# What happened to... Joanne & Kirste

An episode of [What Happened To…](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1812362613), 18 Jun 2026, 3:32.

Audio: https://p.podderapp.com/2544644999/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/8c185e62-46f1-4292-81b7-b2d00059655d/906b7943-8adb-48b6-95f5-b46d00662f88/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=fcf80ea6-cd25-4daa-b194-b2d000596ad2

In 2021 we spoke with Joanne' sister about her disappearance, in 2026 its been 53 years since both girls went missing at the Adelaide Oval. This short 6 part series explores the details of their disappearance and the theories around what happened to Joanne and Kirste. Ep 1 is out Monday 22nd June See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

## Transcript

[0:05] Speaker 1: Apoche production on a sunny Saturday at the football in
[0:13] Speaker 1: Adelaide in nineteen seventy three, and the rover will put
[0:16] Speaker 1: it forward from Santa Wing towards Santa harf Ford Hobby
[0:18] Speaker 1: in the front.
[0:19] Speaker 2: One couldn't pull it down. Knocked on intelligently by sorl Format.
[0:23] Speaker 1: Eleven year old Joanne Ratcliffe took her four year old
[0:25] Speaker 1: friend Kirsty Gordon to the toilet. They were never seen again.
[0:37] Speaker 1: Fifty three years later, joe ane sister Susie is still
[0:41] Speaker 1: searching well. Of all the baffling crimes that have been
[0:44] Speaker 1: committed in this city, few are more heartbreaking than the
[0:47] Speaker 1: disappearance of Kirsty Gordon and Johann Ratcliffe. But not having
[0:51] Speaker 1: I bought it to bury and to actually grieve for her.
[0:56] Speaker 1: Probably there are theories that.
[1:03] Speaker 2: Were seen in the company of a man wearing a
[1:06] Speaker 2: check coat and a brimmed hat leading them from the ground,
[1:11] Speaker 2: never to be seen again. It was a crime that
[1:15] Speaker 2: one would think was a part of child abuse type
[1:20] Speaker 2: of thing, you know, So do you think there could
[1:23] Speaker 2: be a link between what pedophilia and the battle? Absolutely,
[1:26] Speaker 2: absolutely no doubt about their suspects.
[1:29] Speaker 3: He should probably be in a mental institution to tell
[1:32] Speaker 3: you the truth rather than imprison The gentleman that was
[1:36] Speaker 3: dressed in women's clothing was sort of loitering around where
[1:40] Speaker 3: the ladies toilets were rumors. It's childhood and how do
[1:45] Speaker 3: you access that while you're in prisons. And he was
[1:48] Speaker 3: put on that property by government. He was sent out
[1:51] Speaker 3: to there to get him away from Adelaide because he
[1:54] Speaker 3: was molesting too many children and possible cover ups. If
[1:59] Speaker 3: you've got a pedophile ring that's catering for the high
[2:05] Speaker 3: high end of anxiety, you'd probably want to protect that
[2:08] Speaker 3: instead of boring.
[2:11] Speaker 1: What happened to Joe Anne and Kirsty Coming Monday, twenty
[2:15] Speaker 1: second June on your favorite podcast app.
[2:18] Speaker 3: Now, just appeal to those out there that may have
[2:21] Speaker 3: those answers, Please find it within your heart.
[2:26] Speaker 1: To bring home Stockers and put an end to our pain.
[2:31] Speaker 1: Thank you, Susan, Thanks for listening to this episode and
[3:13] Speaker 1: supporting this story. Independent storytelling that shapes the world is
[3:17] Speaker 1: what Podshape really cares about. Right now, there's thousands of
[3:20] Speaker 1: people listening to this show and our other true crimes,
[3:23] Speaker 1: and they're completely engaged. More than ten million Australians listen
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[3:32] Speaker 1: out in the show notes, or head to podshape dot
[3:35] Speaker 1: com to book a free call.

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