The Last Outlaws

Judges' Comments 

Resisting the formulaic constraints of the true-crime genre, The Last Outlaws embarks on truth-telling about the impact of colonisation, racism, violence and criminal law. This investigative podcast is an immersive retelling of the lives and deaths of Wiradyuri and Wonnarua brothers Jimmy and Joe Governor, who were designated ‘outlaws’ for the killing of nine people in NSW in 1900. Presenting a story previously described through the lens of the 1970s fictionalised accounts, the podcast breaks new ground in its co-creation by descendants of the Governor brothers (Aunty Loretta Parsley & Leroy Parsons) and researchers (Katherine Biber & contributors), exposing the multi-layered truths about the past and present impact of state-sanctioned racism.   

Set on the eve of the federation of Australian colonies, the three-part series investigates interrelated areas of colonisation. The first episode explores Jimmy Governor’s experiences of racism and wage theft at the hands of his employers — the first of those he killed. The second examines his treatment under the criminal law, analysing the paradox of a colony that provided senior legal counsel to Aboriginal defendants and used state mechanisms to control, surveil and execute Jimmy Governor. The third episode examines the distressing history of desecration of Aboriginal remains in the name of science and the complicity of universities and museums in the maltreatment of Joe Governor’s body. As contributor Lyndon Ormond-Parker explains, these ‘archives are a violent place’.   

The most powerful voice in The Last Outlaws is Aunty Loretta Parsley who reminds listeners that within family knowledge systems Jimmy Governor’s story symbolises his love for his wife and family; a story passed through generations and one from which descendants can draw strength. The Last Outlaws creates a new standard in historical podcasting in its depth of familial, archival, and legal research, shining a light on the ongoing impact of the colonial systems on Aboriginal families. 

thelastoutlaws.com.au