Secrets We Keep
LiSTNR
Each season, Secrets We Keep investigates a different Australian secret.
Secrets We Keep: Uncovered (Season 9): takes you inside some of the most important investigations of our time, with our expanding network of journalists and sources from around Australia and beyond. Every week, Uncovered pulls back the curtain on the stories powerful people hoped would stay buried, by speaking directly to those who lived and breathed them.
Jailbreak (Season 8): Journalist Tim Elliott details the extraordinary story of Darko Desic, a fugitive who lived for 30 years on the Northern Beaches of Sydney.
Lone Actor (Season 7): Joey Watson traces the radicalisation trajectory of the Christchurch terrorist, asking the question - did he really act alone?
By Any Means (Season 6): An investigation into the modern fertility landscape, confronting complex questions about consent, identity and human rights.
Should I Spit? (Season 5): The origin story of the multibillion dollar consumer DNA industry. From police hoping to solve cold murder cases, to one of the most powerful churches in the world, everyone seems to want a piece of what makes you, you.
Pray Harder (Season 4): investigative journalist Richard Baker uncovers the unbelievable and compelling true story of Australia’s oldest and most hard line Pentecostal Church, the Geelong Revival Centre.
Baghdad Nights (Season 3): Richard Baker takes you inside Australia's biggest corruption scandal, finding out how Australia funded a dictator in the lead up to the Iraq War.
Nest of Traitors (Season 2): Joey Watson is pulled into the world of espionage, attempting to track down an Australian spy who turned to work for the enemy during the Cold War.
Shame Lies & Family (Season 1): A mystery photo of Amelia Oberhardt’s mum exposes the practice of shotgun marriages, forced adoption, and quiet abortions carried out in Australia until the 1980s.
Secrets We Keep: Uncovered (Season 9): takes you inside some of the most important investigations of our time, with our expanding network of journalists and sources from around Australia and beyond. Every week, Uncovered pulls back the curtain on the stories powerful people hoped would stay buried, by speaking directly to those who lived and breathed them.
Jailbreak (Season 8): Journalist Tim Elliott details the extraordinary story of Darko Desic, a fugitive who lived for 30 years on the Northern Beaches of Sydney.
Lone Actor (Season 7): Joey Watson traces the radicalisation trajectory of the Christchurch terrorist, asking the question - did he really act alone?
By Any Means (Season 6): An investigation into the modern fertility landscape, confronting complex questions about consent, identity and human rights.
Should I Spit? (Season 5): The origin story of the multibillion dollar consumer DNA industry. From police hoping to solve cold murder cases, to one of the most powerful churches in the world, everyone seems to want a piece of what makes you, you.
Pray Harder (Season 4): investigative journalist Richard Baker uncovers the unbelievable and compelling true story of Australia’s oldest and most hard line Pentecostal Church, the Geelong Revival Centre.
Baghdad Nights (Season 3): Richard Baker takes you inside Australia's biggest corruption scandal, finding out how Australia funded a dictator in the lead up to the Iraq War.
Nest of Traitors (Season 2): Joey Watson is pulled into the world of espionage, attempting to track down an Australian spy who turned to work for the enemy during the Cold War.
Shame Lies & Family (Season 1): A mystery photo of Amelia Oberhardt’s mum exposes the practice of shotgun marriages, forced adoption, and quiet abortions carried out in Australia until the 1980s.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 16, 2025 • 36min
Lone Actor - Episode 3 - In the scene
Kaz Ross, an independent expert and researcher on the far right in Tasmania, shares gripping insights into right-wing extremism in Australia. He discusses the alarming rise of anti-Islam sentiment and the violent tactics employed by groups like the United Patriots Front. Kaz explores the chilling connections between social media and radicalization, illuminating how extremists have adapted their strategies. He also delves into the influence of wealthy figures like Gina Reinhart amidst community resistance against neo-Nazi groups, revealing the pervasive threats lurking within online extremist networks.
Jul 9, 2025 • 37min
Lone Actor - Episode 2 - Shitposting
A deep dive into the dark corners of online radicalization reveals shocking transformations. The journey from humor and meme culture on 4chan to a breeding ground for far-right extremism is explored. The impact of anonymous forums, like 8chan, on shaping violent ideologies is analyzed. The troubling support networks formed after the Christchurch attack highlight the dangerous implications of online discourse. This unsettling narrative contrasts the lives of a budding terrorist and a wealthy entrepreneur, shedding light on the extremes of human experience.
9 snips
Jul 9, 2025 • 30min
Lone Actor - Episode 1 - March 15
Aya al-Umari, a Christchurch resident and sister of a victim of the mosque attacks, shares her deeply personal account of the tragic events of March 15, 2019. She delves into the emotional chaos experienced by the community and reflects on the search for loved ones amidst the turmoil. The discussion unfolds to explore the motivations behind such extreme violence and the impact of social media in modern terrorism. Aya's insights shed light on the complex nature of trauma, resilience, and the need for understanding in the face of hate.
