire and (much to the horror of the political establishment) women chose this time to start demanding the vote.In the midst of all these calamities, someone stole the Legislative Assembly's mace, a gold-plated stick with purely ceremonial value. But what should have been a back page story became headline news as more and ever more salacious gossip about the mace's whereabouts began to spread. To this day, despite a $50,000 reward...2023-09-2646 min
The Skeptical HistorianBeating Back Black DeathIn 1900, bubonic plague, the Black Death, arrived in Sydney and within a year, it had found its way to Melbourne, Fremantle, Adelaide and Far North Queensland. So how come our brush with this most infamous and deadly disease doesn't get more pages in the history books? Juliana takes a deep dive into Australia's 30-year plague epidemic to understand how a disease with a track record for killing millions didn't even get close in this country, and examines how much of a role the lauded pre-preparation really played in Australia's good fortune.Sources for this episode can be found here...2023-09-1148 min
The Skeptical HistorianWho Doesn't Love A Ghost Story?In 1888, in front of a sold-out audience at the Princess Theatre, British-Italian Opera Singer Frederick Baker suffered a massive heart attack as he descended into "hell" through a trapdoor on the stage. Despite the desperate attempts by doctors to save him, he was declared dead forty minutes later... except that his co-stars swore he joined them for the final curtain call! In this episode, Juliana explores some famous ghost stories from Australia, England and the USA, and considers the age old question, what is it that makes people believe in ghosts?2023-08-2947 min
The Skeptical HistorianEasy As A(lien) B(ig) C(ats)When Europeans arrived in Australia more than 200 years ago, they brought with them horses, cattle, pigs, goats, deer, dogs... and big cats! Ever since, people have claimed to see these animals lurking in the bush, and strange tales abound of livestock killed and cached in trees, while huge pawprints are seen on bushwalking trails. But could it possibly be true? Are there really big cats in Australia? Join Juliana to unravel the mystery!2023-08-141h 12
The Skeptical HistorianLizzie Borden, A Good WomanIn Fall River, Massachusetts, on a hot August day in 1892, Andrew Borden and his wife Abby were murdered, struck multiple times in the head with a hatchet. The only person home at the time of the attacks was Andrew's daughter Lizzie, who was later charged with two counts of murder. Juliana looks over the infamous North American case to consider if Lizzie Borden really "took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks" before finishing off her father with forty-one blows to the head, and why the question of her guilt or innocence continues to be debated to this...2023-07-311h 00The Skeptical HistorianAustralia's Deadly Love AffairIn 1788, when the First Fleet landed in New South Wales, it not only brought convicts, soldiers and administrators to Australia, but horses. Now, more than 200 years later, the feral horse population is on the rise and causing havoc in Australia's national parks. Join Juliana as she examines one of the most controversial issues of modern Australia: the Brumby herds of Kosciuszko National Park. She traces the tale of the brumbies from the first moments of Europeans invasion into the modern day and explores how they went from hatred feral beasts to beloved cultural icons, and if there is any...2023-07-1749 minThe Skeptical HistorianTrailer: The Skeptical HistorianHistory isn't all about worshipping a bunch of dead guys. In fact, most of the history you think you know didn't happen! I'm Juliana Byers, I'm historical researcher and former teacher and on my podcast The Skeptical Historian, we take a deep dive and dissect the mystery that is history. Every second Tuesday I'll be looking at some of the best known stories from Australia (and around the world) to cut through the mythology and find out what really happened. You can listen in on your favourite podcast network or drop by my website www.skepticalhistory.com.2023-07-1401 minThe Skeptical HistorianBreaker Morant: Australia's Favourite War CriminalIn February 1902, Harry "The Breaker" Morant was executed by firing squad in South Africa, after being found guilty of the murder of twelve Boers, nine of them prisoners of war. That should have been the end of him, but 120 years later we're still debating whether this man was a war criminal, or a true-blue Aussie hero. Juliana takes a hard look at the truth behind The Breaker, revealing disturbing facts about his character and the nature of his crimes. Was this man truly an innocent Australian, or something much darker? Listen in and find out.2023-07-0451 min
