Black Sheep

The story of New Zealand and its people, from its geological origins to modern day. Hosted by William Ray and Leigh-Marama McLachlan, with animation by Chris Maguren. Made possible by the RNZ/NZ On… Read more Audio

In this special episode of Black Sheep, William Ray looks at the history of white supremacy in NZ. Read more Audio

The death penalty has started wars, won elections, outraged the population and ruined lives. Join William Ray for this live podcast recording at the Bread and Circus Festival in Christchurch with… Read more Audio

Bully Hayes is famous as a charismatic "pirate" of the South Pacific. But most stories gloss over his more heinous crimes: Slavery, sexual assault and the brutal abuse of his crew. Read more Audio

In part two, how Gustavus von Tempsky went from a relatively famous soldier to the uber-hero of NZ colonial history. Read more Audio

He was larger than life, a warrior and artist who's legend has only grown since his death in 1868.... but Gustavus von Tempsky had a dark side Read more Audio

Why do some historians think an NZ-born traitor was "instrumental" in the Japanese victory in Singapore during WWII?  Read more Audio

What drove a boy from Reefton to turn against his comrades in World War Two? How was a former boxing and swimming champion recruited as an agent of Imperial Japan? Read more Audio

Amy Bock was a criminal "supreme in her cleverness". Her most famous con saw her pose as a man for 15 weeks and marry the daughter of her landlord. Nobody has ever been able to explain what motivated… Read more Audio

The story of Horatio Robley continues... How did a man once dubbed a "predator of culture" for his collection of Maori heads become better known as a "friend of the Maori"? Read more Audio

Horatio Robley witnessed the most famous battle of the New Zealand Wars, he fathered a child with the daughter of a sworn enemy, his sketching helped end a war, his book helped save the art of Maori… Read more Audio

Pakeha settlers in Taranaki knew John Bryce as "Honest John" but Taranaki Maori called him "Bryce Kohuru" - Bryce the Murderer. In this episode of Black Sheep William Ray investigates the life of the… Read more Audio

Roy Courlander was a New Zealand soldier who joined Nazi Germany's infamous SS during WW2. Black Sheep investigates why he chose to turn traitor. Read more Audio

Kimble Bent was one of a tiny handful of Europeans who switched sides during the New Zealand Wars, who deserted the British army to join Maori "rebels" in Taranaki. RNZ's Black Sheep podcast tells the… Read more Audio

A cottage burns down, three mutilated bodies are found inside and there are fears the whole city of Auckland could be at risk. In this episode of Black Sheep William Ray investigates the story of the… Read more Audio

In 1981 Dunedin teenager Chris Lewis tried to shoot Queen Elizabeth. Then, at least according to some, authorities tried to cover it up. In this collaboration with Stuff.co.nz journalist Hamish… Read more Audio

It's 1871 and the city of Auckland is being terrorised by a string of major fires. Fears are raised that a gang of anarchist fanatics could be responsible but the real culprit turns out to be a well… Read more Audio

Charlotte Badger was one of the first European women to live in New Zealand. She was also a pirate... or at least that's the traditional story. In this special episode of Black Sheep, recorded live at… Read more Audio

In the 1860s Richard Burgess and his outlaw gang roved the West Coast, robbing and murdering dozens of people. Black Sheep investigates his life story and what drove him to a life of crime. Read more Audio

In 1877 Chief Justice James Prendergast ruled the Treaty of Waitangi was "a simple nullity", in part because it was signed by "simple barbarians" and "savages". Those words have seen him condemned as… Read more Audio

"The most vile criminal ever to be tried in New Zealand" Thomas Hall's crimes scandalised New Zealand when it was revealed he had attempted to murder his wife in order to steal her family fortune. Read more Audio

Meet the New Zealand author of a book beloved by Neo-Nazi's, Satanists and White Supremacists. Bizarrely Arthur Desmond started off as a hard-core labour activist and supporter of Maori rights, but he… Read more Audio

Annie Aves was a famous abortionist from the 1930s. She was tried four times but each time the jury failed to reach a verdict. Read more Audio

Nazi "assassins", mischievous con-artists and power hungry spies... Black Sheep investigates how a pair of hoaxers convinced the government that New Zealand had been infiltrated by Nazi agents. Read more Audio

Can you imagine if 20 per cent of the people you know suddenly died? How would you feel if the people in charge blocked doctors from helping them? For Samoans in 1918 this wasn't a hypothetical… Read more Audio

In the 1880s Austrian naturalist and ethnographer Andreas Reischek stole four mummified Maori corpses and secretly smuggled them out of the country so they could be displayed at a museum in Vienna. He… Read more Audio

The worst kind of villain in New Zealand history was... an Auckland property speculator. Read more Audio

Did you know that after the First World War New Zealand established an official eugenics board? We tend to think of eugenics as being something the Nazis invented but really it was embraced all around… Read more Audio

Hongi Hika is a man with a difficult legacy. He's one of the greatest figures in New Zealand history, but he's also often held responsible for starting the Musket Wars. Read more Audio

Arthur Worthington was a con artist who travelled the USA, marrying rich women then abandoning them and stealing all their money. Eventually with private detectives hot on his tail in 1890 he jumped… Read more Audio