CAROL BAXTER
Cruise ship talks
by topics and regions
Carol Baxter, the history detective, is a cruise ship enrichment speaker telling true tales of murder, mystery and mayhem. Her talks are grouped by subjects and regions below (with repetitions because of subject overlaps):
AUSTRALIANA talks
1700-1800s
What better way to communicate the story of Australia's colonial history (1788-1900) than through tales of crimes, conspiracies and calamities?
Shipwrecked
When Britain sends the First Fleet across the world's oceans to establish penal settlements in New South Wales and Norfolk Island in 1787/88, little did they realise (or perhaps care) that these new outposts of the British Empire would soon be plunged into a life-threatening crisis.
This talk can instead be called Marooned if the title Shipwrecked is considered undesirable.
Australia's Largest Bank Robbery
When audacious convicts tunnel through a sewerage drain into the bank owned by Sydney’s wealthiest gentlemen, they steal the equivalent, in today’s terms, of twenty million dollars. Can the authorities catch the thieves, reassert their imperious authority in this penal settlement (of all places), and save the colony from a devastating economic collapse?
This talk is from Carol's book Breaking the Bank.
The Murder that Kickstarted the Communication Revolution
When Quaker ex-convict John Tawell (a onetime Australian convict) attempts to rid himself of his demanding ex-mistress, he flees the scene in one of England's revolutionary new railway trains. Unbeknown to him, the only electric telegraph line in the entire world that's capable of sending an instantaneous random message is strung along wires beside this particular stretch of railway tracks. The deadly consequences help launch the Information Age.
This talk is from Carol's book The Peculiar Case of the Electric Constable.
Bushranger Captain Thunderbolt
Join Carol Baxter on a rollicking robbing ride across New South Wales in the 1860s with outlaw Captain Thunderbolt – aka Frederick Wordsworth Ward aka the “gentleman bushranger” – and his feisty Aboriginal lover, Mary Ann Bugg.
This talk is from Carol's book Captain Thunderbolt and His Lady, which is being turned into a TV series called Thunderbolt and Bugg.
Captain Thunderbolt's Lady
When the feisty Mary Ann Bugg spotted the handsome horsebreaker, Frederick Wordsworth Ward — later to become the infamous bushranger, Captain Thunderbolt — little did she realise that she would soon become the most notorious part-Aboriginal woman in nineteenth-century Australia.
This talk is from Carol's book Captain Thunderbolt and His Lady, which is being turned into a TV series called Thunderbolt and Bugg.
The Catalpa Conspiracy I: The Plot
In 1875, Irish-born Americans plot to help their homeland throw off the yoke of British oppression. Their plan to liberate Irish political prisoners – Fenians – from the Western Australian penal colony is both audacious and perilous. Could it possibly succeed?
The Catalpa Conspiracy II: The Execution
The American whaler Catalpa docks in Western Australia in 1876 on a secret mission to liberate Irish political prisoners from under the noses of their British captors. But nothing goes according to plan.
Black Widow
In 1888 – the year Jack the Ripper launched himself onto the world stage – Louisa Collins finds herself in Australia's spotlight. Nicknamed "The Lucretia Borgia of Botany Bay", she is declared by some to be worse than the Ripper. But is she innocent or guilty of the deaths of her husbands?
This talk is from Carol's book Black Widow. Watch a video snippet from her "Black Widow" talk.
1900s
The Feisty Mrs Miller
In 1927, bored Australian housewife Jessie Miller joins World War I aviator Bill Lancaster in his attempt at a record-setting flight from England to Australia, hoping to become the first woman to travel the distance by air. But aloft in their open-cockpit biplane, events soon spiral out of control.
This talk is from Carol's book, The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller, which is being turned into a TV series, The Aviatrix. Click here to view a video snippet (filmed late 2023).
That Magnificent Gal in her Flying Machine
Australia’s first internationally famous aviatrix, Jessie Miller, travels to America in 1928 where she becomes a record-setting celebrity aviator, the world's first female test pilot, and a close friend of Amelia Earhart. Then one day she disappears ...
This talk is from Carol's book, The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller, which is being turned into a TV series, The Aviatrix.
Be careful what you wish for
As the Great Depression grips America, celebrity Australian aviatrix Jessie Miller finds herself the world’s most notorious scarlet woman and a central player in a sensational American murder trial.
This talk is from Carol's book, The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller, which is being turned into a TV series, The Aviatrix.
