Victorian Archives

Campfire Explosion at Finke Desert Race Leaves Six Victorian Men With Severe Burns

Alice Springs, Northern Territory – Six Victorian men suffered severe burns after a campfire explosion during the Finke Desert Race, according to Northern Territory emergency services. The incident occurred when the group, aged 18 to 23, was camping about 30 kilometers south of Alice Springs on Saturday night. NT Police Acting Superintendent Michael Budge explained that the group had ignited a fire near a shock absorber, which unexpectedly exploded, spraying boiling oil and fluid on …

Court of Appeal Upholds Sentence for Neo-Nazis in Victorian Hiker Attack

Melbourne, Victoria – Two neo-Nazis, Thomas Sewell and Jacob Hersant, avoided further jail time after the Court of Appeal dismissed claims that their sentence for a 2021 attack on hikers in a Victorian state park was “manifestly inadequate”. Sewell had already spent 210 days behind bars awaiting charges, while Hersant spent three days in custody. The attack, which involved the pair joining a large group of armed far-right nationalists to assault hikers and force them …