15 Infants Beneath Sydney | The Dark Case of John & Sarah Makin

🔎 In 1892, workmen digging behind a house in Burren Street, Macdonaldtown made a horrifying discovery — the remains of an infant buried beneath an ordinary Sydney backyard. It was only the beginning. Over the following weeks, police searched former homes occupied by John and Sarah Makin across Sydney. By the end of the investigation, 15 sets of infant remains had been recovered from four properties in Macdonaldtown, Redfern and Chippendale. John and Sarah Makin became infamous as Sydney “baby farmers” — and today they are often remembered by an even darker name: the “Hat-Pin Murderers.” But how much of the story repeated today is actually supported by the evidence from 1892? 📰 In this episode of Shadowed Secrets, I return to the streets where the investigation unfolded and follow the case through contemporary newspaper reports, inquest evidence, witness testimony and court proceedings. We look at: 🔸 The discovery of seven sets of infant remains at Burren Street 🔸 The searches of former Makin homes across Sydney 🔸 The mothers who placed their children into the Makins’ care 🔸 The false names used by John and Sarah Makin 🔸 Baby clothing recovered from a pawnshop 🔸 The case of Amber Murray and her missing infant son 🔸 The circumstantial evidence that led to a murder conviction 🔸 The original 1892 needle-through-the-heart theory 🔸 Whether the famous “hat-pin” story was ever medically proven 🔸 The claim that the case caused Macdonaldtown to become Erskineville 🔸 John Makin’s final statement and execution at Darlinghurst Gaol ⚖️ This is not simply a retelling of the legend. By returning to reports and evidence from the time, this documentary looks at what investigators could establish, what remained uncertain, and how parts of the Makin story changed as they passed into Australian history. More than 130 years later, the ordinary streets where this case unfolded remain — even if much of the story beneath them has been forgotten. 🎥 Join me as we uncover another chapter of Sydney’s hidden history. 👍 If you enjoy Australian history, forgotten places and stories hidden in plain sight, please consider liking the video and subscribing to Shadowed Secrets for more. 💬 What do you think? After looking at the evidence from the time, how much of the story remembered today do you believe can actually be established? #JohnAndSarahMakin #SydneyHistory #AustralianHistory #BabyFarming #Macdonaldtown #Erskineville #Redfern #DarkHistory #TrueCrimeHistory #HistoricalDocumentary #ForgottenHistory #HiddenSydney #ShadowedSecrets