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Who the Hell is Hamish?

by The Australian

He was born Hamish Watson, a surfie dude from Sydney – but he could morph into whatever you needed him to be. Hamish is due to be sentenced to jail in early 2019 for swindling a handful of victims out of more than $7m. But these crimes are just the final pages in a resume too thick to staple; for decades he’s duped victims in the US, Canada, Britain, Hong Kong and Australia. How did he do it? How did he evade authorities around the world for so long and what’s he done with all those tens of millions of dollars he stole?

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Apr 13, 2026 · Source feed

Episodes

  1. Hedley Thomas’ new podcast investigation, The Poisoned Wife

    Who killed Rosslyn McQueen? Today’s launch day for something very special here at The Australian: a new Hedley Thomas cold case investigation. The Poisoned Wife is a podcast examination of how a 30-year-old pregnant mother died of strychnine poisoning in her own home - and nobody has been brought...

  2. New Show: The Flood - EP4: The Fallout

    From The Australian, this is The Flood. The true story of 60 Australian men and women trapped in a submarine deep under the Indian Ocean when an explosion threatens to sink the vessel and send its crew to the bottom. After narrowly surviving a catastrophic flood, HMAS Dechaineux limps back to…

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  3. New Show: The Flood - EP3: We are sinking

    From The Australian, this is The Flood. The true story of 60 Australian men and women trapped in a submarine deep under the Indian Ocean when an explosion threatens to sink the vessel and send its crew to the bottom. Crippled by a seawater flood, the crew of HMAS Dechaineux fight to stop their...

  4. New Show: The Flood - EP2: Shut all hull valves

    From The Australian, this is The Flood. The true story of 60 Australian men and women trapped in a submarine deep under the Indian Ocean when an explosion threatens to sink the vessel and send its crew to the bottom. In Episode 2: Shut all hull valves, Commander Scott initiates emergency...

  5. New show: The Flood

    From The Australian, this is The Flood. The true story of 60 Australian men and women trapped in a submarine deep under the Indian Ocean when an explosion threatens to sink the vessel and send its crew to the bottom. In Episode 1: Explosion, the commander takes his submarine down to its deepest...

  6. From The Front: The mystery of ‘Shotgun Johnny’ Regan

    The 1974 murder of ‘Shotgun Johnny’ Regan has never been solved. Now, his family wants answers. That’s where The Australian’s new cold case investigation The Gangster’s Ghost comes in. Subscribers can listen to Episodes 1 and 2 now at gangstersghost.com.au. This episode of The Australian's daily...

  7. From The Front: Hedley Thomas’ new cold case podcast, 'Bronwyn'

    Where is Bronwyn Winfield? The devoted mum has been missing since 1993 – and the man behind The Teacher’s Pet is on the case. Go to theaustralian.com.au/bronwyn to listen. Plus, you can read more about this case and see exclusive stories, maps, timelines, graphics, video and more. This episode of...

  8. It's back: The Teacher's Pet returns for Australian listeners

    The Australian's global smash-hit podcast Teacher's Pet returns for Australian audiences on July 1. You can find it wherever you got this podcast. Just search for "The Teacher's Pet". See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  9. Introducing: My Sister's Secrets

    My Sister's Secrets is the gripping story of one woman's quest to get justice for her sister - and along the way, to uncover the hidden places in her family, and all our families. In this first episode, you meet Alexandra Tapp who died at just 32, haunted by the predators in her own family. Now…

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  10. Introducing: The Breakdown

    Australian rugby once had $40 million in the bank. Crowds over 100,000. TV audiences of 3 million. Today, the Wallabies have sunk to their lowest world ranking ever. Off the field rugby is a "war zone" with a $20 million deficit last year alone. The Breakdown is a gripping podcast investigation...

