Ratbags & Roustabouts

Marion Langford

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Ratbags & Roustabouts tells the extraordinary histories of ordinary people. We dig around in the ancestry archive and dive into the genealogical gene pool to uncover the most incredible, never-before-told stories of seemingly common folk from our past.

04/24/2024

Anzac Day Special: Captain Ivor Margetts, Gallipoli to Pozieres

To mark Anzac Day, we hear the story of Hobart teacher Captain Ivor Margetts, who led his men into battle at Gallipoli during WWI, surviving the whole campaign in the Dardanelles Strait, only to be killed at the very start of the Battle of Pozieres. Known as Margo to his mates and Captain Ivor to his descendants, Ivor Margetts was a teacher and AFL player living in Hobart when Australia joined the war in 1914. Eager to do his bit for his country, Ivor set sail, first for training in Egypt, then for Gallipoli. He was in the 12th Battalion, made up of soldiers from Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia. They were some of the first troops to land at Anzac Cove in Turkey at 4am on April 25, 1915, and Ivor, amazingly, managed to survive many close calls throughout the entire Gallipoli campaign. He kept a diary of his experiences, but it was his detailed letters home, full of tales of horror and triumph and told with a typical Aussie larrikinism, that give a first-hand glimpse into what life at Gallipoli was like. In this special Anzac Day episode, I tell his story, and read excerpts from his letters, many which have never been heard before. Hosted by Marion Langford. Follow on Instagram or check out the website at ratbagsandroustabouts.com. Do you know a story that the history books forgot? Let us know about it!

42 min
02/25/2024

Curr vs Cross: Indentured absconders and the Van Diemen's Land Company

In 1832, when a group of indentured servants ran off from their jobs with the Van Diemen’s Land Company in northwest Tasmania, the ramifications would be severe — both for them and for their former master, Edward Curr. At the fledgling settlement of Circular Head in March 1832, the Forth ship brought a group of indentured servants from England, ready to get to work for a set number of years in the service of the Van Diemen’s Land Company. But when they set foot on land, the cold, leaky tents and ramshackle housing they were given for their accommodations, the sub-standard rations and the poor overall treatment made many regret their decision to uproot their families to move to the other side of the world. So unhappy were they, that a large number of the workers decided to risk the wilds of Tassie’s untouched north and run away. What happened next was a David and Goliath battle between the chief agent of the VDL Company’s Circular Head settlement and the disgruntled workers. It would see some of the absconders jailed — but would also not end happily for their stubborn and belligerent boss. Hosted by Marion Langford. Follow on Instagram or check out the website at ratbagsandroustabouts.com. Do you know a story that the history books forgot? Let us know about it!

41 min
02/12/2024

In Ned Kelly’s footsteps: Tasmanian bushrangers Sutherland & Ogden

In 1883, Kelly Gang wannabes James Sutherland and James Ogden carried out their brief but bloody bushranging careers near Epping Forest, Tasmania. But they never achieved the same infamy as their hero Ned Kelly. In the middle of the night, William Wilson and his wife Theresa were woken by the sound of stones hitting the roof of their small house in the north midlands of Tasmaina. But when William went outside to see what it was, he was shot. And so began a night of terror for the family as bushrangers James Sutherland and James Ogden shot at them, set their house on fire and dragged off their 11-year-old daughter. Just two days later, they repeated their violent actions when they shot, then scalped, coachman Alfred Holman as he drove his lemonade cart along the main road. But it was a short-lived career as outlaws. They were arrested and sentenced to death. While awaiting execution, the pair sang ballads about their idols, the Kelly Gang, and newspapers reported that it was their desire for the same kind of notoriety as Ned Kelly that had set them on the path to criminality. But was that the only reason? Hosted by Marion Langford. Follow on Instagram or check out the website at ratbagsandroustabouts.com. Do you know a story that the history books forgot? Let us know about it!

35 min
01/28/2024

Murder on the dance floor: Audrey Jacob and Cyril Gidley

In 1925, Audrey Jacob walked through the crowded ballroom of Perth’s Government House, tapped Cyril Gidley on the shoulder and shot him point blank in the chest. But after a sensational trial, she was cleared of murder. So just how was she found not guilty? Audrey Jacob was just 20 years old when she was out with a friend at the annual St John of God ball in Perth and she saw her fiance, 25-year-old Cyril Gidley, dancing with another woman. Cyril, a ship’s engineer, was meant to be on his ship in Singapore at the time, so Audrey hadn’t expected to see him at the ball, let alone with someone else. But when she tried to get his attention, he completely blanked her. So it was that at around 1.30am, she weaved her way through the crowded dance floor, tapped Gidley on the shoulder, raised her right hand which was holding a gun, and shot him in the chest. He slumped to the floor dead. But when Audrey faced court on a charge of murder, the jury found her not guilty. In this episode we look at Audrey and Cyril’s tumultuous relationship, and just how she was cleared of any wrongdoing. Hosted by Marion Langford. Follow on Instagram or check out the website at ratbagsandroustabouts.com. Do you know a story that the history books forgot? Let us know about it!

