Shortcut: The True Story of the Postcard Bandit

Shortcut: The True Story of the Postcard Bandit

From Australian True Crime by Bravecasting

April 24, 2026 · 18 min · Season 1 · Episode 772

About this episode

This episode explores the life of notorious Australian bank robber Brenden Abbott through the insights of his biographer Abe Maddison.

This is a "Shortcut" episode. It’s a shortened version of this week’s more detailed full episode, which is also available on our feed. Brenden Abbott is one of Australia’s most infamous bank robbers, a figure whose crimes, repeated prison escapes, and years spent evading capture throughout the 1990s turned him into something of an outlaw legend. To unpack the story behind both the legend and the reality, we’re joined by Abe Maddison (AKA Derek Pedley), author of The Postcard Bandit , an authorised biography of Brenden Abbott.  ATC Plus subscribers can listen to this episode ad free here. You can purchase your copy of The Postcard Bandit here. You can watch our episodes by visiting our Youtube Channel here. Join our Facebook Group here. Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000. Wanting to hear about certain kinds of crime? Check out our Spotify playlists for a curated list of our episodes. For Support: Lifeline    on 13 11 14 13 YARN  on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)…

People in this episode

Host: Meshel Laurie

Guest: Abe Maddison

Topics covered

  • bank robbery
  • true crime
  • Australia
  • criminal history
  • outlaw legend

Keywords

  • Brenden Abbott
  • Postcard Bandit
  • bank robbery
  • Australia
  • true crime
  • Abe Maddison
  • Derek Pedley

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Bravecasting

Books & works: The Postcard Bandit

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