Former prison in Fremantle, Western Australia
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In this moving sermon, Richard Boonstra from Prison Fellowship shares stories of hope, redemption, and the radical love of Jesus for those society often overlooks. Reflecting on John 4 and his own experiences in prisons across Australia, Richard challenges us to stay weird by following Jesus into uncomfortable places, where the harvest is ripe and lives are being transformed. Tune in to hear how God is working in prisons, and how were all invited to partner in the Kingdom work of rescue, restoration, and redemption. To catch up on the latest sermons from Deep Creek, go to iTunes, Spotify ordeepcreekanglican.comand check out the website for more info about whats happening. We are a welcoming and growing multigenerational church in Doncaster East in Melbourne with refreshing faith in Jesus Christ. We think that looks like being life-giving to the believer, surprising to the world, and strengthening to the weary and doubting. Read the transcript Our Bible reading today comes from John chapter 4, verses 3442, just after Jesus has been speaking with the Samaritan woman. My food said, Jesus, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.Don't you have a saying? It's still four months until harvest?I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields.They are ripe for harvest.Even now, the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.Thus the saying one sows and another reaps is true.I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you've reaped the benefits of their labor.Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony.He told me everything I ever did.So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with him.And he stayed two days.And because of his words, many more became believers.They said to the woman, we no longer believe just because of what you said.Now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world. This is the word of the Lord. Introduction Good morning. Thank you for having me here this morning. my name is Richard Boonstra, and I'm the, the state manager for Victoria for Prison Fellowship. apologies to those who are here at the 8 a.m. service. You're going to hear the same things again, but, it's how it goes. I didn't come to the Ministry of Prison fellowship to work. it hasn't been part of my career. My career is, teaching. So I'm a school teacher and a school principal by trade, and I spent many years teaching and leading in Christian schools. However, in 2016 2017 we moved to Melbourne and I felt the need to just get out of Christian school, out of schooling and do something different. But my my passion for Christian ministry started when I was very young, newly married in in the 1980s, and it all started when I was at a small group, and it was a small group for newly married couples, and our small group leader said, hey, I'm a volunteer with Christian Fellowship, and we've got a workshop at Canning Vale Prison in a couple of months. We need some more volunteers. Who's interested? And I felt something in me just thought, yeah, let's do that. So I put my hand up, said, yeah, I'm interested. And my friend next to me, he said, yep, we'll do it. So we had to wait for a little while until the training day comes, because you don't go into a prison without training. By the time the training day came around and I could get the training done, my friend had dropped off. So it was just me. I still went ahead and did the training and, we completed the training. The day arrived of the workshop. I got in my car, drove down to Canning Vale Prison, which is about a half an hour of where I lived. Got out of the car in the car park, looked at the walls, the razor wire and I thought, what am I doing here? I had that moment where you sometimes have where you think if someone told me that they had to cancel it, I'd be okay with that? No worries. But they didn't. They still went ahead, so I thought. Stop it. Swallow it. Come on. So I went ahead. Went through the doors. Bang! No. Two doors in a prison opened at the same time. And they didn't just bang, bang, lock. Click. That was it. I was in, I couldn't get out if I wanted to. Anyway, I went through to the room where we had the workshop, and I'm sitting here thinking, oh, what am I doing? And, the guys came in and started coming in from the different units of the prison for the seminar, and it was like a fog that just the sun came out and disappeared. All that fear and apprehension just went and I thought, huh, I think this is where I should be. This is my happy place. And I just thought I had the greatest time. I had a great day just sharing with the guys. You know, one of the best things is to talk to them and treat them as people. Not to look at the greens that they were wearing, but to think of them as people and to treat them as people. From there, I straight away signed up to join a team and we went in to, Fremantle Prison. Fremantle Prison, if you don't know it, some of you may have been to Perth, may have been for a tour of Fremantle prison because now a museum and now that it's a museum, probably gives you an idea of what it was like. It was built in 1850s and nothing had changed. There were no toilets in the cell. There was just a bucket. And the cells were made for one two people per cell. It was pretty rough and spartan. We were a team of about 6 or 7 of us. There was myself and my friend from the Reform church. There was a Catholic nun who was with us as well, two salvo guys who probably looked like they came off the ark with Noah, a charismatic Baptist lady and a couple of Anglicans. And we worked so well together. And I thought, this is also what God wants to see people from different denominations working together, sharing the gospel. And that's what we did every Saturday afternoon for about five years. We ran a little chapel service in the prison. So that's my story. And that's why I became passionate about prison fellowship and reaching people in prison. So when we moved to Melbourne, the opportunity came up to work for it. I thought, yes, that would be good. So I did that. A Broken World: The Bad News First I'm going to start off with some bad news. There's good news and bad news. I'll start off with the bad news. We live in a broken world. That's the bad news that we know. And I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you already don't know. Both in and out of prisons, people are broken, and they don't treat each other as they should. They've lost sight of what it means to be truly human. To be living in peace with God and with themselves and with each other and with creation, to find that shalom. People have lost sight of it. But there is now I'm feeling, and we feel that in prisons too, the beginnings of a yearning. Dissatisfied with what the Western cultural mindset has led them to believe or has promised them, is not happening. And so they're looking for something different, looking for a different way of living. But first, I'll just show you some statistics from our prisons. As a slice, as a snapshot of the brokenness in our world, you can see that in the prisons at the moment, there are 6551 people in prison. A little bit up from what it was about a year ago. At the end of December last year, we were below 6000, which was really exciting. And I track these numbers, so I'm keen to see the numbers go down. And that's really because of the Victorian Government, the Department of Justice and Corrections Victoria and the prisons have a much more progressive attitude towards the people in prison. I just went on a tour of Western Plains Correctional Centre, which is a new one, opened up, and constantly the staff are talking about the people in our care. People in our care. They adopt a trauma informed and trauma based approach to caring for the people in prison. They're still there. They need to be there. They know that. But while they're there, let's see if we can help them. So that's really the attitude. But they're competing with the government policy. So the numbers are going up a little bit because of the recent controversies around bail and toughening the laws, the bail laws. So it means more people go to prison instead of go out on bail. So that's where we're at 6500 people in prison. 95% are men, a small proportion of women. But for a woman in prison, it's a lot harder. There's a lot more at stake for families and for kids when mum is in prison. So it's a very different kind of situation and scenario for volunteers going there. 40% are unsentenced. Now this is really interesting because we often think, oh, they're on remand. But when you're on remand, there's so much uncertainty and so much anxiety. What's going to happen? Where am I going to go? Because the remand centre that you're in won't be where you'll stay. You'll be shifted to another prison. Will I have a job when I finish my sentence? What's happening to my family? What about my kids and all this stuff? I've sat with a guy in Melbourne Assessment Prison and just I didn't have to say anything. I just sat with him and let him talk, because he needed to get a lot of stuff off his chest, stuff that was swirling around his mind. And just to have someone listen, who empathetically listened, was important for him. 14% of people in prison are Aboriginal. It's still an imbalance when you measure that against what the percentage of the Victorian population is 1% yet 14% of the prison population. So there's a big difference there. And that's multiplied when you look at places like Northern Territory and Western Australia and Queensland; there's a higher proportion of Aboriginal people. The prison I was visiting in Perth, Fremantle Prison, at one stage we were told there were 80% Aboriginal, and so many of them were Aboriginal people who came from way up north in the more cultural tribal areas, and they were in there for driving offences, which was crazy. But because of mandatory sentencing and things like that, they straightaway went to prison and it was nuts. So it was really great to minister to them, because they were lovely people to minister to and share with, and especially when we got Aboriginal volunteers to come in with us as well. That was fantastic. 