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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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 discovered08.00 Investigation begins11.39 Suspicion falls on Makin family14.52 Makins’ modus operandi25.16 Makin children testify30.18 Verdict returned32.40 Lessons to learnHosted 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!

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 reel10.53 The ute15.33 Refrigeration25.00 Periscope rifleHosted 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!

After explorer Ludwig Leichhardt went missing in 1848, Andrew Hume, made it his life’s mission to find out what had happened to him. But no one would believe the secrets he uncovered in Australia’s punishing interior. Was Hume a bushman or a conman?Andrew Hume felt an affinity with the Australian bush he grew up in. He loved the land and he honed his bush skills living with Indigenous tribes.But when famed German explorer Ludwig Leichhardt and his party went missing during their attempted crossing of Australia from east to west, Hume set off by himself to look for them. For years he traversed Australia’s Outback, and finally in 1862 he claimed he came across something remarkable. Something that explained everything.When the authorities refused to believe him, though, it was left to him to prove his claims. But just how far would he go to convince the world he wasn’t a fraud?02.47 Leichhardt’s expeditions06.51 Conspiracy theories08.30 Andrew Hume13.05 The search and the arrest18.57 Hume tells what happened to Leichhardt22.12 Hume retrieves the document24.36 Hume’s final expedition30.52 Conman or truth-teller?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!

When war broke out in 1914, thousands were eager to join up for the adventure, including John Langford. But his four years serving as a stretcher bearer in the RAMC would change the way he viewed life forever.To commemorate Remembrance Day, we head to the Western Front during World War I as we follow the work of the Royal Army Medical Corps and in particular young private John Langford who served as a stretcher bearer for the 3rd (South Midland) Field Ambulance. John went to war without a gun — there to save lives, not take them. Here we recount the battles and the horrors that John experienced in the war, as we see the incredible risks the stretcher bearers made every day to help preserve the lives of their fellow soldiers.02.32 Underage enlistments05.43 Sent to France07.05 How the RAMC worked15.47 Battle of the Somme20.11 Bullecourt21.10 Passchendaele mud23.52 A close call24.55 Northern Italy26.58 Time for love28.12 A long lifeHosted 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!

Edward Broughton and Matthew McAvoy were executed in 1831 for being “illegally at large”. It seemed a harsh punishment for two runaways. But after their deaths, the truth would emerge of the crimes they had committed — which included murder and cannibalism.In 1830, two escaped convicts stumbled out of the Tasmanian wilderness with an incredible tale of survival. But authorities were skeptical as to whether their story was true.Edward Broughton and Matthew McAvoy were among five prisoners who had escaped from the hellish Macquarie Harbour penal station. But when the pair reached Hobart, they explained that their three companions hadn’t survived. They said two of the men had been left behind when they couldn’t swim across the Gordon River. The third, they claimed, had been killed by a tribe of Indigenous people.But something about their story didn’t ring true for authorities, and the two men were held in gaol on a charge of being “illegally at large while under sentence of transportation” for months while they were encouraged to tell what really happened. They became the only two men in Australia’s history to be executed for the sole crime of being illegally at large. But their full confession as they faced the gallows — a story of mind games and paranoia, murder and cannibalism — would send chills throughout Van Diemen’s Land.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!

In the late 1800s, the northwest of Tasmania was a wild place, where only the wildest of people survived. One such man was T.B. Margetts. Born in Leicestershire but raised in Tasmania, he was a pioneer, adventurer, farmer and horseman. He was stubborn as they come, a bit hot-headed and never lost a battle.An encounter with a bushranger in his youth also made him so security-conscious it was bordering on the paranoid, and he always wore a money belt of gold sovereigns and slept with a loaded revolver under his pillow as a result.Meet this “ordinary” man as he battles the bush, threatens a fist fight outside a courthouse, waves a gun at his would-be son-in-law and travels the world three times over. 01.58 Wild northwest05.00 T.B’s early days09.51 Flowerdale11.22 Courthouse fracas15.00 Gentleman farmer and world traveller18.32 Father of the bride22.42 T.B’s final chapterCredits:Theme music: ‘Wellerman Epic Shanty’ by EBunny via JamendoSound effects: PixabayHosted 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!

Sometimes the death sentence is just the start of the story. In this episode, we hear about six times capital punishment from Australia’s convict days didn’t go to plan — from equipment malfunctions to out and out brawls. Even the first execution in the British settlement at Port Jackson didn’t go very well when they couldn’t convince anyone among the First Fleeters to act as hangman. In fact, the first official hangman of the colony, James Freeman, had to be persuaded to take on the job as he himself stood at the gallows ready to face the worst of all punishments.Then there was Hugh Lowe, who was granted a full pardon from the King himself … a year after he had been executed for sheep stealing.Or how about William Smith, who survived the drop, and then had to face going through the whole thing again?There are many more, but the one who gave the best last words before his punishment was dealt was Francis Morgan. Sent to the gallows on Pinchgut Island — now Fort Denison in Sydney Harbour — he turned to the Governor and said: “I have to thank Your Excellency for giving me the opportunity of dying among the most beautiful scenery in the world.”00.00 Introduction05.12 The first hangman09.30 A late pardon13.08 Lovely view … for one17.16 The need for quality tools20.40 Punch-up on the gallows25.00 Don’t lose your headHosted 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!

