Abstract

The Greatest Menace is an investigative podcast by Patrick Abboud and Simon Cunich which examines the history of Cooma Gaol, Australia’s experimental homosexual prison. The podcast explores a difficult and confronting piece of history, weaving together the past and the present as host Abboud attempts to uncover buried information about Cooma Gaol, the people incarcerated there and the people who operated it. This review explores the approaches taken by Abboud and Cunich to explore this history, mindful of the present-day impact that digging up these stories has on those involved. While investigating the prison’s past, Abboud interviews former prisoners, victims of police entrapment, family members of those who ran the prison, people in the town and the community and many others. The Greatest Menace reminds listeners that the process of interviewing and researching history are not neutral actions; they are actions that have the potential to open (and sometimes help heal) old wounds.

Keywords: LGBTIQ History, podcasting, ethics, interview, prison

How to Cite:

McCrory, A., (2023) “The Greatest Menace Review: Living with Shadows of the Past”, RadioDoc Review 8(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.14453/rdr.105