60% that's gone up now 60% of people will return to prison within two years. So that's a statistic we want to hopefully drive down. If you measure that over ten years, it goes to 80%. 80% of people will return to prison. That's how hard it is, once you've been in prison, to shake that experience off and to make a life outside of prison. I met a guy in prison in Perth who was released, and about six months later he was back again. His name was Hynes. It was a long time ago, so it won't matter. But I said, Hynes, what happened? Why are you back? He said, where else can I go? He said, here I have a bed and three meals; out there, he had nothing. And that was sad that he could the only place he could go was just commit a crime and go back in again. A statistic that's not up there, but is 25% of people in prison come from 2% of Victorian postcodes. So there's a correlation. And the prison staff and the police call them prison collection areas. That's what they colloquially call them because they get so many people there. 66% of people in prison were in care or were adopted as kids. So that's where this whole idea of being trauma informed comes in. A high proportion of people and that's the same percentage of people have a mental health issue in prison as well, whether it be ADHD or all sorts of different stuff happening in their life. So there's trauma. Now, we say that doesn't absolve them of the responsibility for their actions. They still need to suffer the consequences for their crime and for what they've done. But at the same time, we help to understand them and help helps to understand their background, to help them to rehabilitate. So in all of this brokenness, we sense a yearning. We're sensing that more so now a yearning for something different. My life isn't going well the way it is. I want something different. And in a sense, it's the yearning for that shalom a yearning to be truly human again. To find that place where I'm free of guilt and maybe free of that endless cycle of offending and re-offending, offending and re-offending. But now for the good news. The Bible tells us that God was not happy with this situation. Back in Genesis 3, he already started that plan he took God took the initiative to sort it out, to fix it. He took the initiative and promised to restore all things. To restore our relationships with him. To restore our relationship with each other, and to restore our relationship with creation. This is the Kingdom of God. He stepped into our world himself in the person of Jesus. He entered our world, and through Jesus he initiated the Kingdom of God. Jesus initiated it. And at the end of Matthew you can read where he said, I'm going back, but I want you to keep going. I want you to keep growing it. The Kingdom of God was initiated by Jesus. Jesus entered our world and demonstrated showed us what a citizen of this new kingdom looked like. He deliberately reached out to the marginalized, the downtrodden, the oppressed and the imprisoned, the forgotten or invisible people. And then, through his death and resurrection, he opened up the way to restored relationships with God, with each other, and with creation. Jesus reached out to the ones that everyone else thought were weird. He went places where people thought, that's not it's weird to go there. He came to rescue, restore and redeem and then to call us to put our faith in him, to discover freedom the freedom of being released from sin and guilt and to find our true selves as God's children. One of the key things I say to people when I go into prison, when I sit down with guys in prison, is I am just as much a sinner as you are. Just because you're in prison and I'm not doesn't make me any worse or better than you. In fact, I don't use the word prisoner, because I don't define you by where you are. You're a person someone who God created. And so I see that. I see you that way. And I want you to know that I was in darkness, and I needed to find the light, and I did, and I found hope, and I found love, and I found what it means to be truly human. And I want to share that with you. So we approach people in prison with a sense of humility not coming in as the great white savior, but coming in as a humble person who has found hope and wants to share it. And so we see a little example of Jesus modeling that kind of way of reaching people. In John 4, we read from John 4 verses 34 to 42. But just a little bit of background about it where this happened was in Samaria. Wait, what is a good Jewish rabbi doing in Samaria? That was weird. He, Jesus led the way of being weird. He showed what it meant to be to be going to weird places. He and he deliberately did that. He chose to go that way. Now he's on his way from Jerusalem to go back to Galilee the place where he based his ministry in Galilee was strategic for him, but that's another story. But he diverted, and he went through Samaria. Wow. I'm sure his disciples must have thought, what are you doing? Why are we going this way? Do you know where you are? This is Samaria. But Jesus knew what he was doing. Jesus never did anything by accident nothing was a coincidence in Jesus' ministry. So he had a plan. He had an appointment. This was no coincidence. All along he planned to meet this woman at the well. That's just before this passage that we read it's the woman at the well passage. Who was she? A Samaritan that black mark; a woman black mark for the Jewish rabbis at least. Anyway, also she was regarded as a woman of ill repute. We don't know exactly what her story was, but chances are that a lot of that wasn't her own fault that she was a victim of a very patriarchal society where she was passed from man to man through no fault of her own, just because of that patriarchal mentality. Regardless of that, we know that she was one of the people that nobody wanted she was one of the weird ones, if you like, because she could only get water at midday. No one else was allowed to be with she wasn't allowed to be with anyone else. She could only get water from the well at midday. And so what does Jesus do? I love this. He comes up to this well. She probably sees him, but she just knows she better keep her head down and get on with what she's doing. And he speaks to her. And what does he say? Can I could you get me a drink of water? Whoa! She stops and looks said, did you just speak to me? What men don't talk to her, let alone Jewish men. And she just can't deal with it what's going on here? He asked for a drink of water. In one sentence, in a beautiful way, he reached out to her, treated her like a human being treated her normally and said, can you get me a drink of water? Well, it it worked, because it arrested her attention. She got him a drink of water, and then she engages in this long conversation with him during which he, in a beautiful way, teases out her life and gets down to the nitty-gritty of what's going on in her life. You can read the story for yourself later, but there's so much stuff that he's dealing with there. But needless short story short long story short, he loved her and she couldn't escape from it. She didn't want to escape from it. And he restores her gently so much so that she drops her water bottle and runs back to tell everyone in the town where she lives what has just happened. It's like suddenly she's been made new and she's been loved and cared for, and she sees a glimpse of what it means to be truly human. Why didn't she run away from him? I told the story in the first service in Brazil, in South America, and a few other countries now too, there are these prisons called humane prisons they're run on Christian principles. They're run by Christians. These prisons have no walls or fences. The inmates look after the keys and lock up the gates at night. It's amazing it's astounding. They have regularly Christian courses like Alpha running throughout the prison all different things happening. They have families come in families can come and visit and stay for the weekend with their loved one, like a conjugal visit. And they were interviewing one guy who was there, and he had been a notorious inmate he had escaped from lots of different prisons. And they got this guy and said we'll call him John John, you've escaped from all these other prisons. This one would be easy to escape from there's no walls, no fences. Why don't you escape? And you know what he said? Nobody escapes from love. Why would I want to leave there, he says. Here, in this prison, I'm loved. I'm cared for. Someone took the time to love me. And so why he's willing wants to stay there. Above the door going into one of the main prisons