Podcasts · History

Black Sheep

RNZ

77 episodes · in order

The shady, controversial and sometimes downright villainous characters of NZ history. Join William Ray as he explores history through the lens of Kiwi dirtbags in NZ's most awarded podcast.

Episodes page 1 of 2

  1. Broken Blossom: the story of Alice Parkinson

    · 19 min · S1 E1

    "Four shots, and then another one" - that's how the story of Alice Parkinson begins as the 25 year old waitress gunned down her fiancé, Bert West, in the middle of a street in Napier. So why did thousands of New…

  2. Bad cop: the story of John Cullen

    · 17 min · S1 E2

    In 1916 John Cullen led a small army of police deep into the forests of Te Urewera to arrest the Tuhoe prophet Rua Kenana - his crime? Preaching that his followers shouldn't sign up to fight in the First World War. But…

  3. Faith Fraud: the story of Arthur Worthington

    · 21 min · S1 E3

    Arthur Worthington was a con artist who travelled the USA, marrying rich women then abandoning them and stealing all their money. With private detectives hot on his tail, he jumped on a ship bound for Christchurch…

  4. Warrior Chief: the story of Hongi Hika

    · 21 min · S1 E4

    Hongi Hika is a man with a difficult legacy. He's one of the greatest figures in New Zealand history, but he's also often held responsible for starting the Musket Wars. Hongi Hika is a man with a difficult legacy.…

  5. Eugenics: the story of a really bad idea

    · 22 min · S1 E5

    Did you know that after WWI New Zealand established an official eugenics board? We tend to think of eugenics as being something the Nazis invented but really it was embraced all around the world in the 19th and early…

  6. War profiteer: the story of Thomas Russell

    · 19 min · S1 E6

    The worst kind of villain in New Zealand history was... an Auckland property speculator. In this week's episode, we learn about the worst kind of villain in New Zealand history... an Auckland property speculator.…

  7. Grave Robber: the story of Andreas Reischek

    · 21 min · S1 E7

    In the 1880s Austrian naturalist and ethnographer Andreas Reischek stole four mummified Māori corpses and smuggled them out of the country so they could be displayed at a museum in Vienna. He also shot hundreds of…

  8. Epidemic: the story of Robert Logan

    · 27 min · S2 E1

    Can you imagine if 20 per cent of the people you know suddenly died? How would you feel if the people in charge blocked doctors from helping them? For Samoans in 1918 this wasn't a hypothetical question. Imagine if…

  9. Nazi Hoax: the story of Syd Ross

    · 26 min · S2 E2

    Nazi "assassins", mischievous con-artists and power hungry spies... Black Sheep investigates how a pair of hoaxers convinced the government that New Zealand had been infiltrated by Nazi agents. In 1942 the head of New…

  10. Abortionist: the story of Annie Aves

    · 20 min · S2 E3

    Annie Aves was a famous abortionist from the 1930s. She was tried four times but each time the jury failed to reach a verdict. Her career finally came to an end when she was shot and killed by the boyfriend of a woman…

  11. Radical: the story of Arthur Desmond

    · 29 min · S2 E4

    Meet the New Zealand author of a book beloved by Neo-Nazi's, Satanists and White Supremacists. Bizarrely Arthur Desmond started off as a hard-core labour activist and supporter of Maori rights, but he then went "so far…

  12. Poisoner: the story of Thomas Hall

    · 32 min · S2 E5

    "The most vile criminal ever to be tried in New Zealand" Thomas Hall's crimes scandalised New Zealand when it was revealed he had attempted to murder his wife in order to steal her family fortune. "You have achieved…

  13. Unjust: the story of James Prendergast

    · 27 min · S2 E6

    In 1877 Chief Justice James Prendergast ruled the Treaty of Waitangi was "a simple nullity", in part because it was signed by "simple barbarians" and "savages". Those words have seen him condemned as an arch-villain of…

  14. Outlaw: the story of Richard Burgess

    · 31 min · S2 E7

    Richard Burgess may be New Zealand's most prolific serial killer. In the 1860s he and his outlaw gang roved the West Coast, robbing and murdering dozens of people. The full number of victims is still unknown.…

  15. Pirate Mystery: the story of Charlotte Badger

    · 41 min · S3 E1

    Charlotte Badger was one of the first European women to live in New Zealand. She was also a pirate... or at least that's the traditional story. This special episode of Black Sheep, recorded live at Charlotte's Kitchen…

  16. Arsonist: the story of Cyrus Haley

    · 39 min · S3 E2

    It's 1871 and the city of Auckland is being terrorised by a string of major fires. Fears are raised that a gang of anarchist fanatics could be responsible but the real culprit turns out to be a well known businessman…

