In Black and White

The Brownout Strangler killed three Melbourne women in 16 days. If not for a split-second quirk of fate, chances are he would have evaded detection and escaped the noose. Read more here.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was an unconventional love story – the local farmer’s daughter and the Italian prisoner of war detained in an internment camp. But it was one that would end in tragedy. Get the podcast companion and more at:https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/in-black-and-white  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nina Paranyuk came to Australia working as a stewardess on the Soviet Olympic team’s ship and escaped during a sightseeing trip to Melbourne Zoo. Jen Kelly talks to Nick Richardson, author of 1956 The Year Australia Welcomed The World. Read more here.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Janet Clarke was a Melbourne socialite who played an integral role in the creation of cricket's most prestigious trophy, The Ashes. But over her colourful life, she was involved in causes as diverse as women's health and the location of Ned Kelly's armour. Read more In Black and White at: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/IBAW  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We uncover the little known story of the man who fired the first shot of World War I, not on the battlefields of Europe but in Victoria. Read more here.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From injecting crushed animal testicles to electro-shock therapy, quack doctor and master criminal Carl von Ledebur had a long record of dodgy dealings and horrific crimes. So how did he end up as an early football trainer for Essendon? Read more here.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From a rescue that co-opted part of the town of Albury to pilots being taken prisoner by Mussolini's forces, the 1934 London to Melbourne air race was far from a walk in the park. And the entire adventure was sponsored by Melbourne's chocolate king, Sir Macpherson Robertson. Join host Jen Kelly, Melbourne journalist and history buff Jamie Duncan, and lead curator at the State Library of Victoria, Carolyn Fraser, for the final instalment in our miniseries on Sir Macpherson Robertson. Read more here.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If a Melbourne teenager hadn’t stood up to his boss, the man known as Australia’s Willy Wonka, the Freddo Frog never would have existed. It’s one of many stories about the eccentric chocolate king brought to life in a new exhibition - and this week host Jen Kelly is joined by Carolyn Fraser, lead curator at the State Library of Victoria, to talk more about it.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Freddo Frog, Cherry Ripe, even Old Gold chocolate, fairy floss and chewing gum - if you love these sweet treats, you can thank Melbourne's eccentric chocolate entrepreneur, Sir Macpherson Robertson. This week host Jen Kelly is joined by Ben Oliver, from Melbourne's Drinking History Tours, to discuss Robertson's incredible life. To see pictures and read more, click here.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This dramatic defection of two Soviet spies in Australia made worldwide headlines in 1954. The husband and wife duo exposed roughly 600 Soviet agents around the world, and ended up hiding out in Melbourne’s suburbs – but they were Bentleigh East’s worst-kept secret This week, host Jen Kelly is joined again by Melbourne journalist and history buff Jamie Duncan, who recently went back to the house to see how the story ended. To read Jamie's story and see the pictures, head here.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.