is, here enters the man; the crime stays outside. And I love that thought. So she, like this man, doesn't want to escape from him. She sits down and talks to Jesus, and then he opens her eyes. And incredibly, he does something towards the end of his conversation and I think this is significant. Here is this Samaritan woman so-to-say ill repute woman and Jesus says she says, who are you? He says, I am the Messiah. He discloses to her. And I believe for me, it's one of the first times he actually honestly, clearly says I am the Messiah I am he. And who does he do that to? A woman a Samaritan woman a woman who has a bad reputation. I think that's significant. That's weird in the eyes of the world that's weird. You know, if the Messiah was coming, you'd think he'd announce it to all the important rabbis and bishops or whatever. But no he chooses this woman, because many other times people sort of work it out are you the one? he says, don't tell anyone. But here he says it openly to her. Anyway, the disciples of which they come he's gone ahead, and they come and find him. And the disciples you've got to imagine, the disciples are just young; many of them are still in their teenage years and they come up to Jesus and Jesus, can we keep going? This is not a place for a good Jewish boy to be this is Samaria. They were thinking, if our parents saw us here right now, we'd be in so much trouble. But instead, they mutter amongst themselves and they finally work up the courage to go to Jesus and said, Jesus, you need some lunch. Should we go into the town and get you some food? I'm sure many times Jesus rolls his eyes. And then he says, my food is to do the will of him who sent me. And he says this sort of sort of a almost a bit of a cryptic way: my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Food the word food in Hebrew can also mean calling in life. So is he saying my calling in life? You're worried about food and bread and stuff like that, but I'm thinking, what is your calling in life? What are you here to do? He says, I'm here to do the will of my Father who sent me sent me to finish his work. And then he goes on and says, don't you have a saying, it's still four months until harvest? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the harvest. Look at the fields it's there, ripe for the harvest. Even now, the one who who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying, one sows and another reaps is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you've reaped the benefits of their labor. What's he saying here? He's saying to his disciples, that's what we're here for we're here we're called to bring in the kingdom, to share the good news, to share hope, to rescue. Open your eyes, guys it's time for the harvest, it's right now, it's right in front of you. So he teaches his disciples, as a good rabbi would. Rabbis didn't have classrooms they wandered around the country and they looked at something and they said, see that tree over there? Let me tell you something about that, and then they drew a lesson from that. So now the disciples are saying, you want some food? Sit down I'm going to teach you about what this food thing is all about. And I'm going to teach you why we're here today. We came here for a reason I want you to see something. So he says, open your eyes I've come here because there is a harvest here; people are really keen to hear the good news, and we'll find that out in a minute. The time to get harvesting is now. But then the really cool bit of this bit I like as well is towards the end remember, it's not just up to you; it's a partnership. One sows, another reaps, another packs the harvest up, another fertilizes, another waters it's a teamwork thing. And that's very much so for the ministry that we have at Prison Fellowship it's a team thing, it's a partnership. Deep Creek Anglican is very much one of our partners we are incredibly thankful, incredibly thankful for this church, for the way that you partner with us and walk alongside us and help us to do the work the kingdom work of sharing the gospel in prisons. So thank you for the amazing work that you partner with us in doing. It's like you're going in with us even though you're not physically there, you're going with us into prison and we thank you for that. Jesus looked at this woman and saw someone who was ready to hear the gospel and to be redeemed and restored. The impact of her story and I think this is amazing if you look at verses 39 to 42, this woman has gone back and dropped her water bottle and ran into town. And that's no small thing I said to someone, and I said to the group in the earlier congregation, it's like leaving your phone at home and realizing you've got it it's that essential; it's like an important object. But she this was so important, she just forgot everything else and went and told the people in her village. Let's read the passage again. Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony.He told me everything I ever did.So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them. And he stayed two days.And because of his words, many more became believers.They said to the woman, we no longer believe just because of what you said. Now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man is really, really is the Savior of the world. What a testimony. Have a think about what that would have been like she, being the woman she was, had to go back to her village. Now, that wouldn't have been easy to tell people about what has just happened to her. They've got a they've got an attitude towards her; they judge her. So she has persisted she's pushed through all of that attitude to finally get some to hear. And so they said, okay, we'll come and have a look. And when they come there, they're just amazed they're touched by him by Jesus as well. And Jesus stays for two days, and there's a two-day-long Bible college Bible study. They sit down wow that's like the first church planted in Samaria. That's weird that's weird. Think about it you grow up thinking that Samaria is one of those people, and that's where Jesus goes. I love it, I think it's amazing. And that's exactly what Jesus models for us to do to get out there into places where people think is weird. Jesus came to rescue, restore and and redeem the rejected, the marginalized, and the invisible people prisoners. To many in society, this is weird. I've gone a little bit behind here we are. Mark 2 verse 17 is one of my favorite verses in prison ministries as well. We use this in one of our programs. Here, Jesus clearly says who he's come for. He's talking to the Pharisees. He says he didn't come to those who think they're right.I've come for those who know that they're wrong.People that know they need to be restored and they need to be healed. But look at the word the favorite word in that passage for me, and I'll share this with the guys in prison when I share this passage with them is the word call. It doesn't say I have not come to force the righteous, but sinners, or I have not come to push the righteous, but sinners, or I have not come to drag all these words he says I've come to call a gentle but honest word, I've come to call the sinners. Jesus comes to call. And I say to the guys in prison, he came to call you. And what does call mean? That means a response is needed. So you need to think what you need to do with this are you going to respond to this call when Jesus calls you? Are you going to say, yes, I'm going to come in here because he's not going to force he's not going to push you or twist your arm or anything. He comes to gently but persistently call, and he'll keep calling. And we keep having an opportunity a choice to make a decision. Can you hear that call today? Many of us here today have have heard that call and have come to Jesus, experiencing his love and being constantly restored. Are you ready to go out and bring in the harvest? Remember the three points. The harvest is right in front of us. The harvest time is now. It's a partnership. We believe with Augustine, who first said, every saint has a past. Sorry every saint has a past; every sinner has a future. I read that again. Every saint has a past. Every sinner has a future. We want to share that the call of Jesus that we first responded to, the love that conquered us. We want others to hear that call and to discover God's love, joy, hope, and his rest. We have a harvest field in our prisons it's right here. It's not overseas; it's right here in our town and our city, and it's calling for people to come to join the harvest. Caring for Prisoners: Ministry in Action I'm going to show you a little video now. It'll give you a bit of an idea of our ministry. In this cell. Your biggest enemy is time you drown in a sea of it. And you think? And think. In those first days, my mind drifted to what was happening outside. It's Wednesday. You know. I wonder what my wife is doing. What projects are the guys working on? Is anyone talking about me? Or have they all just moved on? Their remorse and regret are constant companions. Over and over again, you remember that you've stuffed your life up. Reputation, family, friends, colleagues all lost in the blink of an eye, and the guilt of the hurt you've caused is like a heavy weight that stays on your shoulders. I'll admit, there were days when I felt that all hope all reason to continue had gone. I'll never forget the first time I was visited by Greg. I remember