In this episode, Josie tells Mel the chaotic story of Lennie Gwyther, a 9-year-old boy whose parents let him ride his pony Ginger Mick 1000km to Sydney to see the opening of the Harbour Bridge. Shoutout to Nik from the Zest Is History Facebook group for suggesting this yarn! Hate any kind of zest? Skip straight to 20:20. CREDITS: SMH 2015 by Carolyn Webb https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-nineyearold-who-rode-a-pony-1000km-to-sydney-20150121-12v3kq.html Sydney Living Museums Article by Charlott...
Apr 12, 2021•1 hr 1 min
This week, Mel tells Josie all about the infamous B&S ball - once called Bachelor and Spinster Balls, now often called "Beer & Sex Balls". In the ye olde days, these events were about matchmaking - now, they're kinda a huge debaucherous festival. As always, love us please: Join The Zest Is History Podcast group on FB by searching for "The Zest Is History Podcast" on Facebook. Send us mail! The Zest Is History, PO Box 453, Rose Bay NSW 2029. Follow us on Instagram @thezestishistory and Tw...
Mar 29, 2021•55 min
CRIKEY, WE'RE BACK! Josie tells Mel the story of one her most favourite people: conservationist, larrikin and family man Steve Irwin. Can she get through it without crying? Probably not! For a bonus video of Josie answering Steve-related questions, head over to our Patreon ! To skip the zest, head straight to 20:45. CREDITS: 1992 Who Magazine article by Peter Castro: https://web.archive.org/web/20070930160513/http://www.who.com/who/scoop/article/0,19971,1531530,00.html ABC’s Australian Story epi...
Mar 16, 2021•1 hr 7 min
This week, Josie tells Mel all about the time in 1971 when a mysterious man called Mr Brown called QANTAS HQ and told them there was a bomb on a plane. That was already in the sky. And the bomb would detonate if the plane dropped below 20,000 feet... Wanna skip the zest? Head straight to 27:58. CREDITS: ABC News by Bridget Judd https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-23/qantas-bomb-hoax-1971-the-great-plane-robbery-australia/10807510 7 News by Duncan McNab https://7news.com.au/original-fyi/crime-sto...
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 7 min
This week, Mel tells Josie about Toots Holzheimer, Australia's first female truck driver who traversed the chaotic terrain of Far North Queensland (oh, and had like 400 babies while doing so). CREDITS: Toots: Woman in a Man's World by Donna Vawdrey Hooroo! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 26, 2021•1 hr 19 min
In Part 2 of our second Sydney live show, Mel schools Josie on the most fearsome creature to never exist, the drop bear. You can find the pics for this episode in our Facebook group or on our Instagram page, details below! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 17, 2021•36 min
This week, it's the first part of our second Sydney live show! In which Josie tells Mel all about Jessie Hickman, a female bushranger who kicked a supreme amount of ass. You can find the pics for this episode in our Facebook group or on our Instagram page, details below! CREDITS: Blog post by Di Moore https://www.openwriting.com/archives/2009/05/elizabeth_jessi_1.php ABC by Margaret Burin https://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2014/12/03/4141124.htm Vice by Emma Nobel https://www.vice.com/en/articl...
Jan 10, 2021•41 min
It's the second part of our first Sydney live show! This week, Josie tells Mel the whole, painfully '00s story of Princess Mary - just a gal from Tassie who ended up at a Sydney pub and happened to hook up with the Crown Prince of Denmark, leading to marriage and some really cute babies. You can find the pics for this episode in our Facebook group or on our Instagram page, details below! CREDITS: Daily Mail by Laura House https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3153065/From-party-girl-future-...
Jan 03, 2021•1 hr 1 min
This week, it's a live recording of our first Sydney show! Mel tells Josie about Beth Maynard, a feisty old-timey gal who had 1,000 husbands and traipsed all over Australia, only to meet an untimely death in Silverton, NSW... was she killed? Or did she die of a broken heart? CREDITS: Odd History, Annie O'Reilly http://www.oddhistory.com.au/outback-south-australia-new-south-wales-queensland-and-the-northern-territory/silverton-and-the-remarkable-love-life-of-beth-maynard/ Wikipedia, Silverton NSW...
Dec 27, 2020•44 min
MERRY XMAS EVERYONE! As a special holiday treat, Josie tells Mel all about a creepy Icelandic Xmas tradition, the Yule Cat. If you want to see the video of the episode, join our Facebook group by searching The Zest Is History Podcast on FB. CREDITS: https://www.zmescience.com/other/feature-post/christmas-myths-yule-cat/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 24, 2020•15 min
This week, Josie tells Mel all about Errol Flynn, who left Tassie for the bright lights of Hollywood and ended up becoming a huge (and problematic) movie star in the 1940s. We also filmed the episode for Patreon supporters! Become a supporter at https://www.patreon.com/thezestishistory Can't bear the zest? Head straight to 15:15. CREDITS: Vanity Fair by Julie Miller, 2013 https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2013/09/errol-flynn-toronto-film-festival Diffords Guide for Discerning Drinkers by Theo...
