Following the huge success of the first Australian True Crime: Live virtual event, Meshel Laurie and Emily Webb are back with their second instalment. Joining them will be special guests Julia Robson (Chasing Charlie) and Andrew Rule (Chopper/Underbelly).
Andrew Rule, one of Australia’s most prolific crime writers and gatekeeper to some of the country’s most intriguing and colourful true crime stories, will talk about his time and experiences working with the infamous Mark ‘Chopper’ Read.
We caught up with Andrew to find out a little bit more about his passion for true crime and what audiences can come to expect.
Why are we all so obsessed with crime? What got you started?
I started writing about crime in newspapers partly because I had covered courts and police rounds and partly because it was something that appealed to all sorts of readers.
You have your own incredibly successful podcast and are a regular guest on the True Crime podcast – what do you enjoy most about working with Meshel and Emily?
Meshel and Emily are enthusiastic and entertaining, smart and hard working and have carved a big niche in a field that attracts a wide range, from the strange and ghoulish to the curious and literary.
What is it about your own podcast that keeps your audiences coming back?
If I knew what keeps people coming back, I’d bottle it. I suspect the truth is that most competent podcasts with mainstream appeal are working well because they fit in with lifestyles where people who are commuting or perhaps working solo want something a little more engaging than the usual radio format.
Is there a character or story that fascinates you the most out of all that you have done?
The enduring stories tend to be the mysteries, the unsolved cases. Top of the list is the Beaumont Children who vanished from an Adelaide beach in 1966, but there are others. Such as the Eloise Worledge case, the little girl abducted from home in Beaumaris in 1976. Then there is the murder of Margaret Tapp and her young daughter Seana at Ferntree Gully in 1984. There are many others but these three stand out for me.
Who is the one person you’d love to interview that you haven’t yet?
The greatest Australian armed robber and jail breaker, arguably, is Russell Cox. He is living a quiet life in QLD and will never talk but could tell a host of amazing stories. He and fellow robber and escaper Brenden Abbott (‘The Postcard Bandit’) are the John Dillingers of Aussie Crime.
How are you dealing with existing in the current COVID world?
It is amazing how much work can be done by telephone and Zoom and I have found it okay as I have worked at home for extended periods before.
How do you think the world of crime is adapting? Has it gone quiet, no change, or do we think it’s a perfect time for crime?
It went quiet briefly but then reasserted itself. A lot of crime is directly or indirectly linked to the drug trade and that, sadly, will probably not change that much. The desperates at the bottom of the heap who have drug debts will still want to commit crimes tio get quick money. Home burglaries might drop because people are home but the flipside is that home invasions and shop and factory breaking and car theft could rise to compensate..
What about the world of law enforcement. How would our police force be coping and adapting right now?
The extra burden on all frontline police at present is enforcing the lockdown. When it started in March and April, police reported it was as quiet as working in the early 1980’s because traffic was light, few people were in the streets and there were no pubs or bars open.
How do you think we’ll all change as a result of the experience we’re going through?
There will be an acceleration of trends that had already begun, such as more people working from home and working around the need to travel for work. Suddenly, we have all had to embrace the technological communication gear that has actually been available for more than a decade. Companies will realise the same thing, and so many central head offices will shrink and business air travel will, too. Suburbs will become more genuinely self-reliant communities, as they were (and country towns were) a generation ago. Home-based hobbies and gardening will become more popular. Shades of the 1950s?
Australian True Crime: Live–In Conversation with Andrew Rule and Julia Robson will stream live online at 7:30 pm AEST on Saturday 8 August. Early bird tickets (strictly limited) start at $14.90 + fees are on sale now from www.nottoodeep.com.au