thinking it was strange that someone I'd never met wanted to come and talk to me. Up until then, I'd gotten pretty used to people wanting to distance themselves from me. In prison, you do everything you can not to draw attention to yourself. Don't tell jokes. Don't tell your story. Don't look people in the eye. But here in these chairs I could talk, I could laugh. I could share my regrets and talk openly about my failures. And it was met with kindness and friendship. Greg told me about himself. And in doing so, he told me about Jesus. I later learned that close to a thousand volunteers men and women are visiting prisoners, running programs, playing sports, and leading Bible studies through Prison Fellowship. Prisoners like me have been profoundly impacted by this ministry. Through it, we've grown in character. We've taken responsibility. We've built self-control, and we've expressed repentance. We've come to understand grace and forgiveness. And hope is powerful it brings life and light to your soul. I found hope here, and it grew within me. I learned dependence. I learned to pray really pray. I found myself with a peace that was totally at odds with my harsh and miserable situation. The gap between prison and the real world beyond the gates can be very daunting. You're asking the big questions again: how can I stay out for good this time? Is there anyone who can help me? Will I get a job? Can I restore those relationships? To have Greg and the others from Prison Fellowship to be there to help me bridge that gap was everything. All. Inmates are just like everyone else. They need purpose. They need grace. They need healing. They need someone to offer hope. That gives you a bit of an idea of what we do as a ministry. (It) covers most of the activities that our volunteers do in prison. The prison itself is not an active prison anymore the one in the film but it's a little bit like Fremantle Prison was like, very rough; lots of sandstone walls and barbed wire and bars. It wasn't a very pleasant place. This year has been going well for us as a ministry, in that we've had lots of good opportunities to get into prisons. There's still some prisons we've struggled to get into, but we're working on that. We've been able to serve, sharing love and friendship and ultimately the good news of the gospel and God's gracious love with people in prison. We also serve families who have a parent in prison or children who have a parent in prison, and often the families serve a social sentence themselves, which is very hard for them. So our key thing is visiting in prison. We have our volunteers go in and just be a presence we call it sometimes a ministry of presence just sitting there with guys and being prepared to share the hope that they have with people in prison when that opportunity comes up. But many times it's just someone to chat to to develop a friendship with. We have The Prisoner's Journey, which is an eight-week gospel course based on Christianity Explored but written from a prison perspective. So it's very successful and very well received by the prisons and by the men themselves. We have another course called Change on the Inside, which is not Christian-based, but it's on developing positive character. We also have our annual Easter Biscuit Bake, which I'm I'm told Deep Creek is a part of as well. So thank you for sharing in that and enabling people in prison to get a bag of home-baked biscuits with a gospel card at Easter, telling them the true meaning of Easter. And the impact of a biscuit on a person's life is amazing I've given them out to people in prison, and I've looked a guy in the eye who said, are these for me? I said, yeah. He said, I can't believe people would do this for me. So it has such a deep impact you'd think, just a biscuit but it certainly has a deep impact. A little thing goes a long way. We have a children's ministry or families ministry we call it Extraordinary Lives and in Victoria we do three things. We engage in one-on-one mentoring. Children with a parent in prison are six times more likely to go to prison themselves. So if we can have a mentor for them a younger person, a young adult who could walk with them, commit to spending time with them and share with them then we hope to change that statistic. I spoke with a grandmother on the phone who said, it's really hard she's a grandma, she's looking after the kids because mum can't have them and dad's in jail (or sometimes it's both mum and dad are in jail). He can't talk to anyone at school about it. He can't talk to his teachers about it. Just me. He needs someone to talk to. And so that's where a mentor comes in and can be that person he can talk to. We also have camps. We're running one residential camp, but also we have some day camps some day-outs. Churches host families, and the kids have a day together just doing some fun things like a Lego day, or we've taken them to Bounce or to the zoo or something like that and just help them have a good time and hope. The idea is to develop relationships and ultimately to get a mentor relationship happening. And then we do the Angel Tree campaign, which I'm told Deep Creek was a part of a few years ago. But you're more than welcome to join us this year in our Angel Tree campaign. This is a program where we facilitate the giving of Christmas gifts to children who have a parent in prison on behalf of their parent. So the person in prison fills a form in, writes down the name of their child and what they like and their age. We then send it out to churches who purchase the gifts and deliver them to the families. And again, like the biscuits, it's the little thing it's not so much about the gift, but it's all about connecting keeping families connected. So we get every year messages back saying, I can't believe my dad didn't forget about me that's great! Or my mum still remembered me and got me a present for Christmas and that's significant, that's special. So Angel Tree is a really good program it's a big program; it takes a lot of work, but we look for lots of churches to support us in that. We do a little bit of work in post-release as well. As people come out of prison I'd love to develop that further we do pick up people on the day of release and walk with them a little bit just in that first day, but we'd like to expand that if we can. People coming out of jail need at least two years of mentoring, and a home. They need a job, and they need mentoring. God is very active in our prisons and wants us to join him in furthering the work that he has started. But we can't do this on our own we know that. And just like Jesus shared in that passage we read, it is a partnership. We walk together with others with individuals and with churches. Churches like Deep Creek Anglican that walk with us in this journey and help us to achieve the things we can to spread the kingdom into prisons. Partnering in the Harvest So my challenge to you is, will you partner with us in that individually as well? And there's three things that you can do for that. Pray. Prayer is foundational for us. We have a prayer meeting every Monday morning on Zoom, and I put out a weekly prayer diary. We need people to pray for the ministry on a regular basis. Someone said to me once, Richard, the kingdom of God moves at the speed of prayer. And so please sign up if you want to get a prayer diary. There's a sheet on the back table there that I've got there that you can sign up to get a prayer door if you'd like to join us. Each week we put some prayer needs in there. Support Us Financially. Perhaps you're willing to support us financially. Maybe you're willing to make that sacrifice and to give as Deep Creek Anglican do that so well support us. But maybe as an individual, you want to support us by providing financial support. We offer everything we offer to the prisoners for free. We don't get any money back from our government funding it's all based on donations. Go as a Volunteer. To go and see that harvest field, to go and be one of the harvesters, to bring in that harvest in partnership with with many people from other different churches. One of the things we're initiating as well, in Victoria and across the country, is to have restoration hubs. We often have people come out of prison who have become Christians in prison, but need to be discipled when they come out. When they come out, one of the many challenges they face besides getting into society is to find a church that will be open and receptive. So we're looking to establish a network of churches across the country who would be willing to take in and look after someone from prison. It's a challenge, and it takes a lot of extra work. There's a lot of thinking that needs to go around that how do we handle that, with all the policies and child-safe policies and everything that goes with that? But it's still a commitment for a church to commit to us and to join with us as one of our restoration hub churches to support us. Deep Creek are already an amazing supporter for us. And so in many senses of the word, there is a restoration hub here already and we are thankful to Deep Creek for that. I'll be available at the end of the service, and if you want to come and chat with me more about the ministry, please feel free to ask any questions there. Prison Fellowship is a faith-based, for-impact organization seeking to grow the Kingdom of God that Jesus initiated 2000 years ago. Thanks for having me today.
