Weird Crap in Australia The Modern Meltdown

The Twelve Tribes cult established its first community in Australia in the late 1990s. Known for its communal lifestyle and strict adherence to a unique interpretation of the Bible, the Twelve Tribes attracted followers seeking a close-knit, spiritual community. However, the group has faced significant controversy, including allegations of child labor, physical punishment, and indoctrination.

The Australian branches of the Twelve Tribes have been investigated multiple times for their treatment of children and their isolationist practices. In 2020, their ex-leader was murdered.

Join Holly & Matthew as they look into the unique branch of the Twelve tribes Cult that calls the Blue Mountains home, their history, and their controversies.

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Eighteen-year-old Niamh Maye disappeared on Easter Sunday, 2002, near Tumut, New South Wales. Having traveled to the Riverina region for a gap year with two friends, Niamh was last seen getting into a black hearse with a man she met on the road, Jack Nicklason. Despite extensive searches, no trace of her has been found. The main suspect in her disappearance, Nicklason, was arrested for the rape of a 19-year-old in October that year and committed suicide, leaving many questions unanswered.

Maye's disappearance remains one of Australia's enduring mysteries, fed by small town gossip and uncertain sources. Efforts by law enforcement and appeals for information continue, but her case remains unsolved, leaving her family and friends without closure.

Join Holly and Tumut-area expert Matthew as they look into the case, where it went wrong, ad who might have been responsible for diverting police attention from the more probable killing ground.

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In 1969, man walked on the moon.

In 2000, someone made a film about the unsung heroes. 

NASA's Apollo 11 mission, featuring astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, successfully landed on the moon. Australians played a crucial role in this historic event, with the Parkes Observatory and Honeysuckle Creek tracking station providing vital communication support. These facilities broadcast Armstrong's first steps to the world, symbolizing global unity and the shared human spirit of exploration.

Join Holly and Matthew as they contextualise both the film and the event, their influences on their respective histories, and world around them. Bonus conspiracy theories!ac

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In 1977, Griffith-based anti-drug campaigner Don Mackay disappeared, and despite strong suspicions of mafia involvement, his body was never found. The case remains unresolved, an intriguing mystery that continues to haunt and captivate those fascinated by the dark underworld of organized crime.

Will he ever be found? That's something only the fishes can answer. 

Join Holly & Matthew as they close out Year 6 with a close look at the case, the suspects, and the trade.

Sources used: 
Donald Bruce (Don) Mackay (1933–1977) | C. A. Gregory | Australian Dictionary of Biography | 2000 | Volume 15 | https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mackay-donald-bruce-don-10976Drug case: $1m reward plan | The Canberra Times | 26 Jul 1977 | Page 3 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110856526 Drugs truth will come out: Wran | The Canberra Times | 22 Jul 1977 | Page 1 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110855965Forty years after Donald Mackay's murder, the Calabrian mafia still thrives | Lesley Hicks | Sydney Morning Herald | 14 Jul 2017 | https://www.smh.com.au/opinion/organised-crime-thrives-40-years-after-the-donald-mackay-murder-20170709-gx7sg4.htmlHeartache has no end for family of Donald Mackay | Tony Wright | The Age | April 30, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110510102950/http://www.theage.com.au/national/heartache-has-no-end-for-family-of-donald-mackay-20110429-1e0if.htmlInquest to be held on Mackay | The Canberra Times | 12 Dec 1981 | Page 3 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/126864914James 'Machine Gun' Bazley dies with his lips sealed over Donald Mackay murder | Paige Cockburn | 2 Nov 2018 | https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-02/donald-mackay-murder-james-bazley-dead/10458946Mackay case prompts drugs commission call | The Canberra Times| Tue 19 Jul 1977 | Page 6 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110855547Mackay was dumped in river, police told | The Canberra Times | 16 Jun 1983 | Page 3 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/131849589New clues in Donald Mackay murder case | Mark Morris, Clementine Cuneo and Leigh Van Den Broeke | Adelaide Now | 19 Jun 2013 | https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/national/new-clues-in-donald-mackay-murder-case/news-story/ee4e160ba59520c0860276cf6bc1c8cfNotification Of The Appointment Of Trustees Under Section 26 Of The Crown Lands Consolidation Act, 1913 | Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales | 14 Apr 1972 [Issue No.40] | Page 1339 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/220140256Royal Commission into Drug Trafficking [Woodward Royal Commission] | State Records Archives Investigator | Agency Detail | https://web.archive.org/web/20120411044444/http://investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/Entity.aspx?Path=%5CAgency%5C2125RSL head warns of 'mob rule on grand scale' | The Canberra Times | 20 Jul 1977 | Page 10 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11085578 Tale of the Mafia among the vineyards - in Australia | Kathy Marks | The Independent (UK) | 27 Feb 2009 | https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/tale-of-the-mafia-among-the-vineyards-in-australia-1634115.htmlTwisting trail that led to Mackay’s murderer | Sydney Morning Herald | Page 7 | 17 Apr 1986 | https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xrcyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eOgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4704%2C607758

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When the Pope and the Toad died 2 months apart in 1963/64, chaos overtook the Melbourne arm of the Honorable Society. Men were shot in the streets, in their driveways, and in their beds as the search for the new heads of power came to a close.

