PODCAST · history
Black Sheep
by RNZ
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
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What to Listen to Next: NZ Wars Collection
Host of Black Sheep William Ray recommends a new RNZ podcast for history fans, NZ Wars Collection - Kohikohinga o nga pakanga o Aotearoa. We’re bringing all our New Zealand Wars stories together in your favourite podcast app, with another chapter on the way. Each chapter zeroes in on one of the...
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Original Westie: the story of Don Buck
The founding father of West Auckland - Don Buck was notorious in the early 20th century for his hard drinking, hard living gum digging camp in the foothills of the Waitakere ranges. Black Sheep investigates the legend of this enigmatic and feared folk hero - the original Westie. Watch the video…
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Defective: the story of Dr Theodore Gray
“Oh Mummy save me from Dr Gray, because teacher says he’s coming today, and if I’m stupid he’ll take me away”. William Ray looks at the life and legacy of Dr Theodore Gray, a staunch eugenicists who was head of New Zealand's Mental Hospitals Department for 20 years. Further reading: Statement of...
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Preservation and Destruction: the story of Elsdon Best (Part 2)
In part two, we look at the years Elsdon Best spent living in Te Urewera, attempting to preserve knowledge he believed was on the brink of being lost forever, the remarkable relatioship he built with Tūhoe leaders, and how that relationship fell apart. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more...
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Preservation and Destruction: the story of Elsdon Best (Part 1)
Described in his own time as "the white Tōhunga of Tuhoeland" and by some today as a "structural rascist" who "stole" knowledge, it's fair to say Elsdon Best is a controvesial character. In the first of a two part episode, Black Sheep traces the early life of this self-taught ethnologist. Go to...
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Saturday Morning: Behind Black Sheep
New Zealand's most awarded podcast is RNZ's own Black Sheep, and it's back with its 9th season. Hosted and produced by William Ray - he explores New Zealand history through the lens of real life, shady, controversial and sometimes downright villainous characters. Saturday Morning's own Susie...
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Killer Nurse: the story of Elspeth Kerr (Part 2)
In the second of Black Sheep's two-part episode on Elspeth Kerr, detectives unravel the mystery of 9-year old Betty Kerr's poisoning and uncover more potential victims of a beloved nurse, turned serial poisoner. The Trials of Nurse Kerr: The anatomy of a secret poisoner by Scott Bainbridge Go to...
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Killer Nurse: the story of Elspeth Kerr (Part 1)
Elspeth Kerr was a beloved local nurse in 1930s Devonport, but when her husband died suddenly and her foster daughter fell into an inexplicable coma, locals discovered the shocking truth: Nurse Kerr was a serial poisoner. But more than 90 years later, elements of her crimes remain a mystery. In…
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Black Sheep Season 9 | Trailer
Black Sheep returns on Friday 30 January for its 9th season with a new cast of rogues, villains and controversial characters. Murderous nurses, foul-mouthed goldfield barkeepers, sly grogging kāuri gum dealers and more! Join William Ray as he looks at the darker side of New Zealand history. Go to...
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BONUS: Kelly Tarlton's Final Treasure Hunt
We're ducking into your feed to bring you an episode of a new RNZ podcast: Kelly Tartlon's Final Treasure Hunt. This story has everything! Kidnapping, smuggling, scurvy, and imaginary islands full of Jewish gold... Make sure to follow Kelly Tarlton's Final Treasure Hunt wherever you get your...
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Spy Scandal: the story of Bill Sutch
On 27 September 1974 New Zealanders woke to the news Dr Bill Sutch, a famous economist, historian, and former senior government official had been arrested and accused of spying for Soviet Russia. He was later found not guilty, but over the last 50 years, suspicion has swirled, and new evidence…
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Bird Bandit: the story of Freddie Angell
Freddie Angell was New Zealand's most notorious wildlife smuggler. His repeated attempts at stealing and exporting native wildlife in the 1990s, including Kea and Tuatara, made him all but a household name. Black Sheep speaks to documentary-maker Andy MacDonald about his extraordinary story. Go…
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Musket Missionary: the story of Thomas Kendall (Part 2)
Early NZ missionary Thomas Kendall arrived in London in 1820 with the Ngāpuhi Rangatira Hongi Hika. He would return to Aotearoa a year later with the first ever written dictionary of Te Reo Māori, a newly won clerical collar ...and more than 300 muskets. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more...
