Down the Yarra Podcast

BGM_Melbourne International Comedy Festival: Past, Present, & Future

Since 1987, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival has grown from a small local event into the world’s third largest celebrations of laughter. But how did it all begin? And where’s it heading?
In this special episode of Down the Yarra, we explore the festival humble origins, its rise to global fame, the comedians who make their mark, and the controversies that shook the scene. From the underground clubs of the 1980s to the digital revolution shaping today’s comedy landscape, we dive into the past, present, and future of Melbourne’s funniest festival.
Plus, we unpack what’s in store for MICF 2025, including this year’s must-see acts, the growing influence of digital comedy, and how Melbourne continues to push the boundaries of stand-up.
Trigger Warning: This episode discusses themes that are related to censorship, free speech in comedy, and past controversies that maybe sensitive to some listeners.
Tune in for a journey through Naarm - Melbourne’s comedy scene-where the punchlines never stop!

BGM_Gulf Station: The Yarra Valley’s Living Time capsule

Just outside of Naarm -Melbourne, hidden among the rolling hills and vineyards of the Yarra Valley, sits one of Victoria’s oldest and most intact heritage farms: Gulf Station. Build by William and Agnes Bell and family in the 1840’s, this working farm has survived bushfires, floods, depressions and development threats to become a rare living time capsule of early colonial life.
In this episode finale, we dive into Gulf Station’s origins, its Scottish Founders, its hidden stories-including the women who kept the place running-and the truth about its place being stolen Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung land. We also explore what the future holds for this historic site and how it could become a place of deeper reconciliation and storytelling.
Trigger warning: This episode includes references to colonisation and the displacement of First Nations people.
Plus-we’re talking about short break, but Down the Yarra will return with Season 3 on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. Follow now, so you don’t miss an episode.

BGM_From Public Fountains to Coffee Palaces

Before Naarm - Melbourne became the cafe capital of Australia, the city was shaped by a very different kind of drinking culture-one that had nothing to do with coffee. In this episode of Down the Yarra, we’re diving into the history of Naarm’s public drinking fountains and the subsequent rise and fall of Melbourne’s grand coffee palaces.
Why did the temperance’s movement push for public drinking fountains? How did Melbourne’s coffee obsession evolve from alcohol-free palaces to today’s laneway espresso bars? And what’s the story behind those little plates that still come with some coffees?
Plus, stick around for a teaser on our next episode, the tragic and shocking true crime story of Jean Lee, the last woman to be publicly excused in Australia at Pentridge Prison in Coburg.
So grab your flat white, long black, or however you take your coffee-because we’re about to take a journey Down the Yarra.

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.

BGM_The Old Melbourne Gaol: Dark Walls, Darker Stories

Behind the towering bluestone walls of the Old Melbourne Gaol, history lingers in whispers and shadows. From the excursion of Ned Kelly to the wrongful hanging of Colin Campbell Ross, this notorious prison was the final stop for some of Victoria’s most infamous figures. In this episode of Down the Yarra, we step inside the cells, explore the stories of these who never actually left, and uncover the chilling legacy of Melbourne’s most haunted landmarks.
Trigger Warning: This episode discusses capital punishment, crime, and the harsh realities of 19th century prisons. Listeners discretion is advised.
Plus, a sneak peek into our next episode on Naarm’s temperance’s movement-the fight against alcohol that shaped the city’s social history.

BGM_The Curious Case of Patrick Costello

Patrick Costello’s a man of considerable influence in 19th century Naarm -Melbourne-a politican with a knack for getting things done, a mysterious death that raised eyebrows, and a legacy that left a mark on Carlton’s Drummond Street. But was his death really from natural causes, or was it something much more sinister at play? And is he in any way actually related to the former Australian federal treasurer, Peter Costello? (Spoiler: Probably not, yet let’s investigate anyway?)
In this episode of Down the Yarra, we dig into Costello’s rise to power, his dodgy political maneuvering, the secrets that he took to his grave, and the unanswered questions surrounding his fat. Plus, we tease one of Naarm-Melbourne’s strangest political scandals- the Bottom Feeders controversy of the late 1800’s.
Trigger Warning: This episode touches on political corruption, political scandal, and an unexplained death.
Listen now and join us, Down the Yarra.

BGM_Jean Lee: The Last Woman Excused in Australia

In 1951, Jean Lee made history in the worst way possible-becoming the last woman to be executed in Australia. But was she really a ruthless killer, or just an another victim of a justice system that showed no mercy?
In this episode of Down the Yarrra, we dive into the shocking true crime story of Jean Lee, a small-time thief caught up in a brutal murder that led her to the gallows at Pentridge Prison. We explore her troubled past, the violent crime that sealed her fat, and the public outrage that followed her execution-that led to the end of capital punishment in Australia.
Trigger Warning : This episode contains discussions of capital punishment, coercion, and violent crime, which may be destressing to some listeners.
Next time, we’re heading to Trades Hall, where history and ghost stories go hand in hand.
Tune in and follow Down the Yarra
For more stories on Naarm- Melbourne dark as well as fascinating past.

BGM_Naarm-Melbourne’s historic City Baths: Past, Presen, and Future

For well over a century, the Melbourne City Baths have stood as a symbol of public health, social change, and architectural beauty. But did you know that they were once the only place where many Mebournians could actually bathe?
In this episode of Down the Yarr, we explore the fascinating history of the City Bath-from their origins in a time of poor sanitation and public health crisis, to their transformation into the modern fitness hub, that we know toda. We’ll uncover the stories behind this iconic Edwardian building, its role in shaping Melbourne’s hygiene habits, and what the future holds for one of the city’s most significant heritage sites.
Plus, stay tuned for the teaser on our next episode, where we dive into the secrets of the State Library of Victoria-including its hidden archives and the legendary Ned Kelly armour on display.
Trigger Warning: This episode discusses historical public health issues, sanitation crisis’s, and past social attitudes towards hygiene.
Follow and join us as we go Down the Yarra.

BGM_The Grand Old State Library of Victoria

From its towering domed reading room to its eerie rumours of it sinking under the weight of books, the State Library of Victoria is more than just a place for quiet study-it’s a Melbourne institution. In this episode of Down the Yarra, we uncover the past, present. And future of Australia’s oldest free public library, exploring its grand origins, the influence of Justice Sir Redmond Barry, and the hidden secrets buried within its walls.
Is the library really melting into the ground? What tunnels lie beneath its foundations? And the ghost of its most famous founder still wander its halls? Plus, stick around for the teaser on the Old Melbourne Gaol and the Former Police Watch Houses-where Barry’s other legacy, Melbourne’s justice system, took a much darker turn.
Follow now and join us as we turn the pages on one of Naarm-Melbourne’s greatest landmarks.

BGM_Last Drinks: Naarm-Melbourne’s Temperance’s Movement

For decades, Naarm-Melbourne’s Temperance’s Movement fought to turn the city into a stronghold of sobriety, shaping everything from pub closing hours to entire “dry” suburbs. From the rise of anti-alcohol leagues to the chaos of the infamous 6 o’clock swill, this episode of Down the Yarra explores how the war on booze changed Naarm-Melbourne forever.
And stay tuned-next time, we’re diving into the city’s historic drinking fountains and grand coffee palaces, the remnants of a time when template reigned supreme.