Mitchell Toy: Victoria’s best conspiracy theories

FROM the hoax deaths of Kelly Gang members to a UFO abduction over Bass Strait, here are some Victorian conspiracy theories that will have you reaching for the tin foil hat.

Ned Kelly, UFOs and Phar Lap are in some of Melbourne’s best conspiracy theories.

A FAVOURITE New Year ritual for political geeks around the country is ripping into freshly released cabinet documents from 30 years ago.

The sensitive documents, outlining the ins and outs of the centre of Australian government, are kept secret for more than two decades until, presumably, even fewer people care about them and they are safe in the hands of the public.

ANDREW RULE: THE FATAL SHORE THAT CLAIMED HAROLD HOLT

AUSTRALIA’S CHAMPION RACEHORSE PHAR LAP

NED KELLY ISN’T AN ICON, HE’S A FAILURE

This year’s haul revealed nothing too controversial; Paul Keating’s government, considering an Australian republic, was advised not to let ordinary people elect the president in case they chose the wrong sort of person.

And there was a plan, later knocked on the head, to increase income tax to a whopping 50 per cent for anyone earning more than $50,000 a year.

There’s always a promise of unearthing a juicy conspiracy in cabinet papers, much like in the recently released and long awaited JFK files.

But real conspiracy nuggets are few and far between.

Here are some Melbourne conspiracy theories that have had lips flapping for ages.

Ned Kelly is the subject of several conspiracy theories.

THE KELLY GANG HOAX DEATHS

When Ned and his gang packed it in at a pub at Glenrowan the notorious bushranger was arrested after an epic shootout that claimed the lives of his brother Dan Kelly and gang members Steve Hart and Joseph Byrne.

But in 2005 a Queensland researcher came forward claiming that Dan Kelly and Steve Hart had survived the final stand and went on to live for decades.

It was suggested that charred bodies found in the burnt pub were in fact drunk hostages, not the felons.

The theory was fuelled by an old bushman who came out of the woodwork in the 1930s claiming to be Dan Kelly.

He had the bushranger’s initials branded on his backside and sported burn scars which he said came from the fire at Glenrowan.

But his memories were faded and the old fella was generally discredited.

Another conspiracy theory suggests Dan himself was the one arrested and hanged in the place of his brother Ned, but that probably isn’t true either.

Victorians love a UFO conspiracy.

UFO ACTIVITY AND THE BASS STRAIT TRIANGLE

Just as Victorians love a good gangland war, and bragging about it to their interstate friends, it appears the old Bermuda Triangle myth caught their attention and has been superimposed on Bass Strait.

Since European exploration, ships have sunk or gone missing in the tumultuous passage and flights, including Air Force planes in WWII, have vanished over the strait.

But the most famous disappearance was that of pilot and UFO buff Frank Valentich during a light plane training flight over Bass Strait in October 1978.

Valentich, 20, radioed Melbourne air controllers to report what he described as a huge aircraft and a green light flying 300m above him and that his engine was having trouble.

Shortly afterwards he disappeared and was never found despite an exhaustive search.

While some believed the inexperienced pilot faked his disappearance and landed safely elsewhere, conspiracy theorists believe aliens may have abducted Valentich and his aircraft.

But Valentich was himself interested in UFOs according to his family and a more plausible explanation is that he became disoriented, flew upside down, saw his own lights reflecting in the water and subsequently crashed.

Did American mobsters kill Phar Lap? Picture: Ian Currie

PHAR LAP AND THE YANKEE GANGSTERS

Big Red, now preserved in Melbourne Museum, was the greatest racehorse in Australia and a license to print money for his owners.

But on a trip to California in 1932 the champion unexpectedly died.

Immediately rumours and theories began to circulate that American mobsters had killed the horse off the firm up their financial interests in racing.

But other explanations later came to the fore, including an apparent admission by trainer and part owner Harry Telford that tonics were sometimes given to the horse that contained strychnine and arsenic.

A build-up of the toxins may have reached a fatal level and killed the horse.

Forensic tests later showed a dose of arsenic was ingested by the horse in the ours leading up to death, but whether the tonic or outside influence is to blame remains unclear.

Even arsenic found in the gelding’s hide has been explained by some as coming from grass sprayed with chemicals.

For a while suspicion fell on strapper Tommy Woodcock who might have, accidentally or otherwise, given the horse a toxic overdose, but a letter discovered later apparently showed he was against giving the horse tonics and often refused to do so.

ANTI-VAXXER UNDERGROUND

This worldwide conspiracy movement has put down solid roots in Melbourne where a ring of anti-vaccination doctors has been blasted open, forcing one to stop practising medicine.

Conspiracy theories on the use of vaccines on children range from belief that it can cause autism and other problems, to extreme views on government biological control.

In August last year it was revealed at least three Victorian doctors were under investigation as a network of GPs with anti-vaccination sympathies was helping families dodge compulsory immunisations.

A video surfaced from an anti-vaxxer event at which participants boasted about 600 families ducking the vaccinations.

The following month Dr John Piesse, who had a practice in Mitcham, had his registration suspended over the anti-vax affair.

Was Harold Holt picked up by a Chinese submarine?

HARALD HOLT AND THE CHINESE SUB

The most persistent and baffling missing person case in Victoria recently saw its 50th anniversary.

Prime Minister Harold Holt went for a dip at Portsea in December 1967 and never came back.

Cold War imagination has led some to believe the able swimmer was picked up by a Chinese submarine or that he staged his disappearance to defect in some other way.

Other theories state he ran away with a lover or committed suicide.

His family has recently rubbished the theories saying that the area where he went missing is too shallow and treacherous for vessels.

The most likely explanation remains that Holt was swept out to sea and simply drowned.