PACIFIC OCEAN talks
Shipwrecked
When Britain sends the First Fleet across the world's oceans to establish penal settlements in New South Wales and Norfolk Island in 1787/88, little did they realise (or perhaps care) that these new outposts of the British Empire would soon be plunged into a life-threatening crisis.
NB. This talk can instead be called Marooned if the title Shipwrecked is considered undesirable.
What really happened to Amelia Earhart?
In 1937 the world’s most famous aviatrix, Amelia Earhart, sets off across the Pacific on the final leg of her world flight … and disappears. Did her empty fuel tanks force her to ditch into the ocean? Was she spying for the US government? Was she captured by the Japanese and compelled to become one of the Tokyo Rose broadcasters? Join the history detective, Carol Baxter, as she attempts to determine what really did happen to Amelia Earhart.
Mayday!
When retired US Navy pilot Jay Prochnow sets off from San Francisco in 1978 to ferry a Cessna to Sydney, little does he realise that his navigation system is about to fail, leaving him lost over the Pacific Ocean as darkness falls and his fuel tanks empty. Can a nearby Air New Zealand DC-10 save him?
BRITISH, IRISH and ATLANTIC OCEAN talks
Shipwrecked
When Britain sends the First Fleet across the world's oceans to establish penal settlements in New South Wales and Norfolk Island in 1787/88, little did they realise (or perhaps care) that these new outposts of the British Empire would soon be plunged into a life-threatening crisis.
NB. This talk can instead be called Marooned if the title Shipwrecked is considered undesirable.
The Murder that Kickstarted the Communication Revolution
When Quaker ex-convict John Tawell attempts to rid himself of his demanding ex-mistress, he flees the scene in one of England's revolutionary new railway trains. Unbeknown to him, the only electric telegraph line in the entire world that's capable of sending an instantaneous random message at a moment's notice is strung along wires beside this particular stretch of railway tracks. The deadly consequences help launch the Information Age.
This talk is from Carol's book The Peculiar Case of the Electric Constable.
The Catalpa Conspiracy I: The Plot
In 1875, Irish-born Americans plot to help their homeland throw off the yoke of British oppression. Their plan to liberate Irish political prisoners – Fenians – from the Western Australian penal colony is both audacious and perilous. Could it possibly succeed?
The Catalpa Conspiracy II: The Execution
The American whaler Catalpa docks in Western Australia in 1876 on a secret mission to liberate Irish political prisoners from under the noses of their British captors. But nothing goes according to plan.
The Mary Celeste Ghost Ship
In November 1872, the now-famous American brigantine Mary Celeste sails from New York for Italy carrying eight crew members, two passengers, and a cargo of alcohol. Soon afterwards, it's found abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean. What did the investigators discover?
The Mary Celeste Mystery
After the Mary Celeste is found abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean, it becomes one of the world's greatest maritime mysteries. After 150 years of theories, speculations and outrageous claims, can we determine what really happened to the passengers and crew?
The Feisty Mrs Miller
In 1927, bored Australian housewife Jessie Miller joins World War I aviator Bill Lancaster in his attempt at a record-setting flight from England to Australia, hoping to become the first woman to travel the distance by air. But aloft in their open-cockpit biplane, events soon spiral out of control.
This talk is from Carol's book, The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller, which is being turned into a TV series, The Aviatrix. Click here to view a video snippet (filmed late 2023).
That Magnificent Gal in her Flying Machine
Australia’s first internationally famous aviatrix, Jessie Miller, travels to America in 1928 where she becomes a record-setting celebrity aviator, the world's first female test pilot, and a close friend of Amelia Earhart. Then one day she disappears ...
This talk is from Carol's book, The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller, which is being turned into a TV series, The Aviatrix.
Be careful what you wish for
As the Great Depression grips America, celebrity Australian aviatrix Jessie Miller finds herself the world’s most notorious scarlet woman and a central player in a sensational American murder trial.
This talk is from Carol's book, The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller, which is being turned into a TV series, The Aviatrix.
AMERICAN, ATLANTIC and BAHAMAS talks
The Catalpa Conspiracy I: The Plot
In 1875 Irish-born Americans plot to help their homeland throw off the yoke of British oppression. Their plan to liberate Irish political prisoners – Fenians – from the Western Australian penal colony is both audacious and perilous. Could it possibly succeed?
The Catalpa Conspiracy II: The Execution
The American whaler Catalpa docks in Western Australia in 1876 on a secret mission to liberate Irish political prisoners from under the noses of their British captors. But nothing goes according to plan.
