Australia's Bikie Shootout
Millperra, a quiet suburb in southwest Sydney, is now best known for a tragic event that took place on 2nd September, 1984: a violent shootout between two biker gangs, the Comancheros and the Bandidos, which became known as the ‘Father’s Day Massacre’. As 19 armed Comancheros ambushed the Bandidos in a car park during a motorcycle swap meet, the situation quickly spiralled out of control, with gunfire erupting and innocent bystanders, including an innocent 15 year-old girl, Leanne Walters, caught in the crossfire. The brutality of the event shocked the nation, with eyewitnesses describing a scene of unimaginable horror, with bikers and bystanders alike caught in a bloody battle. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain what Rule 4 of the gang - "No screwing another member's old lady" - had to do with the battle; marvel at the composure of the bikies who paused their fighting to go and get beers; and reveal what Jock Ross, the man at the centre of the conflict, went on to do next… Further Reading: • ’The Milperra bikie massacre’ (Sydney Morning Herald, 1984): https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/from-the-archives-1984-the-milperra-bikie-massacre-20190826-p52kvb.html • ‘Witnesses recall the Milperra massacre 30 years on’ (ABC News, 2014): https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-02/30th-anniversary-of-the-milperra-massacre-brings-back-bad-memor/5712522 • ‘The Father's Day Massacre: The worst bikie violence in the world’ (60 Minutes Australia, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6G38Lbrn9Q Love the show? Support us! Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY… … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content. Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices