Episode 279 - Mena Val

Episode 282 - James Hardy Vaux

James Hardy Vaux claims the rare distinction of being transported to Australia three times, but what really distinguish him is him being the author of the first full length autobiography and first dictionary written in Australia. His life is extraordinary on many counts. He was intelligentand, by the standards of the time, well-educated. He used the aliases James Lowe, James Young and James Yonge.

Episode 281 - Isabel Horsfall

When Isabel Lippe nee Horsfall died in 1921 her husband was not included in her will. He contested it and it went all the way to the High Court. Why did Isabel omit her husband from her will?

Episode 280 - Arnold Resch

Arnold Resch featured in a breach of promise case in September 1925. Before  the Marriage Act of 1961 in Australia you could enact legal action for "breach of promise to marry",that is, suing for calling off an engagement. Arnold Resch was 44 when this case was put forward.

Episode 279 - Mena Val

Mena Val was a notable Australian circus performer in theearly 1900s, recognized for her skills in slack wire walking, trick cycling and whip cracking.  *Warning – this episode covers has reference to domesticviolence and suicide.*

Episode 278 - The Female Blondin - Part 2

Catherine Isabella Webber, known as Kate, was the Female Blondin. Her stage name was "Ella Zuila" and she was known as the heroine of the high wire. She also used Ella Loyal and Ella Zoila as stage names. She was the most famous Australian public entertainer in the world in the last two decades of the 19th century - the toast of enraptured audiences across Europe and North America. She was a striking-looking athlete of astounding physical prowess. Ella matched and often excelled the daring feats of male aerialists.