Strewth - Australian True Crime and Mystery Podcast

Mark

Welcome to Strewth, where we uncover Australia's most captivating tales of true crime and mysterious happenings. Yarns so extraordinary they'll make you stop and say, "Strewth!" From the sun-scorched outback to the seedy underbelly of our biggest cities, Australia harbours some of the world's most perplexing mysteries. Stories so bizarre that even hardened detectives could only mutter that distinctly Australian expression of disbelief. Each episode takes you deep into extraordinary cases through atmospheric storytelling and meticulous research. You'll walk alongside the detectives, feel the frustration of families seeking answers, and experience the shock of communities torn apart by inexplicable events. Strewth reveals how these cases shaped Australian society and exposes the dark undercurrents flowing beneath the nation's beautiful facade. From colonial-era crimes to modern forensic breakthroughs, these are the stories that made headlines and left investigators scratching their heads. New episodes weekly. Because some stories are too strange not to tell.

  1. The Hawkesbury River Monster - Australian Mystery

    5D AGO

    The Hawkesbury River Monster - Australian Mystery

    An hour north of Sydney, a drowned valley plunges forty metres into darkness. For over a century, witnesses have reported something moving through the Hawkesbury River that shouldn't exist. Long necks rising from murky water, massive shapes surfacing near boats, creatures that defy explanation. The Darug people have stories about this river that stretch back 50,000 years. Bull sharks are confirmed. Seals enter from the Pacific. In Episode 29 of Strewth, we dive into Australia's deepest river mystery. Sources Australian Geomechanics Society: "Marine geophysical investigations of palaeo-drainage systems in the Hawkesbury River Estuary, New South Wales, Australia."  MiNDFOOD. "Sydney Siders Urged to Exercise Caution and Avoid Harbour Waters After Recent Shark Attack."  https://www.mindfood.com/article/sydney-siders-urged-to-exercise-caution-and-avoid-harbour-waters-after-recent-shark-attack/ Trove: "SHARK TRAGEDY - YOUTH'S TERRIBLE DEATH." The Canberra Times, December 14, 1936. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2417183 The Dictionary of Sydney. "The Dyarubbin Project: Aboriginal history, culture and places on the Hawkesbury River."  https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/the_dyarubbin_project_aboriginal_history_culture_and_places_on_the_hawkesbury_river "Darug women claim back their Hawkesbury history." Central News, May 31, 2021. https://centralnews.com.au/2021/05/31/darug-women-claim-back-their-hawkesbury-history/ "The Hawkesbury River Monster." Mysterious Australia. https://www.mysteriousaustralia.com/the_hawkesbury_river_monster.html   Title Music: by Jesse Frank from Pixabay Strewth Social Media Links: https://linktr.ee/strewthpodcast  Contact us: strewthpodcast@gmail.com

    34 min
  2. An Island of Secrets - Analysing the Evidence - Australian True Crime

    FEB 11

    An Island of Secrets - Analysing the Evidence - Australian True Crime

    An Island of Secrets - Part 2 of 2 - Analysing the Evidence The official story seemed simple: Vivienne Cameron murdered Beth Barnard in jealous rage, then jumped from the San Remo Bridge. Case closed. But when forensic scientists examined the evidence, they found something impossible. A pink mohair jumper that never left a single fibre. A blood-soaked murder scene where the killer left no victim's blood in the escape vehicle. Phone calls at times that don't match the timeline. A handbag that appeared in two different places. And a woman who supposedly drowned hours before her friend received a phone call from her discussing sewing patterns. In Part 2, we examine what the evidence really shows and why every piece of forensic science points away from the official narrative toward something more complex, more troubling, and more deliberately concealed. After forty years, the bones in the sand might finally reveal the truth. Or they might prove that Phillip Island's secrets run even deeper than anyone imagined.   Sources Petraitis, Vikki and Paul Daley: The Phillip Island Murder (1993, 3rd edition 2018) Petraitis, Vikki: The Vanishing of Vivienne Cameron: Forty Years Searching for the Phillip Island Murderer (Simon & Schuster, January 2026) Casefile Presents Podcast (2020): The Vanishing of Vivienne Cameron Sensing Murder (2006) The Scarlett Letter (Series 1 - Episode 8) Under Investigation: Adultery, Murder and Mayhem (2021) Title Music: by Jesse Frank from Pixabay Strewth Social Media Links:  https://linktr.ee/strewthpodcast  Contact us: strewthpodcast@gmail.com