The Prison was a place of hangings, floggings, dramatic convict escapes and prisoner riots. Inmates included imperial convicts, colonial prisoners, enemy aliens, prisoners of war and maximum-security detainees. The first convict transport sailed into Fremantle Harbour in 1850. The Convict Establishment, as the prison was first known, was built by convict labour between 1852 and 1859 using limestone quarried on the site. The first prisoners moved into the main cell block in 1855. Let's go behind bars with Anne and Renata to find out what life was like in this Australian prison for the living and the dead. Phantoms of Fremantle Prison - A True Hauntings Podcast SUPPORT THE ADVERTISERS THAT SUPPORT THIS SHOW Mythical Meats - To grab the taste sensation sweeping the nation and save 10% go here and use code P60 at check out, https://shop.mythicalmeats.com/ Mint Mobile - To get your new wireless plan for just15 bucks a month, and get the plan shipped to your door for FREE, go to www.MintMobile.com/P60 Haunted Magazine - https://bit.ly/hauntedmagazine Tarot Readings by Winnie - www.darknessradio.com/love-lotus-tarot Follow Anne and Renata: Facebook: @AnneAndRenata Instagram: @AnneAndRenata YouTube: @AnneAndRenata TikTok: @AnneAndRenata Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week on the podcast - Joey kicks things off with a confusing “Ray Gun” inspired interaction he had with a bunch of tourists, Riley what is considered a normal amount of times to do a poo per day and Jake has the boys rank some commonly used names to describe a stranger. Plus the boys announce the details behind their Standup Comedy debuts, Jake awards this week's Hero to a bloke who had some higher ups approve a kind move and we share our excitement for this weekend's Seasons event at Fremantle Prison. Tourist Snap Poo Frequency Shitlist - Names Our Little Comedians Bobble Head Hero Seasons Spooktacular Featuring music by Daunt Featuring drums by DeepDaze Send us a text Get involved with the show by flicking us a message at anytime on 047 30 30 880 Support the show
Fremantle Prison opened in 1855 as a convict barracks, and remained in continuous use for 136 years . It is known as the best preserved correctional facility in Australia, as a World Heritage Site, and as one of the most haunted locations in the country. So get comfortable my spooky friends…you are about to hear the tales behind the ghost stories of Fremantle Prison. But before we get started, I want to give you all a heads up. In today's episode, we will be talking about various crimes and historical punishments including things like sexual assault, murder, child abuse, torture, and executions. Listener discretion is advised. We got merch! Shop now: HorrifyingHist1.redbubble.com Join our fan club at: https://www.patreon.com/horrifyinghistory Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/horrifyinghistoryInstagram & Threads: https://instagram.com/horrifying_historyX: https://twitter.com/horrifyinghist1 Horrifying History is part of the Darkcast Network. Check out their other amazing podcasts at https://www.darkcastnetwork.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/horrifying-history--4180070/support.
Estelle Blackburn OAM, is an acclaimed journalist with a career that has included working for WA Newspapers, the ABC and as a media advisor for Carmen Lawrence, Western Australia's first female State Premier. However, for this Walkley Award winner, perhaps her greatest achievement has been the impact made on the lives two men, wrongly imprisoned for crimes committed by Eric Edger Cooke, WA's last man hanged in Fremantle Prison. A chance meeting with the brother of John Button, one of these falsely convicted men, sent Estelle on the passionate pursuit for truth and the quest to right the wrongs of these injustices. And this included giving up her full time job and selling an investment house to fund this journey.
Jerry and Tracy discuss the haunted Fremantle Prison in Perth, Australia
Australia's no longer a British penal colony, but that doesn't mean you can't find yourself in a colonial-era prison like the Footy Travelers did in Fremantle, Western Australia. Listen in for all the juicy details, as Colin & Mike recall the last week of their WWC23 adventure through Aotearoa New Zealand & Australia - a Perth to Sydney 'coast-to-coast' week that saw them downing oysters with old friends, commiserating with local Matildas fans at FIFA Fan Fest, sipping beers while tossing balls across beautifully manicured seaside lawns, and most importantly... attending their first ever WORLD CUP FINAL! Foot(y)notes: Wonder what it was like behind bars as a colonial convict? Check out all the Fremantle Prison (a UNESCO World Heritage Site!) has to offer. We did the ‘Convict Prison' tour. There's soooo much to do around Western Australia (it's Aussie's largest state after all). The Margaret River area is the traditional land of the Wadandi (Saltwater) People, and offers wine tasting, surfing, and truffles galore! We visited Passell Estate, Vasse Felix, and the Margaret River Chocolate Company before diving into the day's footy. If you're in Sydney and you're an active footy traveler, you have to do the Bondi to Coogee Walk. While you're at it, stop in to the Clovelly Bowling Club, grab a jug or two, and try your hand at lawn bowling by the sea. Tell Chris the Footy Travelers sent you ;-) ******************************** Use code 'FTP' at Laird Superfood for 15% off!! Are you ready to feel more energized, focused, and supported? Go to https://zen.ai/ftp and add nourishing, plant-based foods to fuel you from sunrise to sunset. 15% OFF!! ********************************
In this episode, I'm joined by Rampage Electra writer, director and producer Hassibullah Kushkaki who takes us on a deep dive into the making of this independently produced, action thriller gem which was shot throughout many Perth locations including the historic Fremantle Prison where a majority of the film was shot. Rampage Electra follows an outcast teenager Hannah who finds herself framed as a violent delinquent owing to the undisclosed history of her family's troublesome past. As 17-year-old Hannah is coming to terms with the revelation of her mother's circumstances, she witnesses the untimely death of her father. A story of wrong doing and revenge, Hannah's longing for a maternal kinship fuels her arbitrary decisions and drives a revolt into an uncontrollable rampage. In this interview Hassibullah discusses the making of Rampage Electra as well as his move to Perth four years ago, the cultural impacts of growing up in Germany and the US, and how Rolf de Heer's Bad Boy Bubby and Alex Lorian's Good For Nothing Blues inspired his filmmaking career. It was a great joy to welcome Perth-based filmmaker Hassib Kushkaki to the Cinema Australia Podcast recently. Hassib is a filmmaker who I have a tremendous amount of respect for and a filmmaker whose career I will be keeping a close eye on over the next few years. This chat truly is great insight into making a grand independent feature film which I'm sure listeners will get a lot out of.