The Mary Celeste Ghost Ship
In November 1872, the now-famous American brigantine Mary Celeste sails from New York for Italy carrying eight crew members, two passengers, and a cargo of alcohol. Soon afterwards, it's found abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean. What did the investigators discover?
The Mary Celeste Mystery
After the Mary Celeste is found abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean, it becomes one of the world's greatest maritime mysteries. After 150 years of theories, speculations and outrageous claims, can we determine what really happened to the passengers and crew?
The Feisty Mrs Miller
In 1927, bored Australian housewife Jessie Miller joins World War I aviator Bill Lancaster in his attempt at a record-setting flight from England to Australia, hoping to become the first woman to travel the distance by air. But aloft in their open-cockpit biplane, events soon spiral out of control.
From Carol's book, The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller, which is being turned into a TV series, The Aviatrix. Click here to view a video snippet (filmed late 2023).
That Magnificent Gal in her Flying Machine
Australia’s first internationally famous aviatrix, Jessie Miller, travels to America in 1928 where she becomes a record-setting celebrity aviator, the world's first female test pilot, and a close friend of Amelia Earhart. Then one day she disappears ...
From Carol's book, The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller, which is being turned into a TV series, The Aviatrix.
Be careful what you wish for
As the Great Depression grips America, celebrity Australian aviatrix Jessie Miller finds herself the world’s most notorious scarlet woman and a central player in a sensational American murder trial.
From Carol's book, The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller, which is being turned into a TV series, The Aviatrix.
What really happened to Amelia Earhart?
In 1937 the world’s most famous aviatrix, Amelia Earhart, sets off across the Pacific on the final leg of her world flight … and disappears. Did her empty fuel tanks force her to ditch into the ocean? Was she spying for the US government? Was she captured by the Japanese and compelled to become one of the Tokyo Rose broadcasters? Join the history detective, Carol Baxter, as she attempts to determine what really did happen to Amelia Earhart.
Mayday!
When retired US Navy pilot Jay Prochnow sets off from San Francisco in 1978 to ferry a Cessna to Sydney, little does he realise that his navigation system is about to fail, leaving him lost over the Pacific Ocean as darkness falls and his fuel tanks empty. Can a nearby Air New Zealand DC-10 save him?
MARITIME talks
Shipwrecked
When Britain sends the First Fleet across the world's oceans to establish penal settlements in New South Wales and Norfolk Island in 1787/88, little did they realise (or perhaps care) that these new outposts of the British Empire would soon be plunged into a life-threatening crisis.
NB. This talk can instead be called Marooned if the title Shipwrecked is considered undesirable.
The Catalpa Conspiracy I: The Plot
In 1875, Irish-born Americans plot to help their homeland throw off the yoke of British oppression. Their plan to liberate Irish political prisoners – Fenians – from the Western Australian penal colony is both audacious and perilous. Could it possibly succeed?
The Catalpa Conspiracy II: The Execution
The American whaler Catalpa docks in Western Australia in 1876 on a secret mission to liberate Irish political prisoners from under the noses of their British captors. But nothing goes according to plan.
The Mary Celeste Ghost Ship
In November 1872, the now-famous American brigantine Mary Celeste sails from New York for Italy carrying eight crew members, two passengers, and a cargo of alcohol. Soon afterwards, it's found abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean. What did the investigators discover?
The Mary Celeste Mystery
After the Mary Celeste is found abandoned in the Atlantic Ocean, it becomes one of the world's greatest maritime mysteries. After 150 years of theories, speculations and outrageous claims, can we determine what really happened to the passengers and crew?
AVIATION talks
The Feisty Mrs Miller
In 1927, bored Australian housewife Jessie Miller joins World War I aviator Bill Lancaster in his attempt at a record-setting flight from England to Australia, hoping to become the first woman to travel the distance by air. But aloft in their open-cockpit biplane, events soon spiral out of control.
This talk is from Carol's book, The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller, which is being turned into a TV series, The Aviatrix. Click here to view a video snippet (filmed late 2023).
That Magnificent Gal in her Flying Machine
Australia’s first internationally famous aviatrix, Jessie Miller, travels to America in 1928 where she becomes a record-setting celebrity aviator, the world's first female test pilot, and a close friend of Amelia Earhart. Then one day she disappears ...
This talk is from Carol's book, The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller, which is being turned into a TV series, The Aviatrix.
