Australia's Deadliest Picnic episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 13, 2025 · 40 MIN

Australia's Deadliest Picnic

from The Skeptical Historian

On New Year's Day 1915, Gool Mohamed and "Mullah" Abdullah, two local cameleers from Broken Hill, New South Wales, opened fire on a train full of people setting off to enjoy a picnic in nearby Silverton. The men were shot dead later in the day by police. But what caused them to open fire? Was it Australia's first terrorist attack, as some have claimed? An attack on Australia by the forces of the Ottoman Empire? Or something simpler and (perhaps) more terrifying?Listen in and find out.

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Australia's Deadliest Picnic

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This episode is 40 minutes long.

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This episode was published on January 13, 2025.

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On New Year's Day 1915, Gool Mohamed and "Mullah" Abdullah, two local cameleers from Broken Hill, New South Wales, opened fire on a train full of people setting off to enjoy a picnic in nearby Silverton. The men were shot dead later in the day by...

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