Delve into the chilling history of Fremantle Gaol, a notorious prison in Western Australia. Explore the tragic stories of infamous criminals, daring escape attempts, and the dark practices of floggings and executions. Investigate the paranormal experiences reported by visitors and staff, from unexplained sounds to eerie encounters.Join Holly and Matthew as they uncover the secrets and spirits that continue to haunt this iconic Australian landmark.FremantleGaol WesternAustralia Darkhistory Prison Truecrime Ghoststories ParanormalactivityHauntedlocations Australianlandmarks Historicalsites Infamouscriminals Escapeattempts FloggingsExecutions Supernaturalphenomena Ghosthunting Spinetingling Eerieencounters Secretsandspirits Australianhistory
Welcome, Ghoulish Guests, to The Midnight Hour's first eerie episode full of murderous maniacs, blood-sucking vampires, and paranormal phantoms. A seat by the fire has been reserved just for you as your host brings you tales of the macabre with stories such as Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart", Stoker's "Dracula's Guest", an interview with haunted tour guide Matthew Bateman-Graham from Fremantle Prison Tours, as well as campfire stories to chill your blood. As the clock strikes midnight in Western Australia this show goes live (or is that undead?) on IPL Radio, in Rockingham. Join your host on iplradio.org.au or at the iHeartRADIO or Radio Garden apps.
Perth based filmmaker Hassib Kushkaki's feature film Rampage Electra will have its world premiere at the upcoming WA Made Film Festival, which screens at Palace Cinemas Raine Square, Perth, between February 17 to 26. This is a Perth shot action film that features Mikayla Levy as Hannah Electra, a young girl who has a shadowy past that is revealed to her by her father, throwing her into a harsh world of gangsters and guns. Featuring a huge cast and shot in iconic Perth locations like Fremantle Prison and Lancelin, Rampage Electra shows creative ingenuity on a micro-budget. Hassib caught up with me to talk about the film ahead of its world premiere on February 24 at the WA Made Film Festival. Hassib is also taking part in the free Indie Filmmaker Panel on February 19 at The Globe, alongside producer Stephanie Davis who produced the web series Love Me Lex, filmmaker Aaron Kamp who recently made Thorns & Thistles at the End of the World, Arnold Carter, who made Sun Moon & Thalia, Sarah Legg who made Cherubhead, and has a new short film Impression, and producer Ruby Schmidt, who helped bring General Hercules to life. All of these films, and many more are at the WA Made Film Festival. Check out the WA Made Film Festival here, and purchase tickets to Rampage Electra here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PivgAC7I-oM See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Perth based filmmaker Hassib Kushkaki's feature film Rampage Electra will have its world premiere at the upcoming WA Made Film Festival, which screens at Palace Cinemas Raine Square, Perth, between February 17 to 26. This is a Perth shot action film that features Mikayla Levy as Hannah Electra, a young girl who has a shadowy past that is revealed to her by her father, throwing her into a harsh world of gangsters and guns. Featuring a huge cast and shot in iconic Perth locations like Fremantle Prison and Lancelin, Rampage Electra shows creative ingenuity on a micro-budget. Hassib caught up with me to talk about the film ahead of its world premiere on February 24 at the WA Made Film Festival. Hassib is also taking part in the free Indie Filmmaker Panel on February 19 at The Globe, alongside producer Stephanie Davis who produced the web series Love Me Lex, filmmaker Aaron Kamp who recently made Thorns & Thistles at the End of the World, Arnold Carter, who made Sun Moon & Thalia, Sarah Legg who made Cherubhead, and has a new short film Impression, and producer Ruby Schmidt, who helped bring General Hercules to life. All of these films, and many more are at the WA Made Film Festival. Check out the WA Made Film Festival here, and purchase tickets to Rampage Electra here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PivgAC7I-oM See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fremantle Prison was built as a convict barracks in the 19th century and remained in continual use until 1991. The Prison was a place of hangings, floggings, dramatic convict escapes and prisoner riots. Inmates included imperial convicts, colonial prisoners, enemy aliens, prisoners of war and maximum-security detainees.The first convict transport sailed into Fremantle Harbour in 1850. The Convict Establishment, as the prison was first known, was built by convict labour between 1852 and 1859 using limestone quarried on the site. The first prisoners moved into the main cell block in 1855.Let's go behind bars to find out what life was like in this Australian prison.If you want to see what Anne and Renata are up to join them on their social media platforms at Anne and Renata.Follow Anne and Renata:Facebook: @AnneAndRenataInstagram: @AnneAndRenataYouTube: @AnneAndRenataTikTok: @AnneAndRenata#fremantleprison #fremantle #hauntedprison #australia #hauntedaustralia #ghosts #fremantleghosts #westernaustralianghosts #punishment #horrorstory #isolationhorror #entity #frightening #horror #punishment #convicthistory #westernAustralianghoststories #anneandrenata #frigthfullygood #paranormalpodcast #paranormal Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
Join me as I talk to Matthew Bateman-Graham, a tour guide at Fremantle Prison – a UNESCO World Heritage site for convicts in Western Australia. Matthew talks about how Fremantle Prison came to be, the types of convicts that were sent over, their skills and routine. Plus, he discusses some of the extraordinary escapees such as Moondyne Joe and much more. LINKS Fremantle Prison https://fremantleprison.com.au/ Grab a copy of Convict Sydney, the real-life stories of 32 prisoners: www.jennifer-twemlow.com Support Convict Australia and receive goodies such as the Convict Australia Newsletter: https://www.patreon.com/ConvictAustralia Join the conversation on our Facebook & Instagram pages: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173850624015866 https://www.instagram.com/convict_australia/?hl=en Start your search for your convict ancestors: https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100ldych https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-100396961-13671424 THANK YOU Special thanks to Matthew Bateman-Graham, Amberlee Hong & Julie Hemen. Music by Ahjay Stelino
