'The Most Violent Woman In Sydney'

Iris Webber was no stranger to the inside of a police cell. Labelled a 1920s gangster and the ‘most violent woman in Sydney’ in the history books, she lived during a time in our history when male homosexuality was criminalised and lesbianism was admonished. Married to two men during her short life, Iris was also in relationships with women. Something the police were well aware of. Her rap sheet between the years of 1932 and 1937 alone was extensive. She was charged with everything from murder and attempted murder to assault, illegal busking, illegally selling alcohol, indecent language….the list goes on.  Today we go beyond the headlines and delve into the life and crimes of a queer girl gangster who rose to notoriety on the streets of Sydney, nearly 100 years ago.  THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia CREDITS Guest: Fiona Kelly McGregor You can find out more about her book Iris here. Host: Gemma Bath Executive Producer: Gia Moylan Audio Producer: Madeline Joannou GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening! Call the pod phone on 02 8999 9386 or email us at [email protected]   Join our closed Facebook community to discuss this episode. Just search True Crime Conversations on Facebook or follow this link https://bit.ly/tcc-group  If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Just by reading or listening to our content, you’re helping to fund girls in schools in some of the most disadvantaged countries in the world - through our partnership with Room to Read. We’re currently funding 300 girls in school every day and our aim is to get to 1,000. Find out more about Mamamia at mamamia.com.au Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.