In a world of spies and con-artists, deceptions and double-crosses, Baron Rudolf von Koenig conned, manipulated and blackmailed his way around the world. But the fraudster also played a vital part in helping the Allies crack the German Enigma code and win WWII.In a nondescript hotel in Belgium in 1931, a transaction takes place between a seasoned spy and his new contact. The contact opens the briefcase he has carried on the train from Berlin; it is full of documents, including one that will change the course of a war that won’t begin for another eight years. The manual for the German Enigma machine. The contact was Hans-Thilo Schmidt. The spy’s name, however, was up for debate. He had been known as Rudolf Stallmann, Rudolf Lemoine and the Baron Rudolf von Koenig. To Schmidt, he was known simply as Rex.But he was at the end of a long career that had its own amazing story. He had been a petty thief, a con-artist, a blackmailer and a jewel thief. Naturally charismatic, he had an amusing anecdote for any occasion, though should you play cards with him, you were dicing with danger.But there was one game that he loved playing above all else — the game of espionage. Would the Germans track down the leak in their ranks? Would they be able to find the agent helping him? And what would happen to them if they were caught?00.00 Introduction02.20 Belgian connection04.42 Agent Rex’s real name07.03 Dubious beginnings13.11 A Wilde link19.26 Waiting out WWI in Spain22.03 Interwar espionage23.50 Solving the Enigma puzzle28.19 Wire-tapping and Gestapo30.44 WWII is declared32.27 Koenig is captured34.00 Shadow of an elite agentHosted 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!

In this episode, we meet up again with convict highwayman Dicky White as he faces the tyranny of Major Foveaux on Norfolk Island, builds a pub in Launceston, and gets locked up in a madhouse in London. After the trials of the voyage to New South Wales on board the Hillsborough convict ship, Dicky White finds himself first in the settlement of Port Jackson and then shipped off again to Norfolk Island.There, under the harsh rule of Lieutenant-Governor Joseph Foveaux, he fights to survive. But it is there that he also meets the love of his life, Sarah Clayton. Except she already happens to be married.When the settlement is closed down, Dicky and Sarah, as well as Dicky’s son John and Sarah’s son Henry, start a new life in Launceston, Van Diemen’s Land. There, Dicky builds the Launceston Hotel — and also builds a name for himself as a generous, albeit eccentric, businessman and centre of the community.But things take a turn when he decides to return to England, with his reception not what he had envisaged. Will he manage to escape London a second time?00.00 Introduction02.26 Life in Port Jackson05.27 Dicky gets sent to Norfolk Island10.29 Dicky and Sarah meet17.12 Norfolk Islanders sent to Launceston28.05 Dicky returns to London29.07 Dicky is put in a madhouse31.40 Wedding bells33.19 Preview of next episodeCredits:Theme music: ‘Wellerman Epic Shanty’ by EBunny via JamendoSound effects: PixabayHosted 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!

From the American Revolution to the shores of Sydney Cove, this tale follows the highs and lows of the life of Dicky White. When 24-year-old Dicky was driven to commit highway robbery in London in 1797, he was condemned to execution. It was the birth of his son John and the death of his wife which saw a legal act of mercy, swapping the noose for a one-way ticket to New South Wales.After the horrors of Newgate Prison and the conditions of the hulks, Dicky and his infant son found themselves on one of the worst convict journeys ever known — where a third of the prisoners died as a deadly typhus epidemic swept through the ship.For seven months, the 300 convicts on board suffered at the hands of the cruel captain as storms, subversion, starvation and sickness beset the voyage. Would Dicky and John survive to see Sydney Harbour?00.00 Introduction03.36 Crime on the King’s Highway05.49 At the Old Bailey12.45 Newgate Prison14.28 Death sentence commuted16.40 Lyon hulk20.12 Hillsborough sets sail21.55 Talk of mutiny26.12 The typhus spreads28.52 The Hillsborough arrivesCredits:Theme music: ‘Wellerman Epic Shanty’ by EBunny via JamendoSound effects: PixabayMicrofiction quoted from asmallfiction.comHosted 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!

When notorious bushranger Thomas Jeffries took a young family hostage in 1825, he performed an act so despicable, he had the entire island of Van Diemen’s Land calling for his execution. It was New Year’s Eve in 1825 when John and Elizabeth Tibbs with their five-month-old baby were visited by a group of bushrangers. The leader was Thomas Jeffries, a killer who had earnt himself the nickname, The Monster. The outlaws turned their house inside out as they helped themselves to the family’s possessions, before marching them, along with five other prisoners, for miles through the Tasmanian bush. And the truly horrific acts the bushrangers committed that day would see every person in that part of the country baying for blood. But in the end, it would fall on the shoulders of 19-year-old Elizabeth Tibbs to bring The Monster down. 00.00 Introduction02.43 Meet the Tibbs family04.49 Meet the bushrangers08.48 December 31, 182514.30 Tibbs and Isaac taken away18.26 Elizabeth is left with the bushrangers22.37 Bushrangers go on their way25.32 Trial of The Monster28.56 AftermathHosted 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!

This is the tragic tale of John Basham, a young farmer in Van Diemen’s Land in 1825 who was caught in the crossfire when Governor George Arthur began a personal war with bushranger Matthew Brady.In March 1825, John Basham and his stockman Joseph Hindes were tending their sheep on the banks of the Tamar River when they looked up and saw two men holding shotguns walking towards them. The men were outlaws Matthew Brady and James McCabe. They held them captive for three days. But on the third day, there was a knock at the door from a group of three soldiers. The hostages thought salvation had finally come.But the bushrangers weren’t going down without a fight. What should have been an easy arrest for the soldiers quickly turned into a shambolic mess as one thing after the next went wrong. And the consequences for Basham were devastating.00.00 Introduction03.00 Who was John Basham?09.40 George Arthur vs Matthew Brady13.00 Bushrangers come to Basham’s Hut16.23 Three soldiers arrive17.50 A gunfight begins19.39 Wounded man is carried away21.13 AftermathHosted 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!