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Musket Missionary: the story of Thomas Kendall (Part 1)
Early Missionary Thomas Kendall facilitated the sale of hundreds of muskets to Ngāpuhi Māori, helping to enable the bloodiest wars in New Zealand history. But there's more to Kendall's story. He was instrumental in the transformation of Te Reo Māori into a written language, and became so…
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Beastly Truth: the story of George Howe
In the 1900s a series of lurid headlines were published in the New Zealand Truth about George Howe, a "Beastly Brothel-keeper" who pimped out underage girls from his shop on Wellington's Adelaide Road. But what Truth found most "beastly" about Howe, is that he was Chinese. Black Sheep looks at…
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Highwayman: the story of Robert Wallath
In 1892 a masked figure in a bizarre uniform began a 15 month crime spree, robbing people at gunpoint in and around New Plymouth. When he was finally arrested and unmasked, residents were dumbfounded to discovered the perpetrator was mild-mannered Robert Wallath - the teenage son of a local…
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Anzac Massacre: the story of Surafend (Part 3)
"As morning dawned we stood and watched / That devastated scene / Where but a single yesterday / Had flourished Surafeen." In the final episode of a three-part series, RNZ's Black Sheep investigates the Surafend massacre of December 1918. Read more about the story of Surafend on the RNZ website...
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Anzac Massacre: the story of Surafend (Part 2)
"They went out to this village, and they went through it with the bayonet.” In the second of a three-part series, RNZ's Black Sheep investigates the Surafend massacre of December 1918. Read more about the story of Surafend on the RNZ website here. “They got their heads together,...
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Anzac Massacre: the story of Surafend (Part 1)
“There was a time when I was proud of you men of the Anzac Mounted Division. I am proud of you no longer.” In the first of a three-part series, RNZ's Black Sheep investigates the Surafend massacre. Read more about the story of Surafend on the RNZ website here. “There was a time when I was proud…
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Trailer: Black Sheep Season 8
Black Sheep Season 8 is just around the corner with a whole new cast of controversial, villainous, or simply misunderstood figures from New Zealand history. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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Nellie's Baby: the story of New Zealand's Mental Institutions
The last of the so-called 'lunatic asylums' closed only 20 years ago. They were founded on ideas of paternalism and social progress and survived on the basis they offered safety. In this special crossover with the Nellie's Baby Podcast, William Ray and Kirsty Johnston look into their origins. Go…
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Double Life: the story of Judge Frederick Maning (Part 2)
From the 1840s onward, Frederick Maning would become an increasingly bitter and angry man who demonised Māori who opposed colonisation. So what explains this radical transition from a romantic early Pākehā settler? RNZ's Black Sheep podcast investigates. Frederick Maning was one of the first...
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Double Life: the story of Judge Frederick Maning (Part 1)
Frederick Maning was one of the first Europeans to settle in Aotearoa, he married a high-ranking Ngāpuhi woman, and wrote two books filled with romantic anecdotes of his time living alongside Māori. So why did so many of his private letters express such violent, racist attitudes towards Māori?...
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Gender Bender: the story of Hjelmar Dannevill
In the 1910s, Hjelmar Dannevill wowed high society with gripping tales of adventure as a medical researcher and journalist. But suspicions over her fantastical stories and insistence on wearing men's clothing saw her locked up as a German spy during WWI. RNZ's Black Sheep podcast investigates the...