This week on The Crooked Key Podcast: A Paranormal Adventure, we visit Willoughby Coal and Garden Center in Ohio and Fremantle Prison in Australia. Sources: America's Most Haunted: The Secrets of Famous Paranormal Places by Theresa Argie and Eric Olsen http://www.americas-most-haunted.com/2015/04/21/return-to-willoughby-coal/
Pete, Matt & Kymba Catch Up - Mix 94.5 Perth - Pete Curulli, Kymba Cahill, Matt Dyktynski
Concluding Pete, Matt & Kymba's “Great Escapes” week, they're live from Fremantle Prison. 00:00 The story of Moondyne Joe 05:24 Justin Longmuir 10:13 Craig from Armadale talks about his time spent at Fremantle Prison 16:56 What a week: Matt's “Great Escapes” song 20:49 Matt's friend was kidnapped in Colombia 23:18 Escape room See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
24th of November 1989, Fremantle Prison, Western AustraliaThe trio removed the bar and slipped out of the workshop window and gained access to the roof of the print shop. From there, they went along the guard’s walkway, jumped from roof to roof, until they hit the edge of the prison grounds. One of them missed the last jump, fell and injured his leg. The other two vaulted over the outer wall to freedom. The Postcard Bandit was free once again, and the hunt for him was on…Join Shaun and Chloe as they discuss the life and times of Brenden Abbott.Join our Patreon community for access to exclusive extra content:Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/truebluecrimeLink to one-off Supporter donations at the bottom of show notesWebsite - www.truebluecrimepodcast.com - includes our merch storeFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/380493356066315/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/truebluecrime/Email - truebluecrime@gmail.comThis episode was produced by True Blue Media using the open source materials referenced below: https://web.archive.org/web/20160725220134/http://www.abc.net.au:80/austory/content/2003/s978408.htm - The Usual Suspect - Australian Story TranscriptAustralian Outlaw – The True Story of Postcard Bandit Brenden Abbott, by Derek Pedley. ISBN 978-0-9775440-1-1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brenden_Abbott https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/born-to-run-20030526-gdgtr6.htmlhttps://www.news.com.au/national/crime/how-the-postcard-bandit-brenden-abbott-managed-to-become-australias-favourite-fugitive/news-story/fb011c5cc43580f79d582ad48b3fe2d6 https://www.examiner.com.au/story/4403256/trevors-family-holds-on-to-hope/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fremantle_Prison_riot Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/true-blue-crime. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Travel Editor Stephen Scourfield and travel journalist and lead photographer Mogens Johansen chat to Will Yeoman about a recent photowalk in Fremantle with some of our readers. Stephen then asks Will about his visit to the historic Fremantle Prison to look at some surprising artwork adorning the old cell walls. Also in the mix is Stephen recalling where he was this time last year, before the world changed: on a Travel Club tour in Oman, no less!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In honor of the country with our second highest number of streams, we decided to visit haunted Australia for this episode. We discuss Walhalla Ghost Town, Port Arthur, the National Sound and Film Archive, and Fremantle Prison. Get ready for a ghostly adventure down under!
World Heritage listed, this week we explore the history of Western Australia's most famous prison.
World Heritage listed, this week we explore the history of Western Australia's most famous prison.
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In this snippet of policing history with President of "The Western Australia Police Historical Society" David MacDonald, we look at the story of serial killer Eric Edgar Cooke. From September 1958 to August 1963 Cooke terrorised Perth committing at least 22 violent crime with 8 of these resulting in deaths. Cooke was the last person to be hanged in Western Australia. He was executed at Fremantle Prison at 8am on 26th October 1964. David says that every available police officer was put on the case with over 60,000 rifles located for testing and fingerprints taken from over 30,000 males over the age of 12. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As part of International Women's Day next Sunday, Fremantle Prison are running two special tours about incarcerated women prisoners from 1886 until 1970. Interpretations Officer Oonagh Quigley joined Harvey Deegan on "Remember When" to talk about the tour and also spoke about some of the notable inmates including the last woman to be hanged in WA Martha Rendell.
Episode Twenty Four of Ms. Demeanor & Ms. Conduct. A bi-weekly, light hearted look at all things mysterious in Canada. Tales of murder, mystery, conspiracy, cults & much more. Miss & Misters, this week the girls bring on their guest, Amara, for a hometown telling. She covers the hauntings of the Fremantle Prison! Then Kennedy and Jena explain the roots of some our favourite horror films! Ms. Demeanor & Ms. Conduct uploading the episode art one week late cause they just remembered! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
WA food ambassador Don Hancey joins Saturday Nights with Tony McManus to talk about where to get fresh seafood in Perth, the joys of Joondalup and the unique event taking place within the historical surrounds of Fremantle Prison!