Dec 21, 2020•1 hr 8 min
This week, Mel tells Josie about the Granville rail disaster of 1977, the worst in Australian history with 84 passengers killed. It sparked mass reform across not just rail infrastructure, but the way we treat survivor and responder mental health after a traumatic incident. Credits: BBC article, 17 Jan 2017, no author https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-38645976 ABC article, 14 Jan 2017, Phillippa McDonald https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-14/granville-train-disaster-nsw-government-to-apo...
Dec 15, 2020•53 min
This week for Spin Us A Yarn, our zesty listener Danika sent us a horrific real-life tale about the cursed Pilliga area of NSW. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 23, 2020•21 min
Josie tells Mel the tale of Harry Leo Crawford, a man who was actually born Eugenia Falleni in 1875 and whose story is studied by law students today. Wine pairing: 2019 Rocca di Montemassi Calasole Vermentino from the Tuscany wine region of Italy. Want to be boring and skip the zest? Head to 23:40. Credits: ABC Conversations episode from October 25, 2012: https://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2012/10/25/3618433.htm Australian Dictionary of Biography by Carolyn Strange: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biogr...
Nov 17, 2020•1 hr 12 min
This week for Spin Us A Yarn, our zesty listener Karen sent in a story about cute old people that hits harder than The Notebook. Patreon supporters on certain tiers get a video version of this episode! Head to patreon.com/thezestishistory to find out more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 12, 2020•11 min
This week, Mel tells Josie about Kalkajaka Mountain, a super sacred (and super scary) granite mountain in Queensland where people, cattle and horses have gone missing over the centuries. Wine pairing: A spooky bottle from Supernatural Wine Co called Green Glow. We picked it up on DRNKS. Want to skip the zest? Killjoy. Head straight to 29.00. Credits: ABC, Brendan Mounter and Adam Stephen, 2018 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-21/mysterious-black-mountain/10067072 QLD national parks https://pa...
Nov 03, 2020•1 hr 12 min
It's still spooky season, so Josie tells Mel all about the graves that weren't deleted from Devonshire St cemetery - and how they just went ahead and built Central Station on top of them anyway. Wine pairing: Extremely alcoholic Take It To Your Grave Pinot Noir in a can. Want to skip the zest? Killjoy. Head straight to 16:50. Credits: Past Lives of the Near Future https://pastlivesofthenearfuture.com/2013/06/27/devonshire-street-cemeterycentral-station-sydney-nsw/ State Library of NSW exhibition...
Oct 26, 2020•1 hr 3 min
It's spooky season! We're continuing the spooks with Letta Me Out, a haunted doll living in Queensland that enjoys leaving scuff marks on floors and moving of its own accord! Love that for us all. Wine pairing: water because Mel can't get her act together. Want to skip le zest? Then head straight to 35.00. CREDITS: Listverse, Dana Angelo https://listverse.com/2014/04/04/10-freaky-dolls-you-dont-want-to-play-with/ Amy;’s Crypt https://amyscrypt.com/letta-me-out-haunted-doll/ Warwick Daily News ht...
Oct 22, 2020•1 hr 4 min
It's spooky season and aquatic mystery fan Josie is back on her waterlogged bullshit, scaring the bejesus out of Mel with the story of the Alkimos, a haunted shipwreck off the coast of WA. Wine pairing: a not too oaky chardonnay from The Hidden Sea Wines. Want to skip le zest? Then head straight to 22:46. CREDITS: Western Australia for Everyone: http://www.australiaforeveryone.com.au/files/wa/alkimos.html TV show "The Extraordinary": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwePELXgiuQ&t=3386s Unexpl...
Oct 12, 2020•1 hr 3 min
CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussion of abuse and graphic murder. This week, Mel returns the gals to their All Aussie Mystery Hour roots, telling Josie the story of Katherine Knight, who infamously murdered her partner and left behind one of the most horrific crime scenes in Australian history. Credits: Blood and Stain, Peter Lalor 2002 NY Daily News, 2013, Mara Bovsun https://www.nydailynews.com/news/justice-story/aussie-woman-removed-beau-skin-article-1.1476480 Womens Weekly inter...