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Death Ray: the story of Victor Penny
In 1935, a series of extraordinary newspaper articles claimed a backyard inventor called Victor Penny was trying to build a Death Ray for the New Zealand government. The claims seem absurd... So why were they taken so seriously? Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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Scientific Racist: the story of Alfred Newman
Dr Alfred Newman may be the most notorious scientific racist in New Zealand history. His 1882 paper "A study of the causes leading to the extinction of the Māori" was so extreme that it scandalised not just Māori, but also New Zealand's wider scientific community. So what can Newman's story tell…
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Erased: the story of Charles Mackay (Part 2)
In the second of a two-part episode on Charles Mackay Black Sheep investigates the mysteries surrounding the Whanganui Mayor's attempted murder of D'Arcy Cresswell - a former soldier who threatened to out the Mackay as homosexual if he didn't resign the mayoralty. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz...
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Erased: the story of Charles Mackay (Part 1)
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 investigates the downfall of Charles Mackay, and how his story is being...
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Black Sheep Season 7 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
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Killer Conductor: the story of Eric Mareo (Part 2)
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 sentence an innocent man to death? This is the second in a two part episode on…
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Killer Conductor: the story of Eric Mareo (Part 1)
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 an innocent man? RNZ's Black Sheep podcast investigates. On June 17th, 1936 a...
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Escape Artist: the story of George Wilder
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 his story. George Wilder is an accidental folk hero. He never sought the...
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Slaver: the story of Thomas McGrath
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 civilisation. In the first week of June 1863 half the population of a small Tongan...
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Governor: the story of Sir George Grey (Part 2)
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 podcast on George Grey, the two-time governor of Aotearoa who led this country…
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Governor: the story of Sir George Grey (Part 1)
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? RNZ's Black Sheep Podcast presents a two-part episode on Sir George Grey, the...
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Black Sheep Season Six Trailer
Black Sheep returns for a Sixth Season! Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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Baby Farmer: the story of Minnie Dean
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, but she's still a controversial and complex figure. Black Sheep dives into the...
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Machine Gun Murder: the story of Bassett Road (Part 2)
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 nearly Christmas, 1963. Detectives have identified John Gillies as their main suspect...
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Machine Gun Murder: the story of Bassett Road (Part 1)
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 investigates a true crime story that scandalised New Zealand Two bodies are found...
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Madam: the story of Flora MacKenzie
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 episode of Black Sheep, we look at the legend of "Madam Flora". Flora…
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Invasive: the story of Stewart Smith
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 nostalgia. Between the 1960s and late 2000s Stewart Smith went on a one-man…
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Colonial Mastermind: the story of Edward Gibbon Wakefield (Part 2)
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 for Māori. In the first episode of this two part series about Edward Gibbon...
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Colonial Mastermind: the story of Edward Gibbon Wakefield (Part 1)
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 least) his abduction and marriage of a teenage girl. Edward Gibbon Wakefield used...
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Raider: the story of Felix von Luckner
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 embarrassing jailbreak in NZ history. Felix Von Luckner led a very interesting...
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The Story Of Statues
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 in the United States. In New Zealand statues of Captain Cook and Governor George...
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The Aotearoa History Show!
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. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
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The story of White Supremacy
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 have called for New Zealand to examine its history of white supremacy. In this...
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Death Sentence: the story of NZ's executions
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 Kidman, Vincent O'Malley and Mark Derby as they unpick the history of executions in...
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Swashbuckler: the story of Bully Hayes
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 mark on the Pacific. His image today is as a swashbuckling rogue who swindled his...
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Soldier of Fortune: the story of Gustavus von Tempsky (Part 2)
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 glory's beacon from his boyhood till he fell, Dying like a valiant soldier, after...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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.
HOSTED BY
RNZ
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Black Sheep have?
Black Sheep currently has 77 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Black Sheep about?
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.
How often does Black Sheep release new episodes?
Black Sheep has 77 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Black Sheep?
You can listen to Black Sheep on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Black Sheep?
Black Sheep is created and hosted by RNZ.
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