Weird Crap in Australia

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.