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Bondi Badlands

Bondi Badlands

The Age and Sydney Morning Herald

Bondi Badlands, a podcast from The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, investigates a series of murders and mysterious disappearances of gay men that happened on the southern headland at Sydney's Bondi Beach in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

When a high profile TV newsreader and weatherman disappeared on the Bondi cliff tops on a frigid winter's night in July 1989, it received nationwide news coverage but such a shoddy police investigation that links would not be drawn to a series of other murders at Bondi and across Sydney at the time.

More than a decade later, one police investigator would join the dots, revealing a dark mosaic of murder that would keep unfolding to this day.

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Top 10 Bondi Badlands Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Bondi Badlands episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Bondi Badlands for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Bondi Badlands episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Since late 2020, the case of missing Sydney woman Melissa Caddick has captivated the country. A seemingly successful businesswoman from Sydney's eastern suburbs went missing after authorities raided her Dover Heights home amid questions over an unlicensed financial planning business.
Sydney Morning Herald investigative journalist Kate McClymont would reveal key details of a massive Ponzi scheme and a $23 million fraud that ripped off investors including her family and friends as Caddick lived the high life of overseas trips, cars and high end fashion. McClymont's coverage would win her a ninth Walkley Award.
Now McClymont and 60 Minutes’ Tom Steinfort are set to present a breakthrough podcast Liar, Liar: Melissa Caddick and the Missing Millions that will follow the twists and turns of a case where everyone has a theory of their own. What happened to the money and what happened to Melissa? Liar Liar will reveal fresh details of the crime of the century through interviews with key players and takes listeners from upmarket jewellery auction rooms in Hong Kong, to the ski slopes of Aspen to private islands in the South Pacific.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Bondi Badlands - Justice At Last

Justice At Last

Bondi Badlands

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10/28/21 • 38 min

As a long line of persons-of-interest pass through the Coroners Court, Deputy State Coroner Jacqueline Milledge and Detective Sergeant Steve Page are in no doubt some of these men know the killers of Ross Warren and John Russell, if they aren't themselves the murderers. But was the anti-gay violence perpetrated only by teenagers and young men? According to one policeman’s harrowing account, officers were involved in some of the bashings, and when he tried to make a stand against the violence, he was subjected to a concerted bullying campaign at his station. Former footballer and actor Ian Roberts, our guest in this episode, talks about being attacked himself, and how the anti-gay crime wave of the late 1980s convinced him to postpone coming out.

Become a subscriber: our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe https://subscribe.theage.com.au/ or https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Bondi Badlands - Thrill Killers

Thrill Killers

Bondi Badlands

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10/21/21 • 34 min

As Detective Sergeant Steve Page closes in on a group of suspects in the likely murders of Ross Warren and John Russell, a new witness comes forward, one who narrowly escaped being thrown off the Bondi cliffs on a hot summer's night in December 1989. In a walk around the headland with the detective, retracing his steps on that fateful night, the witness returns to the spot where he was nearly hurled over. By suspicious coincidence, it's exactly the same location where John Russell was very likely thrown to his death.

Become a subscriber: our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe https://subscribe.theage.com.au/ or https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Bondi Badlands - Blood City

Blood City

Bondi Badlands

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10/14/21 • 29 min

The savage killing on the Bondi clifftops of a Thai man, Kritchikorn Rattanajurathaporn, in July 1990 results in murder convictions for three young men. But as the spree of anti-gay violence and murder escalates across Sydney, the LGBTQ community starts to fight back: from staging a mass demonstration at the gates of state parliament, to street patrols along Oxford Street, to angry activists splattering red paint over public buildings.

More than a decade later, as Detective Sergeant Steve Page reviews the cold cases of the disappearances and murders on the Bondi headland, he begins to join the dots with other killings across Sydney in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Bondi Badlands - Murder of a Barman

Murder of a Barman

Bondi Badlands

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10/07/21 • 28 min

Barman John Russell has just inherited $100,000 and is about to leave Bondi to build a house on his dad's property and travel Australia. But after farewell drinks with his best mate, Russell goes for a cliffside walk, where the 31-year-old gay man is set upon by his killers and hurled to his death.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Bondi Badlands - A Newsreader Vanishes

A Newsreader Vanishes

Bondi Badlands

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09/30/21 • 35 min

On a freezing night in July 1989, Ross Warren, a newsreader from WIN TV in Wollongong, NSW, vanishes into thin air on the southern headland at Sydney’s Bondi. After a brief investigation, the case lies dormant for years until a detective at Paddington police station, moved by a bundle of letters from Ross Warren’s mother, picks up the case – and discovers a pattern of horrific violence on the headland.