  11. Introducing: The Lighthouse

    Theo Hayez is missing in Byron Bay, a beautiful beachside town on Australia’s most easterly mainland point, frequently in the spotlight for its famous residents. Theo’s from Brussels. He’s 18 and on a backpacking holiday when he vanishes in May 2019. Behind the scenes, local volunteers who’ve…

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  12. The Reckoning

    For years Hamish McLaren had evaded the law. But not any more. The brutal truth, like a runaway out-of-control limited edition Mercedes McLaren, is bearing down on him. There's no escape. Judgement Day for Hamish McLaren has finally arrived. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  13. Bonus: Jane

    As a bonus for all listeners, we are publishing the full interview with Jane, recorded in her house north of Sydney. She speaks at length about her experiences of Hamish, the impact it had on her life, and how she hopes to begin moving on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  14. The Definition of Evil

    It may appear that Hamish got away with his schemes for decades. But he didn't. He kept getting caught out, time and again. It's self evident that many systems failed to apprehend this serial offender. How could this be so? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  15. On the Couch with Hamish

    He killed off his parents, by air and by sea. He ran over his twin brother Phil, and killed him, too. What are we to make of these fanciful stories Hamish made up about his life? We've called in experts. And we've gathered bevy of ex-girlfriends to give us their take on their time with Hamish.…

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  16. Kevin from Queensland Goes to Canada

    Skiing was Hamish Watson's great love. Before he was a puffed-up futures trader in Sydney, he was a pumped-up muscle-bound ski instructor, in Australia and Canada. The ski fields of Canada were his home away from home, a place where he could show off the millions he'd stolen. He flew in on…

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  17. Who the Hell is Phil?

    Hamish arrived on the floor of the Sydney Futures Exchange in the late 90s - he talked big, but they all knew he traded small. They called him a One Lot Wonder. And they all wondered where he got his cash. There were cars and boats and trips in private jets and a girlfriend called The Pleasure...

  18. The Intern

    Jane was destined for big things. She was the great hope of her local school. She was in love with Jack, her teenage sweetheart. Life was sweet. Then, along came Hamish, promising an internship and a placement at Princeton. Two families would be devastated by the results. See...

  19. The Gatsby of the Great Lakes

    Hamish arrived in sleepy Blueys Beach with a beautiful woman on his arm, and on the run from his past. Rumours of dark deeds wafted through in his wake. Then he met Bec Rosen. He'd shower her with love. They'd be married on the balcony of a beach shack. He'd become a father figure to her boys.…

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  20. Fashion Crimes

    Hamish McLaren was always attracted to the high-life. It was inevitable he'd gravitate to fashion. And so, nestled among the retirees and energy healers, Hamish stole from was another name: Lisa Ho. But had Hamish met his match in this high profile Sydney designer? See omnystudio.com/listener for...

  21. The Day Max Died

    Tracy fell in love with Max Tavita, a man who won her over with tales of a life in the investment world and how he was working in the World Trade Center in New York when the first plane hit in 2001. Then Hamish crashed into their lives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  22. Introducing Who the Hell is Hamish?

    He was born Hamish Watson, a surfie dude from Sydney – but he could morph into whatever you needed him to be. Hamish is due to be sentenced to jail in early 2019 for swindling a handful of victims out of more than $7m. But these crimes are just the final pages in a resume too thick to staple; for...

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

He was born Hamish Watson, a surfie dude from Sydney – but he could morph into whatever you needed him to be. Hamish is due to be sentenced to jail in early 2019 for swindling a handful of victims out of more than $7m. But these crimes are just the final pages in a resume too thick to staple; for decades he’s duped victims in the US, Canada, Britain, Hong Kong and Australia. How did he do it? How did he evade authorities around the world for so long and what’s he done with all those tens of millions of dollars he stole?

HOSTED BY

The Australian

Produced by [email protected]

CATEGORIES

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Who the Hell is Hamish? have?

Who the Hell is Hamish? currently has 22 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Who the Hell is Hamish? about?

He was born Hamish Watson, a surfie dude from Sydney – but he could morph into whatever you needed him to be. Hamish is due to be sentenced to jail in early 2019 for swindling a handful of victims out of more than $7m. But these crimes are just the final pages in a resume too thick to staple; for...

How often does Who the Hell is Hamish? release new episodes?

Who the Hell is Hamish? has 22 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Who the Hell is Hamish??

You can listen to Who the Hell is Hamish? 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 Who the Hell is Hamish??

Who the Hell is Hamish? is created and hosted by The Australian.
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