    33 min
  3. An Island of Secrets - The Fateful Night - Australian True Crime

    FEB 10

    An Island of Secrets - The Fateful Night - Australian True Crime

    An Island of Secrets - Part 1 of 2 - The Fateful Night September 1986. A brutal murder on Phillip Island. A woman carved with the letter "A" for adulteress. Another woman vanished without trace. For forty years, Australia accepted the official story: jealous wife kills mistress, then commits suicide by jumping from a bridge. But in January 2026, plumbers digging for a septic tank found human bones buried in the sand. And suddenly, questions that were never properly answered demanded attention. Join us for Part 1 of the Phillip Island Mystery as we walk through the night of September 22nd, 1986. The wine glass attack, the hospital visit, the mysterious 3 AM phone call, and the discovery of Beth Barnard's body with a message carved into her chest. Every detail matters, because when you look closely, nothing about this night makes sense. One night. Two women. Forty years of unanswered questions.   Sources Petraitis, Vikki and Paul Daley: The Phillip Island Murder (1993, 3rd edition 2018) Petraitis, Vikki: The Vanishing of Vivienne Cameron: Forty Years Searching for the Phillip Island Murderer (Simon & Schuster, January 2026) Casefile Presents Podcast (2020): The Vanishing of Vivienne Cameron Sensing Murder (2006) The Scarlett Letter (Series 1 - Episode 8) Under Investigation: Adultery, Murder and Mayhem (2021) Title Music: by Jesse Frank from Pixabay Strewth Social Media Links:  https://linktr.ee/strewthpodcast  Contact us: strewthpodcast@gmail.com

    42 min
  4. Red Eyes in the Mist - Australian Mystery

    JAN 27

    Red Eyes in the Mist - Australian Mystery

    On August 7-8, 1993. Kelly Cahill is driving home through Victoria's misty Dandenong Ranges when her car was surrounded by seven-foot tall beings with eyes that glowed burning red through the darkness. One hour of her life vanished. Within weeks, she discovered triangular burns on her body and was hospitalised with infections doctors couldn't explain. Then came the breakthrough that should have changed everything. This was the holy grail of UFO cases. Multiple independent witnesses. Physical evidence on multiple bodies. Medical documentation. Everything needed to be definitive. But there was a problem. This week on Strewth, the story of a terrifying encounter on a dark road, a woman who risked everything to tell her truth, and the evidence that could have proven her claims. When the investigation becomes the mystery, the questions matter more than the answers. Sources: Cahill, Kelly: Encounter. HarperCollins Australia, 1996. Chalker, Bill. "The Kelly Cahill Abduction." International UFO Reporter, Vol. 19, No. 5, September/October 1994. Chalker, Bill. Blog posts and case updates, 2002, 2016. Available through Australian UFO research archives. Phenomena Research Australia (PRA) statements through John Auchettl ABC Australia retrospective. "The Kelly Cahill UFO Encounter: 27 Years On." September 2020. Ferntree Gully Star Mail. "Kelly Cahill UFO Case Revisited." March 2022. Title Music: by Jesse Frank from Pixabay Strewth Social Media Links:  https://linktr.ee/strewthpodcast  Contact us:  strewthpodcast@gmail.com

    26 min
  5. Fisher's Ghost - Australian Mystery

    JAN 13

    Fisher's Ghost - Australian Mystery

    On June 17, 1826, Frederick Fisher, a convict-turned-successful farmer, vanished from his Campbelltown property. His neighbour George Worrall claimed Fisher had sailed back to England, but there was a problem. Fisher was still a convict, bound to the colony. Returning to England would mean hanging. Three months later, Worrall sat in gaol, arrested on suspicion of murder. But without a body, he couldn't be charged. Then, in October 1826, a farmer named John Farley reported seeing Frederick Fisher's ghost. The apparition sat on a fence rail, blood streaming from its head, pointing toward a creek. Following that direction, authorities found Fisher's body, skull crushed, buried in a shallow grave exactly where the ghost had pointed. It's Australia's most famous ghost story. A tale of supernatural justice. An apparition refusing to let murder go unpunished. This episode explores one of Australia's most enduring mysteries. We'll examine the meticulously documented murder trial, the brilliant tracking skills of Namut Gilbert and the dark possibilities surrounding John Farley's role in the case. Content warning: This episode discusses murder and contains descriptions of violence. Sources:  Supreme Criminal Court transcripts, February 2, 1827  Chief Justice Forbes' original court notes (examined by Andrew Lang, 1903) The Sydney Gazette, September-November 1826  The Australian, November 1, 1826  The Monitor, November 3, 1826  Riley, James. "The Sprite of the Creek!" Hill's Life in New South Wales, August 1832 Title Music: by Jesse Frank from Pixabay Strewth Social Media Links: https://linktr.ee/strewthpodcast Contact us: strewthpodcast@gmail.com

    36 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Welcome to Strewth, where we uncover Australia's most captivating tales of true crime and mysterious happenings. Yarns so extraordinary they'll make you stop and say, "Strewth!" From the sun-scorched outback to the seedy underbelly of our biggest cities, Australia harbours some of the world's most perplexing mysteries. Stories so bizarre that even hardened detectives could only mutter that distinctly Australian expression of disbelief. Each episode takes you deep into extraordinary cases through atmospheric storytelling and meticulous research. You'll walk alongside the detectives, feel the frustration of families seeking answers, and experience the shock of communities torn apart by inexplicable events. Strewth reveals how these cases shaped Australian society and exposes the dark undercurrents flowing beneath the nation's beautiful facade. From colonial-era crimes to modern forensic breakthroughs, these are the stories that made headlines and left investigators scratching their heads. New episodes weekly. Because some stories are too strange not to tell.

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