If you value independent, quality journalism, please subscribe to the SMH or The Age. Thanks for listening and don't forget to check out more of our great podcasts here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Bondi Badlands - Introducing Bondi Badlands
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09/27/21 • 11 min

Ahead of the first episode of Bondi Badlands this week, listen to host and Good Weekend deputy editor Greg Callaghan in conversation with Good Weekend editor Katrina Strickland about the series and a special preview of what to expect.

For over 15 years, Greg Callaghan has been writing about the murders of gay men at the clifftops on the southern headland of Sydney's Bondi. This was the epicentre of a wave of gay hate killings that spread across Sydney at the time. Now Callaghan hosts a podcast which delves into the factors behind this war on gay men and why these murders continue to reverberate as cold cases.

Become a subscriber: our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe https://subscribe.theage.com.au/ or https://subscribe.smh.com.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Bondi Badlands - Coming soon - Bondi Badlands
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09/15/21 • 1 min

Bondi Badlands, from The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, investigates a series of murders and mysterious disappearances that happened on the southern headland at Sydney's Bondi Beach in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

When a high profile TV newsreader and weatherman disappeared on the Bondi cliff tops on a frigid winter's night in July 1989, it received nationwide news coverage but such a shoddy police investigation that links would not be drawn to a series of other murders at Bondi and across Sydney at the time.

More than a decade later, one police investigator would join the dots, revealing a dark mosaic of murder that would keep unfolding to this day. Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Bondi Badlands - Out now: The Confession
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11/03/22 • 2 min

Premiering on November 4, the astonishing true story of how Melbourne homicide detectives broke all the rules in their quest to have Katia Pyliotis convicted for brutally murdering a dirty old man with a statue of the Virgin Mary.

The Confession is a podcast where the justice system itself is on trial.

At the centre of it all, is Katia Pyliotis, accused of bludgeoning a man to death. Four years of Katia’s life is spent behind bars, until the truth emerges because of a stroke of luck. When an item thought long lost is suddenly found and the spotlight is shifted from Katia to her accusers, the police.

Richard Baker tells the story of a murder, a botched trial and the system that allowed it to happen.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Bondi Badlands - Coming soon: Bondi Badlands season two
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03/26/24 • 2 min

Plenty has happened since the first season of Bondi Badlands. Two men have been sent to prison – one for the manslaughter of gifted mathematician Scott Johnson at the cliffs at Sydney's North Head in December 1988, another for the murder of Raymond Keam in Alison Park in Randwick in January 1987.

But there’s more -- thanks to a world-first special inquiry that lifted the lid on the police investigations into a string of gay-hate murders between 1970 and 2010. The police tried – and failed – to stop the inquiry from examining the earlier investigations into the death of Scott Johnson, and we soon found out why.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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FAQ

How many episodes does Bondi Badlands have?

Bondi Badlands currently has 13 episodes available.

What topics does Bondi Badlands cover?

The podcast is about True Crime and Podcasts.

What is the most popular episode on Bondi Badlands?

The episode title 'Justice At Last' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Bondi Badlands?

The average episode length on Bondi Badlands is 24 minutes.

How often are episodes of Bondi Badlands released?

Episodes of Bondi Badlands are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of Bondi Badlands?

The first episode of Bondi Badlands was released on Sep 15, 2021.

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Emily's profile image
Emily

@emilywebbcrime

Jan 29

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This is a gripping podcast and absolutely heartbreaking. In the 1980s and 1990s in Sydney’s Bondi there were bashings and murders of gay men that were not investigated properly. Some of these men were pushed off a cliff and their bodies never found. Other men’s deaths were written off as suicides. Years later these cases were reinvestigated…

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