Oct 06, 2020•1 hr 23 min
Sick of crying in every episode, Josie decides to take a different approach, telling Mel some of the weird stories of how iconic Aussie treats were invented. CREDITS: Good Food by Besha Rodell https://www.goodfood.com.au/recipes/news/the-history-of-the-lamington-an-australian-icon-20171219-h07f36 Mashable by Johnny Lieu https://mashable.com/2017/01/05/chicken-salt-history-australia/ News.com.au by "Staff writer" https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/three-regional-mps-at-war-over-the-origin-of-...
Sep 28, 2020•1 hr 23 min
This week, Mel gets all zoological (??) on Josie, telling her about the Centennial Park eels - disgusting ocean slugs who travel all the way from Sydney to... New Caledonia to breed. Confused? Listen up for the story of the sex eels. CREDITS: Centennial Parklands website, by Sam Crosby https://www.centennialparklands.com.au/ SMH, Heath Aston, 2011 https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/a-very-fast-drain-to-the-south-pacific-20111105-1n11j.html Australian Geographic, 2019 https://www.aus...
Sep 21, 2020•57 min
This week for Spin Us A Yarn, Mel's dad Bill Mason guest stars (against his will) to tell us all about the time he lived next door to an Aussie rock icon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 16, 2020•19 min
This week, Josie surprises Mel with the story of the incredible rise and horribly tragic fall of Australia's sexiest ever, bonafide rock god Michael Hutchence, frontman of iconic band INXS. Wine pairing: Chateau de Roquefort Corail Rosé, from the south of France where Michael had a house. Want to avoid the zest? Skip straight to 15:18. CREDITS: The Guardian by Jenny Valentish: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/sep/26/his-personality-changed-michael-hutchences-sister-on-his-traumatic-brain-i...
Sep 14, 2020•1 hr 25 min
This week Mel surprises Josie with the story of Schapelle Corby, a regular Gold Coast gal who became one of the most famous Aussies of the 00s when she was arrested, then jailed for allegedly smuggling drugs. Wine pairing: Not wine this week! Instead, we sipped the signature cocktail from Laneway Bar & Dining (sadly closed), Mercedes Corby's restaurant - vodka, lime and kombucha. 100% would drink again. Want to avoid the zest? Skip to 18.00. Credits: SMH https://www.smh.com.au/world/weighing...
Sep 07, 2020•1 hr 33 min
It's our first minisode! Spin Us A Yarn is the place for YOUR stories. This week, Rikki tells us about her great-great-grandad (we think), who wandered into a marshy bog and got stuck there - for days. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 02, 2020•13 min
Aquatic mystery enthusiast Josie talks Mel through the nightmarish story of Tom and Eileen Lonergan, two American divers who were left behind by their dive tour boat on QLD's Great Barrier Reef in 1998. Wine pairing: a not-tart rosé from The Hidden Sea Wines. Want to avoid the zest? Skip to 32:30 Credits: All That’s Interesting by Kara Goldfarb https://allthatsinteresting.com/tom-eileen-lonergan The Baton Rouge Advocate by John Wirt http://peacecorpsonline.org/messages/messages/467/2022842.html ...
Aug 31, 2020•1 hr 22 min
This week, Mel explains the Cowra Breakout to Josie - when hundreds of Japanese POWs escaped an Aussie prison and ended up on the run in the bush. Wanna skip le zest? Skip straight to 17:00. CREDITS: Cowra Fact Sheet, National Archives Of Australia https://web.archive.org/web/20081010165202/http://www.naa.gov.au/about-us/publications/fact-sheets/fs198.aspx Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C389505?fbclid=IwAR3YxfLjK88heWybpXbS1MtXDsTcR_ojgI0eUUK7StAKnyBjyhYqvo1hAaY News.c...
Aug 24, 2020•1 hr 11 min
Josie and Mel (via Zoom) discuss the life story of Captain Moonlite (aka Andrew Scott), an 1800s Irish-born larrikin who may or may not have been Australia's first gay bushranger. Wanna skip le zest? Skip straight to 21:22. CREDITS: A Guide To Australian Bushranging https://aguidetoaustralianbushranging.wordpress.com/2017/08/01/captain-moonlite-an-overview/ The Monthly by Jeff Sparrow https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2015/november/1446296400/jeff-sparrow/queer-bushranger Australian Geographic...
Aug 17, 2020•1 hr 24 min
This week, Alisha Aitken-Radburn joins us as a special guest! The Bachelor In Paradise hero and friend of the podcast tells Josie and Mel about the disappearance of Paddy Moriarty from Larrimah in the Northern Territory. CREDITS Lost In Larrimah Podcast, Kylie Stevenson & Caroline Graham https://www.theaustralian.com.au/podcasts/lost-in-larrimah/news-story/b1903af0830eaca37ed6173a5e6763da A Dog Act Documentary, ABC News https://iview.abc.net.au/show/dog-act-the-disappearance-of-paddy-moriart...
Aug 10, 2020•1 hr 5 min