39 min
01/14/2024

A Pocketful of Patriarchy: The gendered history of the pocket

SUMMER SPECIAL: There’s a reason women always exclaim in delight when they realise a garment has pockets, and it is a story that is woven through hundreds of years of history — and firmly entrenched in the suffragette movement. In this special summer edition of Ratbags & Roustabouts, we unravel the history of the pocket, learning about how fashion for both men and women changed over the centuries and the close link between our clothes and the evolution of politics. Hosted by Marion Langford. Follow on Instagram or check out the website at ratbagsandroustabouts.com. Do you know a story that the history books forgot? Let us know about it!

21 min
12/31/2023

Why Pluto was pushed out of the solar system

SUMMER SPECIAL: In 1930, the elusive Planet X — later named Pluto — was introduced to the world to much fanfare as the solar system’s ninth planet. So why was it rejected again, just 76 years later? When US astronomer Clyde Tombaugh first found Pluto on the edge of the solar system, he joined the small and exclusive club of planet discoverers. The world was, frankly, over the moon about the newest, littlest planet. They loved it so much, even Mickey Mouse named his dog after it. Then along came Pluto’s biggest fan, Mike Brown. His love for the little planet would eventually lead him into a career in astronomy — and would spell doom for the solar system’s coolest (literally — it can get down to -240C) member. Find out exactly how Pluto became the little planet that couldn’t in this special summer edition of Ratbags & Roustabouts. Hosted by Marion Langford. Follow on Instagram or check out the website at ratbagsandroustabouts.com. Do you know a story that the history books forgot? Let us know about it!

18 min
12/17/2023

Baby Farmers: The Makin murderers of Macdonaldtown

In 1892, two plumbers unearthed a grisly secret while laying pipes in a Sydney backyard — they found the bodies of two babies. Soon suspicion fell on John and Sarah Makin, who made a living out of raising other people’s infants. But how many more bodies would police find? In all, 15 babies all aged under six months old were dug up from backyards around Sydney’s inner suburbs — all houses where the Makin family had lived. John and Sarah were arrested, along with their teenage daughters Blanche and Florence, but they denied any wrongdoing throughout the sensational trial. Yet a stream of young mothers, who had had little choice but to give up their illegitimate children, told a strikingly similar story. One of false names, lies and deceipt. Hear the tale of one of Australia’s worst cases of baby murder — and find out what happened to John and Sarah Makin in the end. 02.07 Bodies discovered 08.00 Investigation begins 11.39 Suspicion falls on Makin family 14.52 Makins’ modus operandi 25.16 Makin children testify 30.18 Verdict returned 32.40 Lessons to learn Hosted by Marion Langford. Follow on Instagram or check out the website at ratbagsandroustabouts.com. Do you know a story that the history books forgot? Let us know about it!

38 min
12/04/2023

Aussie Inventors: Four fab creations and the people behind them

All kinds of Australian inventions throughout history have changed the world. This episode we talk about four of them — from inventions that saved lives to icons of Outback Australia. On a hot day in January 1907, two boys got in trouble in the surf at Bondi. Luckily for them, a new invention, the rescue reel, had just been installed on the beach. Invented by Lyster Ormsby among others, it was a standard piece of equipment on beaches across Australia and continued to be used, almost completely unmodified, until 1993. In 1932, a letter to Ford was about to change the country forever. When draughtsman Lewis Bandt saw the request for a vehicle that could take the family to church on Sunday and the pigs to market on Monday, he got to work, creating one of the most iconic vehicles the nation has ever seen: the ute. It was James Harrison’s work as a newspaper man that gave him the idea to create an ice-making machine, when he noticed that the chemical he used to clean the news type left the metal cold. His work in refrigeration would help the Australian export trade more than anything else. But during the Gallipoli campaign in World War One, William Beech’s invention was created really just to help save the Anzacs from being picked off by Turkish snipers. His periscope rifle helped them achieve the impossible at Quinn’s Post and saved lives in the process. 03.25 Lifesaving rescue reel 10.53 The ute 15.33 Refrigeration 25.00 Periscope rifle Hosted by Marion Langford. Follow on Instagram or check out the website at ratbagsandroustabouts.com. Do you know a story that the history books forgot? Let us know about it!

34 min

Ratbags & Roustabouts tells the extraordinary histories of ordinary people. We dig around in the ancestry archive and dive into the genealogical gene pool to uncover the most incredible, never-before-told stories of seemingly common folk from our past.

Creator

Marion Langford
Years Active

2023 - 2024
Episodes

18
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 Ratbags & Roustabouts
Show Website

Ratbags & Roustabouts