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The Greatest Menace By cover art

The Greatest Menace

By: Patrick Abboud, Simon Cunich
Narrated by: Patrick Abboud
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  • Summary

  • Best True Crime Podcast, Australian Podcast Awards 2022

    Walkley Award for Best Audio Feature 2022

    The Walkley Foundation’s Media Diversity Australia Award 2022

    Gold, Social Justice category, New York Festivals Radio Award 2022

    Gold, Documentary category, Signal Awards 2023

    Please note: Contains strong language and adult content. 

    Tucked away amongst snow-covered mountains is a tiny Australian town with a dark secret. Journalist Patrick Abboud hears whispers that it was once home to the world’s only 'gay prison'. A prison that specifically incarcerated gay men. His investigation into what happened inside reveals the full story for the first time. This queer true-crime journey takes you from underground nightclubs to hidden sex haunts, to remote parts of New Zealand and England. You’ll find yourself entangled in a police cover up, a case of wrongful conviction and a human experiment that didn’t go to plan. At the centre of it all was a covert government operation to eradicate 'the greatest menace to society': homosexuality. 

    Now with a bonus episode, The Runaway: In the first year since the series' release the producers were flooded with new information. This episode features an extraordinary interview with a prison inmate and looks at how he wants to regain his dignity.

    Researched, written and produced by Patrick Abboud and Simon Cunich. 

    Presented by Patrick Abboud. This Audible Original is produced by Lockdown Productions Pty Ltd. 

    Patrick Abboud was the Jesse Cox Audio Fellow 2020, with support from its founding sponsor Audible, its production partner Unison Sound and its festival partners Third Coast International Audio Festival and Audiocraft Podcast Festival.

    Reporting was also supported by The Walkley Public Fund.  
    ©2022 Lockdown Productions Pty Ltd. (P)2022 Audible Australia Pty Ltd.
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Episodes
  • TRAILER: The Greatest Menace

    TRAILER: The Greatest Menace
    Jan 30 2023

    Winner of The Walkley Foundation’s Media Diversity Australia Award 2022

    Gold winner in the Social Justice Podcast category, and awarded Bronze in the Serialized Podcast and Narrative/Documentary Podcast categories at the 2022 New York Festivals Radio Award

    Please note: Contains strong language and adult content.

    Tucked away amongst snow-covered mountains is a tiny Australian town with a dark secret. Journalist Patrick Abboud hears whispers that it was once home to the world’s only 'gay prison'. A prison that specifically incarcerated gay men. His investigation into what happened inside reveals the full story for the first time. This queer true-crime journey takes you from underground nightclubs to hidden sex haunts, to remote parts of New Zealand and England. You’ll find yourself entangled in a police cover up, a case of wrongful conviction and a human experiment that didn’t go to plan. At the centre of it all was a covert government operation to eradicate 'the greatest menace to society': homosexuality.

    Researched, written and produced by Patrick Abboud and Simon Cunich.

    Presented by Patrick Abboud. This Audible Original is produced by Lockdown Productions Pty Ltd.

    Patrick Abboud was the Jesse Cox Audio Fellow 2020, with support from its founding sponsor Audible, its production partner Unison Sound and its festival partners Third Coast International Audio Festival and Audiocraft Podcast Festival.

    Reporting was also supported by The Walkley Public Fund.
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    2 mins
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  • Ep 1: The Vice Squad

    Ep 1: The Vice Squad
    Feb 9 2023

    A mysterious tip starts Patrick investigating rumours of a gay prison and the police squad that ruthlessly targeted gay men.
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    40 mins
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  • Ep 2: The Queen City of the South

    Ep 2: The Queen City of the South
    Feb 9 2023

    Patrick arrives in a small town with a big secret and starts investigating why the government would create a gay prison.
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    35 mins
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LGBTQ+ Studies
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Featured Article: Audible Essentials—The Top 100 LGBTQIA+ Listens of All Time


While LGBTQIA+ creators have been around for millennia, it’s only recently that we’ve been hearing more diverse, more queer-authored, and more queer-performed stories about the entire spectrum of LGBTQIA+ experiences and identities. This list—just like the community it represents—is meant to be fluid. But most importantly, it’s meant to celebrate and reflect on the issues faced by LGBTQIA+ people everywhere.

Featured Article Audible Essentials The Top 100 LGBTQIA+ Listens of All Time

What listeners say about The Greatest Menace

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Profile Image for Mike

This was a very awesome podcast

This is one of the most in-depth and accurate podcast I've listened to in a long time. Thank you for taking the time to do this.

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Profile Image for Simplicity seller

didn't hold my attention

I have listened to two full episodes, and will probably stop here. The narrator/host has a lovely voice and delivery, but the content is pretty slow moving. I am disappointed because the topic at hand seems like an important one.

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