The Skeptical HistorianBONUS: Songs for Children?Have a look at some of the dark stories behind your favourite nursery rhymes in this special, bonus episode.2023-06-2413 minThe Skeptical HistorianClap Your Hands If You BelieveDedicated to my sister.Have you ever wondered where the myth of the unicorn came from? In honour of International Fairy Day, I explore the history, mystery and myth surrounding one of the best loved fairytale creatures on earth.2023-06-1942 minThe Skeptical HistorianFive Final MinutesOn the 10th of June 1960, Trans Australia Airlines Flight 538 was attempting to land at MacKay airport in Queensland, Australia. Within the space of five minutes, the plane had lost radio contact and disappeared.Five hours later, the wreckage was found floating off the Queensland coast and the story of T.A.A Flight 538's final five minutes have continued to haunt investigators to this day. What happened? And how did it happen so fast? Join Juliana as she attempts to answer these questions and examines how attitudes towards air safety changed in the wake of Flight 538, including...2023-06-0527 minThe Skeptical HistorianUnearthing Eureka, 1854The Battle of the Eureka Stockade is one of the most famous events of Australian history. The gold miners, furious over their constant mistreatment by the authorities, erected a stockade at a place known as Eureka... only to be violently routed within days. Join Juliana as she picks apart this well-known legend and searches for truth beneath the glitter of gold and the time honoured trope that the miners were fighting for freedom, democracy and a fair-go. The men of Eureka had good intentions and it began as a way to challenge the unfairness of government mismanagement... but it...2023-05-2348 minThe Skeptical HistorianGold Fever: Ballarat, Bendigo and BeyondIn 1854, Italian gold miner Raffaelo Carboni declared that the Australian gold fields were "a refuge for all the oppressed people's of the earth". Out there, sifting through dirt and rock, or ankle deep in filthy water at the bottom of a shaft, it didn't matter who you were, where you'd come from, what language you spoke, or the colour of your skin: everyone was equal on the goldfields. Except, they weren't. In this episode, I examine the treatment of three major groups on the goldfields: the Chinese, Indigenous Australians and African-Americans, to see how their lived experiences prove that...2023-05-1239 min
The Skeptical HistorianBonus: "I died in hell - they called it Passchendaele"Every year since 1916, Australia and New Zealand have commemorated ANZAC Day on the 25th of April. This date recalls out landing on the infamous Gallipoli Peninsula and the beginning of an eight month struggle that ended in a desperate evacuation. When the date was chosen, the Australia New Zealand Army Corps had not been in any other engagements, and the Gallipoli campaign remains the best known engagement of the entire war in those countries. But the worst was at Passchendaele. Less well known, but more than twice as deadly as Gallipoli, the Battle of Passchendaele was a battle of...2023-04-2731 minThe Skeptical HistorianWhat Happened to Harold Holt?On 17 December 1967, Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt swam out into the rough seas of Cheviot Beach and never returned. Despite a massive search, his body was never recovered and it wasn't until forty years later that the corner returned a verdict of death by drowning. Harold Holt's disappearance sparked numerous conspiracy theories, as people rushed to fill gaps in public knowledge. In this episode, Juliana examines five of the most popular conspiracy theories, considers their merits and gives her take on what really happened to Harold Holt. She also answers the most important question of all: did the Australians...2023-04-2431 minThe Skeptical HistorianBurke & Wills: Heroes or FoolsIn this first, full length episode of The Skeptical Historian, Juliana takes a deep dive into the legendary Burke and Wills Expedition to uncover some disturbing truths about these supposably heroic explorers. The Victorian Exploring Expedition left Victoria in August 1860, headed up by Robert O'Hara Burke. The aim was to cross the continent of Australia from south to north, and accompanying him were eighteen other men, twenty-seven camels, twenty three horses, two years worth of supplies, and approximately twenty-one tonnes of equipment. Despite this, it all went disastrously wrong and only one man would cross the continent and live...2023-04-0942 minThe Skeptical HistorianBonus: The Eureka Stockade in Ten MinutesIn this very first teaser episode, Juliana takes a look at some of the myths around one of the most famous events in nineteenth century Australian history: The Battle of the Eureka Stockade. History will tell you this was a fight between valiant Australian diggers and bad British soldiers, but when it comes to Eureka, nothing is quite what it seems.2023-03-1810 min