Jun 29, 2025 • 3min
Introducing Lone Actor
On March 15 2019 a gunman opened fire on two mosques in Christchurch, killing 51 people. Officially, he acted alone. But what if that wasn’t the full story? In Secrets We Keep: Lone Actor, journalist Joey Watson digs into the digital underworld that shaped Brenton Tarrant — a 28-year-old Australian radicalised online and armed with a global ideology. Joey retraces the steps of the terrorist and asks: Was he really acting alone? The series journeys from the darkest corners of the internet to the other side of the world, exposing the murky forces behind the deadliest terror attack ever committed by an Australian. Binge the full series of Lone Actor exclusively on the LiSTNR app, download the app for free. New episodes released weekly.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 24, 2025 • 1h 4min
By Any Means - Episode 6 - Baby Brokers
How is international commercial surrogacy being sold to foreign intended parents? Amelia sends Senior Producer Claudianna Blanco to Colombia to find out. Claudianna talks to experts, industry insiders and surrogates to uncover the international daisy chain of brokers and middlemen. All episodes of By Any Means are available exclusively on the LiSTNR app. If you want to get in touch, email secretswekeep@sca.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 17, 2025 • 51min
By Any Means - Episode 5 - The Surrogacy Sisterhood
Surrogacy is the pointy end of the fertility industry – the last resort for conceiving babies that are genetically linked to their parents. In Australia, the only legal option for surrogacy is via someone offering to carry a baby altruistically. Who are these women who are happy to carry a baby for a stranger? Amelia sends Senior Producer Claudianna Blanco to Tasmania for the Surrogacy Sisterhood retreat – a first for any Australian journalist. Then, we meet a couple risking it all to undertake commercial international surrogacy in Latin America. And ask the question – how can you trust a clinic is doing the right thing abroad? If you would like to get in touch email secretswekeep@sca.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 10, 2025 • 42min
By Any Means - Episode 4 - Magic Potion
You’ve heard the mistakes the fertility industry has made – so it’s no surprise some people are offering another option. In this episode, Amelia Oberhardt dives into the ‘known donor’ movement, of men offering their sperm on Facebook. Is it better than using sperm sourced through a fertility clinic? And is an unregulated environment of sperm donation really the best solution? If you can't wait to listen to the next episode, you can find all episodes of By Any Means for free on the LiSTNR app. Listen to Episode 5 now. If you want to get in touch, email secretswekeep@sca.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 3, 2025 • 44min
By Any Means - Episode 3 - 700 Siblings
Systemic secrecy and loose record-keeping in the early days of IVF is coming to light, and it's clear that some sperm donors were abusing the system. In this episode, Amelia hears from adult donor-conceived people whose lives have been altered because of secrecy and negligence. From people finding out they have an unknown large number of siblings, to inherited health conditions, and the anguish of not knowing your medical history. If you don't want to wait for the next episode, all episodes of By Any Means are available for free on the LiSTNR app. Listen to Episode 4 now. If you know more, or want to share your story, email secretswekeep@sca.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 27, 2025 • 42min
By Any Means - Episode 2 - Russellpalooza
In the early 2000s, the advent of DNA test kits opens the Pandora’s Box of conception secrets. As the identities of many previously anonymous sperm donors are suddenly revealed, their biological children’s lives are upended upon learning the truth about how they’d been conceived. Amelia speaks to Darren, a medical student who’d donated his sperm anonymously in the 1980s, and Guy, a man who found out in adulthood he had been conceived with anonymous donor sperm, following Victoria’s decision to become the first state in Australia to establish a registry for donor-conceived children. Every episode of By Any Means is available exclusively on the LiSTNR app. You can listen to Episode 3 now. If you want to get in touch email secretswekeep@sca.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 27, 2025 • 36min
By Any Means - Episode 1 - That Infertility Feeling
An intriguing email propels journalist Amelia Oberhardt to investigate the fertility industry in Australia, its history and methods, and the outcomes for the children born during the early days of IVF – when secrecy around conception and anonymous sperm donation was the norm. Amelia’s starting point is her best friend’s mother – one of the first women to go through infertility treatment in Queensland and successfully give birth to one of the state’s first ‘test tube babies’. Amelia speaks to the doctors who pioneered IVF in Australia, to understand the thinking behind the fertility industry’s early choice of persuading their patients to keep the truth of conception secret from the children born from anonymous sperm donations. You can listen to all episodes of By Any Means now on the LiSTNR app. If you want to get in touch, email secretswekeep@sca.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