  17. Regicide: the story of Chris Lewis

    · 31 min · S3 E3

    In 1981 Dunedin teenager Chris Lewis tried to shoot Queen Elizabeth. Then, at least according to some, authorities tried to cover it up. In this collaboration with Stuff.co.nz journalist Hamish McNeilly, Black Sheep…

  18. Slash & Burn: the story of Joseph Burns

    · 38 min · S3 E4

    A cottage burns down, three mutilated bodies are found inside and there are fears the whole city of Auckland could be at risk. In this episode of Black Sheep, William Ray investigates the story of the first European to…

  19. Pākehā Māori: the story of Kimble Bent

    · 41 min · S3 E5

    Kimble Bent was one of a tiny handful of Europeans who switched sides during the New Zealand Wars, who deserted the British army to join Māori "rebels" in Taranaki and reportedly witnessed a famous incident of kai…

  20. NZ Nazi: the story of Roy Courlander

    · 37 min · S3 E6

    Roy Courlander was a New Zealand soldier who joined Nazi Germany's infamous SS during WWII. He participated in propaganda efforts trying to turn more allied soldiers to the Nazi cause. So why did he decide to turn…

  21. Honest Murderer: the story of John Bryce

    · 35 min · S3 E7

    Pākehā settlers in Taranaki knew John Bryce as "Honest John" but Taranaki Māori called him "Bryce Kōhuru" - Bryce the Murderer. Black Sheep investigates the life of the infamous Native Affairs Minister who led the…

  22. Headhunter: the story of Horatio Robley (Part 1)

    · 27 min · S4 E1

    Horatio Robley witnessed the most famous battle of the New Zealand Wars, he fathered a child with the daughter of a sworn enemy, his sketching helped end a war, his book helped save the art of Maori tattooing... But…

  23. Headhunter: the story of Horatio Robley (Part 2)

    · 35 min · S4 E2

    The story of Horatio Robley continues... How did a man once dubbed a "predator of culture" for his collection of preserved Māori heads become better known as a "friend of the Māori"? In Part 1 of this story, we heard…

  24. Con-artist: the story of Amy Bock

    · 40 min · S4 E3

    Amy Bock was a criminal "supreme in her cleverness". Her most famous con saw her pose as a man for 15 weeks and marry the daughter of her landlord. Nobody has ever been able to explain what motivated her lifetime of…

  25. Traitor: the story of Patrick Heenan (Part 1)

    · 21 min · S4 E4

    What drove a boy from Reefton to turn against his comrades in World War Two? How was a former boxing and swimming champion recruited as an agent of Imperial Japan? It's a story still shrouded in mystery more than 70…

  26. Traitor: the story of Patrick Heenan (Part 2)

    · 26 min · S4 E5

    Why do some historians think an NZ-born traitor was "instrumental" in the Japanese victory in Singapore during WWII? And why is there such a mystery surrounding the Reefton boy who seemingly spied for the Japanese?…

  27. Soldier of Fortune: the story of Gustavus von Tempsky (Part 1)

    · 30 min · S4 E6

    He was larger than life, a warrior, artist and musician whose legend has only grown since his death during the New Zealand Wars in 1868.... but Gustavus von Tempsky had a dark side. Gustavus von Tempsky is the star of…

  28. Soldier of Fortune: the story of Gustavus von Tempsky (Part 2)

    · 28 min · S4 E7

    In the second of Black Sheep's two part series, we find out how the Prussian mercenary Gustavus von Tempsky went from a relatively famous soldier to an uber-hero of New Zealand's colonial mythology. One who followed…

  29. Swashbuckler: the story of Bully Hayes

    · 34 min · S4 E8

    Bully Hayes is famous as a charismatic "pirate" of the South Pacific. But most stories gloss over his more heinous crimes: Slavery, sexual assault and the brutal abuse of his crew. Bully Hayes is a man who made his…

  30. Death Sentence: the story of NZ's executions

    · 42 min · S4 E9 · Bonus

    The death penalty has started wars, won elections, outraged the population and ruined lives. Join William Ray for this live podcast recording at the Bread and Circus Festival in Christchurch with guests Dame Fiona…

  31. The story of White Supremacy

    · 56 min · S5 E10 · Bonus

    In this special episode of Black Sheep, produced in the aftermath of the 2019 Christchurch Mosque Shootings, William Ray looks at the history of white supremacy in NZ. Since the attack in Christchurch, many people…

  32. The Aotearoa History Show!

    · 2:11 · S4 E10 · Bonus

    The story of New Zealand and its people, from its geological origins to modern day. Hosted by William Ray and Leigh-Marama McLachlan, with animation by Chris Maguren. Made possible by the RNZ/NZ On Air Innovation Fund.…

  33. The Story Of Statues

    · 37 min · S5 E9 · Bonus

    In this special episode of Black Sheep, William Ray looks at the history and controversy of historical statues in New Zealand. Statues have become a focus of global protests following the Black Lives Matter movement…

