Black Sheep

RNZ Originals

4.8 (828)
HISTORY
WEEKLY SERIES

The shady, controversial & sometimes downright villainous characters of NZ.

EPISODE 1

Anzac Massacre: the story of Surafend (Part 1)

“There was a time when I was proud of you men of the Anzac Mounted Division. I am proud of you no longer.” In the first of a three-part series, RNZ's Black Sheep investigates the Surafend massacre.

31 min
EPISODE 2

Anzac Massacre: the story of Surafend (Part 2)

"They went out to this village, and they went through it with the bayonet.” In the second of a three-part series, RNZ's Black Sheep investigates the Surafend massacre of December 1918.

25 min
EPISODE 3

Anzac Massacre: the story of Surafend (Part 3)

"As morning dawned we stood and watched / That devastated scene / Where but a single yesterday / Had flourished Surafeen." In the final episode of a three-part series, RNZ's Black Sheep investigates the Surafend massacre of December 1918.

28 min
EPISODE 4

Highwayman: the story of Robert Wallath

In 1892 a masked figure in a bizarre uniform began a 15 month crime spree, robbing people at gunpoint in and around New Plymouth. When he was finally arrested and unmasked, residents were dumbfounded to discovered the perpetrator was mild-mannered Robert Wallath - the teenage son of a local farmer and carpenter.

46 min
EPISODE 5

Beastly Truth: the story of George Howe

In the 1900s a series of lurid headlines were published in the New Zealand Truth about George Howe, a "Beastly Brothel-keeper" who pimped out underage girls from his shop on Wellington's Adelaide Road. But what Truth found most "beastly" about Howe, is that he was Chinese. Black Sheep looks at the case of George Howe, and the "editorial hate-crimes" of what was once NZ's most influential newspaper.

44 min
EPISODE 6

Musket Missionary: the story of Thomas Kendall (Part 1)

Early Missionary Thomas Kendall facilitated the sale of hundreds of muskets to Ngāpuhi Māori, helping to enable the bloodiest wars in New Zealand history. But there's more to Kendall's story. He was instrumental in the transformation of Te Reo Māori into a written language, and became so fascinated by Māori spirituality that he (in his own words) "almost completely turned from a Christian to a Heathen".

44 min
EPISODE 7

Musket Missionary: the story of Thomas Kendall (Part 2)

Early NZ missionary Thomas Kendall arrived in London in 1820 with the Ngāpuhi Rangatira Hongi Hika. He would return to Aotearoa a year later with the first ever written dictionary of Te Reo Māori, a newly won clerical collar ...and more than 300 muskets.

51 min
EPISODE 8

Bird Bandit: the story of Freddie Angell

Freddie Angell was New Zealand's most notorious wildlife smuggler. His repeated attempts at stealing and exporting native wildlife in the 1990s, including Kea and Tuatara, made him all but a household name. Black Sheep speaks to documentary-maker Andy MacDonald about his extraordinary story.

43 min
EPISODE 9 BONUS

Spy Scandal: the story of Bill Sutch

On 27 September 1974 New Zealanders woke to the news Dr Bill Sutch, a famous economist, historian, and former senior government official had been arrested and accused of spying for Soviet Russia. He was later found not guilty, but over the last 50 years, suspicion has swirled, and new evidence has been revealed. Check our RNZ's award Winning Podcast The Service for more about the history of the SIS in New Zealand.

55 min
SEASON 8 TRAILER

Trailer: Black Sheep Season 8

Black Sheep Season 8 is just around the corner with a whole new cast of controversial, villainous, or simply misunderstood figures from New Zealand history.

2 min

See All Season 8 (10)

4.8

out of 5

828 Ratings

Really good

8 Oct

Olives15

It was so interesting to learn about nz history and crime and it was layed out and presented well.
Great show

15 Sept

Slartbartfast86

Very well put together, eery episode is worth the listen.
Great storytelling

01/07/2023

Golzed

Investigative journalism focussing on the stories of unusual, historical characters, some repugnant, some less so, given the laws of Aotearoa NZ at the time. Another excellent RNZ podcast.
Smug Narrator!

24 Aug

uber eats is a scam!

Get a bit sick of being told over and over how racist these characters are… We get it, just tell the story and don’t taint everything with your fake morality!