2020 has been a cracker of a year for Australian podcasts so we rounded up some of the best for your listening pleasure.
You can find most of these on your podcasting app of choice. The couple that are only available on exclusive platforms have been flagged and linked out to.
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Nut Jobs
Marc Fennell followed up his truly spectacular It Burns with more food related intrigue. This time he wove together the world of heists and nuts to delve into the depths of agriculture crime in the U.S.
But perhaps more importantly, the podcasts looks at the contexts of these crimes, exploring how marketing shapes multi-billion dollar food trends and the impact climate change has on what we eat.
Hands down, this is my favourite podcast of the year.
It’s the $10 million heist you’ve never heard of. In a matter of months, dozens of truckloads disappeared from American highways. But what were they carrying? Nuts.
Marc Fennell takes you into a rabbit-hole of crime syndicates, stolen identities and private investigators that will change the way you think about food forever. 80% of the world’s almonds are grown in the heart of California but this journey will take you to Italy; the Spanish coast; deep under the earth; and even into space.
Nut Jobs is available on Audible.
Stuff the British Stole
Staying with Fennell, he also casually dropped his latest project, Stuff the British Stole. At the time of writing only the first few episodes have dropped, but it is already topping podcast charts.
This incredible series looks at the true and often brutal history and context of the pretty objects behind the glass.
Throughout its reign, the British Empire stole a lot of stuff. Today those objects are housed in genteel institutions across the UK and the world. They usually come with polite plaques. This is a series about the not-so-polite history behind those objects.
The Zest is History
Fans of the All Aussie Mystery Hour will be pleased with this one. Mel and Josie have launched a brand new pod all about the weird and wonderful stories from Australian history.
As always, what’s great about this is the warmth and humour they bring to the subject matter. It’s just like sitting down and listening to your mates chat.
If you want more from these two legends, check out Mel’s Jeans and a Nice Top podcast as well as back episodes of All Aussie Mystery Hour.
The Zest Is History is a brand new podcast from Melissa Mason and Josie Rozenberg-Clarke (former hosts of All Aussie Mystery Hour). Each week, they will spin you a 100% legit and maybe 80% researched yarn from Australia’s weird, wild and obviously zesty history.
Meta
As the name implies, Meta is, well, meta. It’s a podcast about podcasts, which is a great idea considering the cultural impact that this form of storytelling has had over the past decade.
If you’re a fan of getting a peek behind the curtain or simply love this medium, it’s worth a listen.
Meta is a podcast about podcasts. Each week Meta will interview the best podcasters in Australia and overseas to find your next favourite show.
We’ll take you behind the scenes of your favourite podcasts to hear hosts as you’ve never heard them before.
Find out what motivates podcasters, and how much work is involved to get the shows you love to your headphones.
Making Space
This brilliant pod from CNET’s Claire Riley is a perfect pick for space nerds who want to hear some of the lesser known stories about women in the, well, space.
Making Space: The Female Frontier spotlights the history of space exploration and the women who made it possible. From the hidden women of the Apollo program and the ones locked out of astronaut training in the 1960s, to a new generation of NASA leaders taking us back to the moon and on to Mars. Making Space sheds light on the women who are often overlooked in the history of mankind’s greatest achievements.
Josie and Podcats
Despite being a box office bomb, Josie and the Pussycats was a huge cult phenomenon of the very early 200s.
Journalist and author Maria Lewis, alongside Blake Howard, explores the movie in-depth, interviewing the cast and crew, as well as travelling to the home of the creator Archie Comics.
The series perfectly walks the line between fandom and serious journalism, and that’s what I love so much about it. A piece of pop culture treated with the serious respect it deserves, while remaining human and accessible.
Considering the resurgence of the greater Archie universe through Riverdale and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, there could not be a better time for a deep dive into this truly incredible film.
Finding Desperado
Anyone who is a fan of movies and weird mysteries needs to get on this immediately. I don’t want to say too much because it’s worth going on this journey with a clean slate.
But this is the perfect mix of intrigue and comedy and one of my favourites of the year.
Finding Desperado is a brand new investigative mystery podcast, hosted by comedians Alexei Toliopoulos and Cameron James – the team behind the most talked about podcast of 2019, Finding Drago. Australia’s premier (and only) pop culture detectives, Alexei and Cameron have uncovered a bizarre Guinness World Record from 2005. A record held by an elusive European aristocrat. A record that they believe to be fake.
Thin Black Line
One for the true crime enthusiasts, particularly those who listened to Bowraville and Unravel. If you didn’t, I strongly suggest you do. It’s an important education in the murder of Aboriginal people as well as deaths in custody.
Depending on who you ask, the infamous 1993 death in custody of Aboriginal teenager Daniel Yock is either a tragic incident or unfinished business.
On a spring afternoon in Brisbane’s Musgrave Park, the 18-year-old traditional dancer and amateur boxer is drinking with his mates.
But when a police van arrives, the mood suddenly changes, triggering a dramatic chain of events.
Presented by Walkley Award-winning investigative journalist Allan Clarke, Thin Black Line is a deep dive into what happened that day — according to the one eyewitness who saw it all unfold, speaking publicly for the first time in almost three decades.
His still-grieving family believe that not only could Daniel’s death have been prevented, but that he shouldn’t have been arrested in the first place.
Coronacast
This bite-sized podcast has been delving in the news and truth about COVID-19 since March, 2020. It is one of the best sources for accurate information about the virus in the country and was even award a Walkley for its efforts. It’s a must-listen.
Coronacast is a podcast that answers your questions about coronavirus. We break down the latest news and research to help you understand how the world is living through a pandemic.