BGM_Trades Hall: Blood, Sweat, and the Unsolved Crime That Still Haunts It

Naarm - Melbourne’s Trades Hall is much more than just a building-it’s a beating heart of Australia’s workers rights movement. From the fight for the first 8 hour work day to its role in today’s battles for fair wages and conditions, this historic landmark has seen it all. But not all of its history has been triumphant. In this episode of Down the Yarra, we uncover the shocking 1923 Trades Hall robbery, where a young 21 year old night watchman, John ‘Barney’ Barnett, unfortunately lost his life in his duty of confronting an unknown intruder. His murder still reminds one of Melbourne’s great unsolved crimes, and still some say that his spirit never left the halls he swore to protect. Join us as we explore the past, present, and future of this iconic site-and stick around for a teaser on our next episode, where we dive into the legacy of Melbourne’s most powerful pub owner, Patrick Costello. Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions on violence crime, including a shooting.