Join Holly & Matthew as they look into the series of shotgun killings known as the Victoria Market Murders, and their impact on the peace of the city.

Sources used: 

£5,000 Reward For Murder Evidence | The Canberra Times | 18 Jan 1964 | Page 4 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1317399763rd 'Mafia Type' Killing | The Canberra Times | Fri 17 Jan 1964 | Page 3 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/131739820Cold Case file remains open on the suspected Mafia slaying of Vincenzo and Alfonso Muratore | Keith Moor | Herald Sun | 25 Mar 2013 | https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/cold-case-files-remain-open-on-vincenzo-and-alfonso-muratore/news-story/33856e7d08d84992001149e86d5eace8Coroner commits man over shotgun killing | The Canberra Times | 29 Sep 1964 | Page 17 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/131751627Denies Any Part in Victoria Market Shooting | The Age | 9 Dec 1964 | Page 15 | https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age/128738552/Domenico Demarte, victim of the Queen Victoria Market Murders, Melbourne, 1963 | The Age | 7 Feb 2015 | https://consumer.licensing-publishing.nine.com.au/archive/2ITPN4NTR0KSMafia in Australia : NDRANGHETA: IL CRIMINE AUSTRALIANO Part 4: The Market Murders | “Steve” | 25 Apr 2024 | https://mafiainaustralia.wordpress.com/part-4-the-market-murders/Market Shooting | The Age | 9 Dec 1964 | Page 15 | https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age/128738552/Secret dossiers probed Godfathers behind Melbourne's mafia bloodshed in the 1960s | Keith Moor | Herald Sun | 13 Jul 2013 | https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/secret-dossiers-probed-godfathers-behind-melbourne8217s-mafia-bloodshed-in-the-1960s/news-story/94f47899aeb832e720676efa3443d7bdThree Men On Murder Charge | The Argus | Wed 21 Nov 1945 | Page 7 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12154422 Vincenzo Angilletta (1916-1963) - Find a Grave Memorial | https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/66110811/vincenzo-angilletta

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The Black Hand Gang's reign of terror from 1929 to 1938 left a chilling imprint on Australia. From Jean Morris's tragic murder to a series of mysterious deaths in Ingham, their ruthless tactics instilled fear across communities. Despite law enforcement's efforts, their legacy endures as a reminder of organized crime's dark underbelly.

As whispers of their deeds echo through history, the tale of the Black Hand Gang serves as a cautionary reminder of the lengths to which criminal organizations will go to maintain power and control.

Join Holly & Matthew as they look into the activity and the consequences of the Gang's reign in Queensland.

Sources used: 

"Black Hand" In Q'land | Truth| 16 Jun 1935 | Page 24 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/169347220Black Hand Menace | Truth | 14 Jan 1934 | Page 1 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/198667940Boogan Murder | The Brisbane Courier | 26 Oct 1928 | Page 16 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21327815Brutal Murder of Queensland Cane Farmer | Truth | 8 Dec 1935 | Page 1 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/169352884Domenico Antonio Strano (1893-1965) - Mémorial Find a Grave | https://fr.findagrave.com/memorial/188401281/domenico-antonio-stranoFacing Death, Italian Refuses To Speak | Truth | 26 Aug 1928 | Page 17 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206148224Girl's Story Of Dread Ordeal | Truth| 12 Feb 1933 | Page 10 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206125350House Bombed | The Telegraph | 22 May 1935 |Page 2 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182431936 Italian Murdered | The Mercury | 8 Mar 1934 | Page 11 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/24917024Mafia in Australia : NDRANGHETA: IL CRIMINE AUSTRALIANO Part 1: The Black Hand | “Steve” | 14 Jul 2023 | https://mafiainaustralia.wordpress.com/the-mafia-in-australia-introduction-early-history-of-italians-down-under/queensland-black-hand/'Oxley's Roads' | The Biz | 27 Mar 1952 | Page 6 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/75594546Pay... or else: the Black Hand reaches out again on the canefields | The Daily Telegraph | 17 Dec 1939 | Page 15 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/247823119Serious Offence | The Central Queensland Herald | 29 Dec 1932 | Page 2 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70304803Terror in the cane fields | Georgina Hitch | ABC |27 Jun 2023 | https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-27/the-black-hand-terror-cane-fields-far-north-queensland/102329810The Boogan Murder Left The Police Baffled | Daily Standard | 6 Aug 1932 | Page 3 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182812777Two Italians Charged | The Argus | 18 Dec 1925 | Page 21 | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2174136

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