It’s the early 1900s and a gang of men moves through the gritty streets of inner-city North Melbourne: they dress sharp and inspire fear wherever they go. This gang, the Crutchy Push ruled the streets of North Melbourne over a ten year period, from late 1890s. And the reason for their curious name? All the members of this gang were amputees: mostly one-legged, and they used a crutch - and not just for walking!

To mark the International Day for People With Disability, Melbourne-based writer and disability advocate Kaitlyn Blythe digs up the little-known story of the gang and its’ charismatic leader Valentine Keating, and explores how it busts a lot of myths about disabled people in Australian history.

Guests:

Brendan Gleeson

Tansy Bradshaw

Readings - Toby Truslove

Credits:

Producer - Kaitlyn Blythe

Sound design and production - Matthew Crawford

Supervising Producer - Michelle Rayner

The Crutchy Push

ABC Rewind

The Crutchy Push