Bondi's Shocking History

New podcast series Bondi Badlands reveals ‘disturbing’ new details about Sydney’s gay hate murder spree

- John Burfitt

The famous Marks Park and the cliffs of south Bondi are considered among the most visually stunning of the Sydney coastline, where the city meets the Pacific Ocean.

For all its beauty, however, the location also hides one of the darkest chapters of the Harbour City’s history.

In a crime spree that lasted for decades, Marks Park was the epicenter of the gay hate killings that saw men horrifically beaten by gangs before being thrown from the clifftops to their deaths.

An estimated 88 men – at least – were killed across Sydney during this violent era, with countless others bashed and beaten, some suffering lifelong injuries as a result.

A new memorial has just been unveiled at Marks Park, honoring the victims of this crime spree and the loved ones who have been fighting for justice ever since. The Bondi Project Memorial artwork Rise is a joint venture between NSW health advocacy group, ACON, and Waverley Council.

“The memorial is important as a place that people can come to and just recognize this time of history,” Greg Callaghan, author of the book Bondi Badlands which chronicles the killing spree from the 1970s to the ’90s, tells New Idea.

Greg’s book is also the basis for the new five-part podcast series of the same name.