What started as a forbidden romance within the walls of Fremantle Prison became a razor's edge of danger onceNina’s father was paroled. Things got very violent, very fast.SHOW NOTES:Check out Myfatherthemurderer.com.au to see our video content and lots of articles and behind the scene photos. Find us wherever you get your podcasts and please, consider leaving us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts - it all helps.Thank you to all participants for their time and generosity. If you or someone you know is at immediate risk of violence, please call 000. For general information, help and support with family violence, please call 1800RESPECT.If you or someone you know is in need of support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 to speak with a trained counsellor 24 hours a day.This episode was produced by Nina Young and Bek Day, our senior producer is Dewi Cooke, our Managing Editors are Melissa Wilson and Georgie Pell, our video producer is Sinead Barrett and our interns are Vidya Kathirgarmalingam and Sevin Pakbaz. Edited and mixed by Output Media. Thanks to Johnno Warnock for additional voice-work. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Jerry and Tracy discuss the haunted Fremantle Prison in Perth, Australia
In this edition of "The Breakdown" Jack and I head down to Fremantle, Western Australia. We wander the grounds of the historic Fremantle Prison site as well as Fremantle cemetery... whilst stopping at several beer stops along the way. Finishing up in the Swan Valley, near Guildford. Where the Noongar warrior Yagan was killed. *Warning to Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders. Contains names of deceased persons and subject matter that may offend*
It was all the way back in April of 2012 when we put out an episode showcasing Aaron and Chris' Top 5 Brian Johnson-era AC/DC songs. With 30 years worth of material on 10 studio albums from the Johnson-fronted version of the band available, it was difficult to narrow down five picks for each host. They never thought picking songs from a 6 album/6 year period would be equally as difficult. The boys' goal this week was to chronicle Bon Scott's much-too-short history in music and with AC/DC while playing selections from their favorite tracks from the classic lineup of the band from the six album span of High Voltage in 1975 through 1979's Highway to Hell album. Ronald Belford Scott was born on July 9th 1946 in Forfar, Scotland. In 1956 his family moved to Western Australia. It was there that he joined the Associated Fremantle Scots Pipe Band, learning to play the drums. He attended North Fremantle Primary School and later, John Curtin College of the Arts until he dropped out at the age of 15. He spent a short time in Fremantle Prison's assessment centre and nin months at the Riverbank Juvenile Institution relating to charges of giving a false name and address to the police, having escaped legal custody, having unlawful carnal knowledge and stealing twelve gallons of gas. He was, for all intents and purposes, a problem child. He attempted to join the Australian Army but was rejected for being deemed "socially maladjusted." In a very real way, the entertainment industry was tailor-made for someone of Bon's mindset and personality as it allowed him to be himself. In 1970, Bon Scott moves to Adelaide and joins progressive rock band Fraternity. They soon change their name to Fang. During this time they play support slots opening for Status Quo and Geordie; a band fronted by a gentleman named Brian Johnson who would go on to replace Bon after his death in 1980. In 1974 Bon is introduced to the guys in AC/DC by friend and former band mate Vince Lovegrove. Vince later worked in journalism and television (including KISS' 1980 Inner Sanctum Special from Australia). Bon replaced Dave Evans as the lead singer of AC/DC on October 24,1974, when it became obvious the band and Evans were heading in different directions, with Evans having personal clashes with band members and management. The Bon Scott AC/DC Discography: High Voltage: Released 2/17/75 in Australia 3rd Young brother, George, was one of the albums producers and plays bass on a number of tracks. Most of the songs on this version of High Voltage were not released outside Australia until 1984, when "Baby, Please Don't Go", "You Ain't Got a Hold on Me", "Soul Stripper", and "Show Business" were included on the '74 Jailbreak EP, released in the United States, Canada, and Japan in October 1984. TNT: Released 12/1/75 in Australia School Days" is a cover version of a Chuck Berry song. Only Australian AC/DC studio album for which there is no international counterpart. However, seven of its nine songs comprise the international version of High Voltage, released in May 1976. The other two, "Rocker" and "School Days", saw worldwide release as part of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap's international version (1976/1981) and the Bonfire box set (1997) respectively. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap: Released 12/17/1976 internationally Certified 6x platinum in the US, selling at least six million copies, becoming the third-highest selling album by AC/DC in the US after Highway to Hell (7x platinum) and Back in Black (22+). A song titled "I'm a Rebel" was recorded during this album's sessions in 1976, with music and lyrics written by Angus and Malcolm Young's older brother, Alex Young. This song was never released by AC/DC and remains in Albert Productions' vaults. German band Accept later released it as a single and named their second album after the song. AC/DC's record label at the time, Albert Productions, was not happy with the album's vocals and production. According to bassist Mark Evans, the band's manager Michael Browning told him he assumed Bon Scott would be fired as a result. On the Live At Donington DVD, Angus and Malcolm explain that the concept of this album was to make it a Humphrey Bogart-esque mystery scenario. Furthermore, the term "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" is an homage to the cartoon Beany and Cecil, which Angus watched when he was a child. One of the cartoon's characters was named Dishonest John, and carried a business card that read, "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Holidays, Sundays and Special Rates.” Let There Be Rock: Released 6/23/77 internationally Last AC/DC recording to feature bassist Mark Evans, who previously played on T.N.T. (1975) and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap Music video for title track featured Scott as a priest and the rest of the band as altar boys. For the original vinyl release, in all markets other than the USA and Japan, "Crabsody in Blue" was featured instead of "Problem Child". International version's cover also marked the debut of the band's logo, designed by Gerard Huerta. Double platinum in the U.S. Powerage: Released 5/25/1978 Originally released on Atlantic Records, and reached No. 133 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart in the US, eventually going platinum. First AC/DC album to be released nearly simultaneously in both Australian and international markets, and the first to use just one cover image for both. Last Bon Scott-era studio release to feature production work by Harry Vanda and George Young. Studio debut of bassist Cliff Williams. Former bassist Mark Evans says that the album also has bass by him, as the Powerage songs started being done during the recording of his last album Let There Be Rock, and producer George Young, while Williams was having trouble on getting his work visa. Keith Richards has also stated that Powerage is his favorite AC/DC record. "Riff Raff" is frequently played on Guns N' Roses/Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash's iheartradio channel, "Slash FM", citing it as one of his favorite AC/DC songs. "Riff Raff" is covered by Guns N' Roses on their current Chinese Democracy World Tour. This song was also covered by the Canadian heavy metal band Annihilator on their 1996 album Refresh the Demon. The main riff for "Riff Raff" is often used as a soundcheck for Melvins guitar player Buzz Osbourne before live Melvins performances, as heard on the DVD Salad of a Thousand Delights. "Sin City" was covered by the '80s heavy metal band Twisted Sister, on their album Twisted Forever. The song has also been covered by the punk rock band The Offspring, Great White, Ugly Kid Joe and Bruce Dickinson. "Sin City" is Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry's favorite AC/DC song. "Kicked in the Teeth" was covered by Nashville Pussy on their album Eat More Pussy and also available on the bonus CD of Let Them Eat Pussy. Highway to Hell: Released 8/3/1979 Certified 7x Platinum by the RIAA. In 2003, the album was ranked number 200 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. First to break the US Top 100, eventually reaching #17 The final words spoken by Scott on the album are "Shazbot, na-nu na-nu", phrases used on the then-popular American sitcom, Mork and Mindy, by lead character Mork (a visiting extraterrestrial played by Robin Williams). The phrase ended the song "Night Prowler" and closed the album. Pre-production of the album began in January 1979 with demos cut at Albert Studios in Sydney, Australia, where they met the intended producer, Eddie Kramer. Kramer was fired before a single track had been completed, and Robert John "Mutt" Lange was brought in to replace him. Recorded during sessions in February 1979 at Criteria Studios inMiami, Florida, and March–April at Roundhouse Studios in London, England. Bon Scott died February 19, 1980. After passing out in a car after a night of drinking in a London club, he was found dead the next afternoon in the car by a friend. Initially his death was as pulmonary aspiration from choking on his own vomit but later confirmed as due to acute alcohol poisoning, classified as “Death by misadventure.” Buy Music! AC/DC Contact Us! Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below Call us on the Hotline! (540) DBGeek - 1 or (540) 342-3351