  34. Raider: the story of Felix von Luckner

    · 50 min · S5 E1

    Felix von Luckner was a child aristocrat who ran away to sea, he captained the last square-rigged sailing ship ever to serve in combat, he sailed 3,000 kilometers across the Pacific in a lifeboat. He also led the most…

  35. Colonial Mastermind: the story of Edward Gibbon Wakefield (Part 1)

    · 40 min · S5 E2

    Edward Gibbon Wakefield used to be known as "The Father of New Zealand." But modern historians have pointed to the disastrous impact of his colonial policies on indigenous people, his misleading propaganda and, (not…

  36. Colonial Mastermind: the story of Edward Gibbon Wakefield (Part 2)

    · 44 min · S5 E3

    In part two of Black Sheep's series on Edward Gibbon Wakefield we see theories of "systematic" and "humanitarian" colonisation run into bitter realities. The result is conflict, death and disaster. For Wakefield and…

  37. Invasive: the story of Stewart Smith

    · 43 min · S5 E4

    In the 1960s Stewart Smith began a one-man crusade, releasing thousands of invasive fish into New Zealand's rivers, lakes and streams. Why? Well it had something to do with communism and a lot to do with childhood…

  38. Madam: the story of Flora MacKenzie

    · 48 min · S5 E5

    Flora MacKenzie is one of the most colourful characters in New Zealand history: A hard drinking, hard talking brothel owner from the 1960s and 70s who won the affection of sex workers, police and punters alike. In this…

  39. Machine Gun Murder: the story of Bassett Road (Part 1)

    · 35 min · S5 E6

    It's 1963 and two bodies are found in a house at Bassett Road in Remuera. Detectives are shocked to discover they were killed by a submachine-gun. Newspaper headlines read "Chicago Comes to New Zealand". Black Sheep…

  40. Machine Gun Murder: the story of Bassett Road (Part 2)

    · 29 min · S5 E7

    The case of the Bassett Road machinegun murders breaks wide open, two key witnesses come forward with critical information. But the most interesting part of the story is what happens after the conviction... It's…

  41. Baby Farmer: the story of Minnie Dean

    · 57 min · S5 E8

    Minnie Dean is the only woman to be judicially executed in New Zealand history. For years she was portrayed as a cold-blooded killer who murdered babies for cash. More recently, attitudes towards Minnie have shifted,…

  42. Black Sheep Season Six Trailer

    · 1:23 · Trailer

    Black Sheep returns for a Sixth Season! Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

  43. Governor: the story of Sir George Grey (Part 1)

    · 53 min · S6 E1

    Sir George Grey led Aotearoa into some of the worst conflicts of the New Zealand Wars. But at the beginning of his career many saw him as a defender of indigenous rights - including some Māori! So... What happened?…

  44. Governor: the story of Sir George Grey (Part 2)

    · 59 min · S6 E2

    In the second of Black Sheep's two part episode on Sir George Grey, Aotearoa is launched into the worst conflicts of the New Zealand Wars and George Grey will play a leading role. This is the second in a two-part…

  45. Slaver: the story of Thomas McGrath

    · 51 min · S6 E3

    In 1863 half the population of a small Tongan island called 'Ata boarded a ship captained by Thomas McGrath. They were never seen again. Black Sheep investigates the story of a slave raid which destroyed a small…

  46. Escape Artist: the story of George Wilder

    · 50 min · S6 E4

    George Wilder is an accidental folk hero. He never sought the spotlight, but his three escapes from prison in the 1960s and his daring evasion of the authorities made him a national sensation. Black Sheep investigates…

  47. Killer Conductor: the story of Eric Mareo (Part 1)

    · 36 min · S6 E5

    Kiwis rose to their feet and cheered when the flamboyant orchestra conductor Eric Mareo was found guilty of murdering his wife in 1936. But 85 years later, the verdict seems less certain. Was justice done? Or was Mareo…

  48. Killer Conductor: the story of Eric Mareo (Part 2)

    · 46 min · S6 E6

    When flamboyant orchestra conductor Eric Mareo was convicted of murder for a second time, the judge raised grave concerns about the verdict with the Attorney General. So, did 1930s prejudice and sensationalist media…

  49. Black Sheep Season 7 Trailer

    · 3:21 · Trailer

    RNZ multi award-winning podcast Black Sheep returns on May 26th with a new cast of mysterious misfits, violent villains and controversial characters. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

  50. Erased: the story of Charles Mackay (Part 1)

    · 40 min · S7 E1

    For more than 50 years the name of Mayor Charles Mackay was all but forbidden in Whanganui. In 1920 Mackay shot a man through the chest after he threated to expose the mayor's homosexuality. RNZ's Black Sheep podcast…

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