The Day They Blew Up The Police Station: The Russell Street Bombing *Re-Issue*
Australian True Crime
Bravecasting
4.6 • 979 Ratings
🗓️ 11 January 2026
⏱️ 35 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Retired Victoria Police Chief Inspector Rob Bailey has seen a lot over the course of his career. Among many other things, he was part of the legendary Victorian armed robbery squad in its heyday, and he was an eyewitness to what remains the most audacious attack ever carried out by the criminal underworld against Australian law enforcement, the bombing of Police Headquarters in Melbourne’s Russell Street.
This episode is a re-issue of episode #98 from April 25th, 2019.
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CREDITS:
Host: Meshel Laurie
Guest: Rob Bailey
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Please be advised this podcast contains descriptions of graphic violence and is not appropriate for children. |
| 0:11.6 | Our guest today is retired Victoria Police Chief Inspector Rob Bailey, who's seen a lot over the course of his career. |
| 0:20.4 | Among other things, Rob was part of the legendary Victorian armed robbery squad in its heyday. |
| 0:26.6 | The war between the squad and Melbourne's armed robbers is the stuff of legend. |
| 0:32.1 | And it's behind some of the biggest Australian true crime stories of the last hundred years. |
| 0:38.5 | It's also been the inspiration for many a fictional plotline, including for that of the hit |
| 0:44.0 | movie Animal Kingdom. |
| 0:47.6 | Unfortunately for Rob, he had a front row seat for one of the biggest real-life stories to |
| 0:53.4 | come out of that war, the Russell Street |
| 0:55.7 | bombing. Rob was standing outside the Russell Street Police headquarters in downtown Melbourne. |
| 1:02.3 | At the precise moment, a car bomb exploded on the 27th of March, 1986. |
| 1:08.9 | Constable Angela Taylor was killed and 22 people were injured. |
| 1:13.5 | We begin this episode with Rob reading the entry he wrote into his official police diary |
| 1:18.8 | that day. |
| 1:20.8 | On duty 8.05 a.m., admin duties diary and ratings to 11am. |
| 1:26.6 | Packing of equipment pending move, |
| 1:28.4 | the Ford squad was relocating to some kill the road. |
| 1:31.4 | 1130 spoke to Senior Detective Ross Forster, |
| 1:34.0 | Castle Lane CIB regarding Frontier Homes, |
| 1:36.4 | proprietor limited. |
| 1:37.9 | Office to 12, 20 to 350, |
| 1:40.3 | Collins Street Tax Office to 1pm, |
... |
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