Be careful what you wish for
As the Great Depression grips America, celebrity Australian aviatrix Jessie Miller finds herself the world’s most notorious scarlet woman and a central player in a sensational American murder trial.
This talk is from Carol's book, The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller, which is being turned into a TV series, The Aviatrix.
What really happened to Amelia Earhart?
In 1937 the world’s most famous aviatrix, Amelia Earhart, sets off across the Pacific on the final leg of her world flight … and disappears. Did her empty fuel tanks force her to ditch into the ocean? Was she spying for the US government? Was she captured by the Japanese and compelled to become one of the Tokyo Rose broadcasters? Join the history detective, Carol Baxter, as she attempts to determine what really did happen to Amelia Earhart.
Mayday!
When retired US Navy pilot Jay Prochnow sets off from San Francisco in 1978 to ferry a Cessna to Sydney, little does he realise that his navigation system is about to fail, leaving him lost over the Pacific Ocean as darkness falls and his fuel tanks empty. Can a nearby Air New Zealand DC-10 save him?
MURDER talks
The Murder that Kickstarted the Communication Revolution
When Quaker ex-convict John Tawell (a onetime Australian convict) attempts to rid himself of his demanding ex-mistress, he flees the scene in one of England's revolutionary new railway trains. Unbeknown to him, the only electric telegraph line in the entire world that's capable of sending an instantaneous random message is strung along wires beside this particular stretch of railway tracks. The deadly consequences help launch the Information Age.
This talk is from Carol's book The Peculiar Case of the Electric Constable.
Black Widow
In 1888 – the year Jack the Ripper launched himself onto the world stage – Louisa Collins finds herself in Australia's spotlight. Nicknamed "The Lucretia Borgia of Botany Bay", she is declared by some to be worse than the Ripper. But is she innocent or guilty of the deaths of her husbands?
This talk is from Carol's book Black Widow. Watch a video snippet from her "Black Widow" talk.
The Feisty Mrs Miller
In 1927, bored Australian housewife Jessie Miller joins World War I aviator Bill Lancaster in his attempt at a record-setting flight from England to Australia, hoping to become the first woman to travel the distance by air. But aloft in their open-cockpit biplane, events soon spiral out of control.
This talk is from Carol's book, The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller, which is being turned into a TV series, The Aviatrix. Click here to view a video snippet (filmed late 2023).
That Magnificent Gal in her Flying Machine
Australia’s first internationally famous aviatrix, Jessie Miller, travels to America in 1928 where she becomes a record-setting celebrity aviator, the world's first female test pilot, and a close friend of Amelia Earhart. Then one day she disappears ...
This talk is from Carol's book, The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller, which is being turned into a TV series, The Aviatrix.
Be careful what you wish for
As the Great Depression grips America, celebrity Australian aviatrix Jessie Miller finds herself the world’s most notorious scarlet woman and a central player in a sensational American murder trial.
This talk is from Carol's book, The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller, which is being turned into a TV series, The Aviatrix.
ROBBERS and ROGUES talks
Australia's Largest Bank Robbery
When audacious convicts tunnel through a sewerage drain into the bank owned by Sydney’s wealthiest gentlemen, they steal the equivalent, in today’s terms, of twenty million dollars. Can the authorities catch the thieves, reassert their imperious authority in this penal settlement (of all places), and save the colony from a devastating economic collapse?
This talk is from Carol's book Breaking the Bank.
Bushranger Captain Thunderbolt
Join Carol Baxter on a rollicking robbing ride across New South Wales in the 1860s with outlaw Frederick Wordsworth Ward, Captain Thunderbolt, aka the “gentleman bushranger”.
This talk is from Carol's book Captain Thunderbolt and His Lady, which is being turned into a TV series called Thunderbolt and Bugg.
Captain Thunderbolt's Lady
When the feisty Mary Ann Bugg spotted the handsome horsebreaker, Frederick Wordsworth Ward — later to become the infamous bushranger, Captain Thunderbolt — little did she realise that she would soon become the most notorious part-Aboriginal woman in nineteenth-century Australia.
This talk is from Carol's book Captain Thunderbolt and His Lady, which is being turned into a TV series called Thunderbolt and Bugg.
GENERAL OR "EXTRA" TALKS
Appropriate for any cruise.
It's About Time
As we cross the world's oceans, changing time zones along the way, join the history detective, Carol Baxter, as she investigates "time" itself and how the world came to shackle the eight units of time that drive our world today.