Hear from the lead investigator of Strike Force Reddan, the investigation into the so-called 'Family Law Court Bombings' - a crimewave which saw four people murdered and many others badly wounded in a series of shootings, bombings and an attempted bombing. Several buildings were destroyed or damaged in the attacks. Strike Force Reddan resulted in the arrest and conviction of the offender, who later died of natural causes while serving his sentence.

In the podcast Detective Inspector Mathieu Russell of the New South Wales Police Force talks about key aspects of the investigation and court case, and reflects on the challenges facing police - both at the time the offences occurred in the 1980s, and more recently with Strike Force Reddan which was a cold-case investigation utilising modern forensic and information management technology.

The podcast episode complements the feature article about the investigation that appeared in the June 2025 edition of the APJ.

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Host: Jason Byrnes APM

Guest: Detective Inspector Mathieu Russell

Five short crime case studies from the April-June 1947 issue of the APJ, give insight to policing in the first half of the 20th Century. Case 1: police use an ingenious method to locate a notorious counterfeiter. Case 2: police use common sense and legwork to identify arsonists who had damaged a factory. Case 3: how fraudsters came unstuck, attempting to defraud the government of petrol coupons. Case 4: a lovestruck armed robber is apprehended by detectives. Case 5: a man is murdered in rural Queensland and his body is found in remote NSW. These case studies are some of the first to ever appear in the APJ.

Host: Jason Byrnes APM

The APJ's homepage is www.apjl.com.au

Authorities are notified of a man having been ritualistically killed in a highlands village in remote New Guinea. Australian and New Guinean police, and a doctor, set out on foot to investigate. The case then takes a bizarre turn when the murderer seeks a reward for his actions.

This episode is a case from the archives of the APJ – a 1972 article concentrating on the strange phenomenon known as ‘cargo cults’ and how they emerged in some Pacific Island communities who were keen to enrich themselves with western consumer goods.

It’s a compelling story which shows how – just one lifetime ago – Australia was a colonial power with an international mandate to govern other cultures who were facing the challenges of rapidly adjusting to modernity.

This episode includes a narration of an abridged version of the article, using artificial intelligence (AI). On occasion, the article’s author used the word ‘primitive’ in a way which was widely acceptable at the time it was written, but which is now culturally insensitive. Listener discretion is advised.

You can subscribe to the APJ by visiting the website www.apjl.com.au, and clicking on the ‘subscribe’ button at the top of the page.