Forgotten Cases of Poisoning in Australia

Australian True Crime

Meshel Laurie

True Crime

4.6 • 979 Ratings

🗓️ 13 July 2025

⏱️ 76 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

While the Erin Patterson case has drawn widespread attention, it’s far from the only poisoning story in Australia’s history.

In this episode, Forgotten Australia host Michael Adams joins us to explore other, lesser-known death by poisoning cases from Australia's 20th century.

You can listen to the Forgotten Australia podcast here, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000.

For Support:

Lifeline on 13 11 14

13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)

1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732

Blue Knot Helpline: 1300 657 380

CREDITS:

Host: Meshel Laurie

Guest: Michael Adams

Executive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Thalium, it was in a product called Thal Rat.
0:02.7	Now, you could get it at all Chemison stores anywhere.
0:06.0	And the advertising said, simply soak your bait in Sayers' Thal Rat and leave it in a suitable place.
0:12.0	It is odourless and tasteless.
0:13.6	Therefore, rats readily take the bait.
0:15.8	Thal Rat is a sure scientific way of killing rodent pests obtainable from all chemist's stores,
0:22.1	swift, safe, shore.
0:29.9	The Aaron Patterson Triple Murder Trial
0:32.2	has riveted the country and the world for years now.
0:35.9	Patterson was accused of using death cat mushrooms in a beef Wellington
0:39.5	to murder her parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson,
0:43.0	and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson in July 2023.
0:47.8	Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, was also in attendance for the meal
0:51.0	and was very lucky to survive.
0:53.7	The host and creator of the Forgotten Australia podcast, Michael Adams, joins us on Australian
0:58.5	True Crime to tell us about some of our country's most infamous poisonings.
1:03.8	This is Australian True Crime.
1:05.8	We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which this podcast is created,
1:10.4	the Wurundri Woi Warang
1:11.7	people of the Koolan Nation. And a warning, this episode of the podcast contains discussions
1:17.3	around suicide.
1:23.3	You never know where the journey will take you. One Tinder match.
	...

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