In 1926, Nell Stead and her sister boarded a ship from Melbourne to Ceylon (today’s Sri Lanka). Their father organized the trip after Nell and Erin had been nursing their ill mother in the final two years of her life and felt they needed a trip. On this trip Nell had a chance encounter with a handsome young naval officer by the hotel swimming pool in Colombo and this changed everything. This mystery man was more than a naval officer – he was Alexander George Francis Drogo Montagu, known as Mandy, the eldest son of the 9th Duke of Manchester, an heir to a nearly 500 year old dynasty.

An article featured in the Illustrated Australian News in November 1867, titled “A LADY SWINDLER”:

"It appears that for a length of time the lady has been in the habit of visiting lodging houses and inquiring for apartments. Having agreed to take the lodgings she proceeds to pay a deposit, when on feeling in her pocket, she cries, ‘I’ve lost my purse; they have stolen my purse,’ and forthwith commences to lament and bemoan her loss, exclaiming, ‘What shall I do; what will my husband say’. The lady is always accompanied by a little boy, dressed in Highland costume, whose tears mingled with sobs of his mother, are the secret of the facility with which she accomplishes her schemes."

The lady swindler was Mrs Alexandrina Askew. She didn’t ask for money, loans were offered in her time of crisis. As she collected more funds, her clothes became more ladylike.

An article featured in the Illustrated Australian News in November 1867, titled “A LADY SWINDLER”:

"It appears that for a length of time the lady has been in the habit of visiting lodging houses and inquiring for apartments. Having agreed to take the lodgings she proceeds to pay a deposit, when on feeling in her pocket, she cries, ‘I’ve lost my purse; they have stolen my purse,’ and forthwith commences to lament and bemoan her loss, exclaiming, ‘What shall I do; what will my husband say’. The lady is always accompanied by a little boy, dressed in Highland costume, whose tears mingled with sobs of his mother, are the secret of the facility with which she accomplishes her schemes."
The lady swindler was Mrs Alexandrina Askew. She didn’t ask for money, loans were offered in her time of crisis. As she collected more funds, her clothes became more ladylike.

Christopher Ballerstedt and his son Theodore started building the house known as Fortuna Villa in Bendigo in the mid-1850’s. The estate is actually located atop of the rich New Chum reef. Fortuna Villa is an outstanding demonstration of the wealth and prosperity of Bendigo and Victoria during the gold rush period.

The property was then sold to George Lansell who made marked improvements to the home.

It can be definitely said that gold built Fortuna Villa!

Flora Butters was known by several names – it was a bit of aminefield, but with the assistance of Flora’s great granddaughter Tracie Brown, I am able to tell the story of Flora!

In 1893 Martha Needle was charged with murdering her husband, her three young girls and her new fiancé’s brother with poison… a cup of tea would seal her fate.

In October 1882, a family tragedy was reported that occurred near Deniliquin NSW. 'A poor man named Ludlow came in from Morago Station to the Deniliquin Hospital. A large branch of a gum tree landed on their camp, killing their oldest child and his wife and another child being seriously injured'. Who was Ludlow?

*Warning there are events that listeners may find distressing*

Thomas and Andrew Chirnside were prolific pastoralists in Australia. They were born in Scotland, the youngest sons of eight children. Thomas and Andrew were the only children to emigrate to Australia.