For more than four decades, Fred Nile was one of the most recognisable and controversial figures in Australian politics. As the founder of the Call to Australia Party, later the Christian Democratic Party, he built a career campaigning on conservative Christian values, influencing legislation in New South Wales despite rarely holding the balance of power outright.

Join Holly and Matthew as they trace Fred Nile's political career, from his early activism and election to the Legislative Council through to the campaigns, controversies, and social debates that made him a fixture of Australian public life. Whether opposing censorship, gambling, abortion, same-sex relationships, or changing social attitudes, Nile remained one of the country's most persistent political campaigners.

Love him or loathe him, Fred Nile left an undeniable mark on New South Wales politics. This episode explores the man, the movement, and the legacy of one of Australia's longest-serving parliamentarians.


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

For generations of Australian schoolchildren, a visit from Healthy Harold was a highlight of the school year. Whether it arrived in a brightly coloured caravan or at a dedicated education centre, Life Education taught millions of children about nutrition, personal safety, drugs, relationships, and growing up through the country's most recognisable giraffe.

Join Holly and Matthew as they explore the origins of Life Education, the creation of Healthy Harold, and how one long-necked puppet became one of Australia's most beloved educational icons. 

From its beginnings in the late 1970s to its evolution for a new generation, discover how Healthy Harold helped shape childhoods across the country. Take a trip back to the classroom and revisit one of Australia's most enduring educational success stories.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

For generations of Australian schoolchildren, a visit from Healthy Harold was a highlight of the school year. Whether it arrived in a brightly coloured caravan or at a dedicated education centre, Life Education taught millions of children about nutrition, personal safety, drugs, relationships, and growing up through the country's most recognisable giraffe.

Join Holly and Matthew as they explore the origins of Life Education, the creation of Healthy Harold, and how one long-necked puppet became one of Australia's most beloved educational icons. 

From its beginnings in the late 1970s to its evolution for a new generation, discover how Healthy Harold helped shape childhoods across the country. Take a trip back to the classroom and revisit one of Australia's most enduring educational success stories.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

In June 1997, the disappearance of 13-month-old Jaidyn Leskie from the small Victorian town of Moe captured the attention of the nation. What began as a frantic search for a missing toddler soon became one of Australia’s most heartbreaking and controversial criminal investigations.

As police worked to piece together Jaidyn’s final hours, conflicting stories, unanswered questions, and a lack of clear evidence complicated the search for justice. Decades later, the case continues to provoke debate, with many believing key questions remain unresolved.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

In June 1997, the disappearance of 13-month-old Jaidyn Leskie from the small Victorian town of Moe captured the attention of the nation. What began as a frantic search for a missing toddler soon became one of Australia’s most heartbreaking and controversial criminal investigations.

As police worked to piece together Jaidyn’s final hours, conflicting stories, unanswered questions, and a lack of clear evidence complicated the search for justice. Decades later, the case continues to provoke debate, with many believing key questions remain unresolved.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

In 1921, the quiet New South Wales town of Guyra became the centre of one of Australia’s strangest paranormal cases. Rocks rained from empty rooms, objects moved on their own, furniture overturned, and terrified witnesses claimed unseen forces were haunting a local farmhouse.

What began as a family disturbance quickly drew neighbours, police, reporters, and sceptics from across the country. Some believed it was a genuine haunting. Others suspected a hoax. But even after investigations, the mystery of the Guyra Poltergeist refused to disappear.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

In 1971, Adelaide woke to a bizarre sight: an FJ Holden hanging from a pedestrian footbridge above North Terrace outside the University of Adelaide. The stunt became an instant legend, baffling authorities and sparking a mystery that lingered for decades.

Part prank, part engineering feat, and entirely Australian, the hanging Holden captured the larrikin spirit of university Prosh Week culture at its peak. But who actually pulled it off? And how did they manage to suspend an entire car over one of Adelaide’s busiest streets without anyone stopping them?

Join Holly & Matthew as they look through the history of pranks in Australian university life - and why they went away.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

In this episode, we explore the rise and fall of Rolf Harris — from his beginnings in Perth during the Great Depression to becoming one of the most recognisable entertainers in Britain and across the Commonwealth.

Join Holly and Matthew as they follow Harris through the early days of television, novelty music, children’s entertainment, painting, the wobble board, and the strange cultural landscape of post-war Britain, examining how an Australian performer became a trusted household figure for generations of audiences.But alongside that public image ran a much darker story.

This episode also examines the allegations, convictions, and testimonies that emerged later in Harris’s life, including the broader context of Britain’s entertainment industry, Operation Yewtree, and the culture that allowed powerful figures to avoid scrutiny for decades.

This episode contains discussion of child sexual abuse, grooming, and exploitation.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

In this episode, we explore the rise and fall of Rolf Harris — from his beginnings in Perth during the Great Depression to becoming one of the most recognisable entertainers in Britain and across the Commonwealth.

Join Holly and Matthew as they follow Harris through the early days of television, novelty music, children’s entertainment, painting, the wobble board, and the strange cultural landscape of post-war Britain, examining how an Australian performer became a trusted household figure for generations of audiences.But alongside that public image ran a much darker story.

This episode also examines the allegations, convictions, and testimonies that emerged later in Harris’s life, including the broader context of Britain’s entertainment industry, Operation Yewtree, and the culture that allowed powerful figures to avoid scrutiny for decades.

This episode contains discussion of child sexual abuse, grooming, and exploitation.


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

Welcome to the start of Year 9!!!!!

In this episode, we explore the rise and fall of Rolf Harris — from his beginnings in Perth during the Great Depression to becoming one of the most recognisable entertainers in Britain and across the Commonwealth.

Join Holly and Matthew as they follow Harris through the early days of television, novelty music, children’s entertainment, painting, the wobble board, and the strange cultural landscape of post-war Britain, examining how an Australian performer became a trusted household figure for generations of audiences.But alongside that public image ran a much darker story.

This episode also examines the allegations, convictions, and testimonies that emerged later in Harris’s life, including the broader context of Britain’s entertainment industry, Operation Yewtree, and the culture that allowed powerful figures to avoid scrutiny for decades.

This episode contains discussion of child sexual abuse, grooming, and exploitation.

Music Clips Used:

• The Purple People Eater — performed by Sheb Wooley
• Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini — performed by Brian Hyland
• Octopus's Garden — performed by The Beatles
• Yellow Submarine — performed by The Beatles
• Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport — performed by Rolf Harris

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.

On the morning of October 14, 1968, the small Western Australian town of Meckering was torn apart by one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded in Australia.

Roads split open, railway lines twisted, buildings collapsed, and a fault line ripped visibly through the landscape — leaving behind destruction that stunned the nation. In this episode, Holly and Matthew explore the events of the Meckering earthquake, the science behind it, and the aftermath for the people who lived through it. 

From the first violent tremors to the massive recovery effort, this is the story of the day Australia was reminded that even this ancient continent can move with terrifying force.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.