Ex-cop speaks to the world from King Island

IN A WORLD where voices often get lost in the digital noise, one man from our remote island in the Bass Strait is cutting through with authenticity, storytelling, and a strong sense of purpose.

Peter Gillett, known online as The Aussie Bush Cop, has found an unlikely second life as a podcaster, sharing his experiences as a former police officer, a homesteader, and a man seeking peace in the aftermath of trauma.

Peter’s journey began in the western suburbs of Sydney, where he grew up with views of the town hall clock through a childhood telescope.

After spending nearly three decades in the city, he and his first wife moved to the Central West of New South Wales.

It was there that tragedy struck.

In 1995, Peter’s brother-in law, Constable Robert Spears, was murdered alongside fellow officer Peter Addison.

The incident deeply affected Peter-and ultimately led to a life-changing decision.

“I was so impressed with the way the police treated my wife and family,” he recalled.

“My job at the time was going nowhere, and I wasn’t earning enough to support my family. So, I decided to join the police.”

Inspired by the legacy of his father, a World War II veteran, and guided by the principle that “evil prevails when good men do nothing,” Peter spent 14 years as a general duties officer.

But the stress of the job eventually took its toll, and he was medically retired due to post-traumatic stress injury.

With his career in the police behind him and a lifelong, inexplicable fascination with King Island still lingering in the back of his mind, Peter made a bold move.

“I’d always fantasised about King Island, even as a kid,” he said.

“So I said to my wife, Janet, ‘Let’s go have a look.’ We flew in, and as we were coming down through the clouds, I saw both coasts at once. I knew I was home.”

Peter and Janet became homesteaders, adopting a simple but self-sufficient lifestyle.

They raise Highland cattle, chickens, and ducks, milk their own cows, make their own butter and yoghurt and harvest what they grow.

“We try to produce as much of our own food as we can,” Peter explained. “It’s a rewarding way to live.”

But Peter didn’t stop there.

Despite a self-confessed average performance at school, he always had a knack for writing.

Encouraged by his wife and friends, he published A Step Too Far, a memoir of his police career.

Expecting to sell just 30 copies, he was stunned when sales topped 1,000.

A sequel, A Step Back: From Duty Boots to Gumboots, followed.

Then came the podcast.

“I’d been listening to a lot of podcasts during my daily routine and thought, ‘I’d like to give that a go.’

"I messaged Wade Roskam, my producer, asking about recording gear, and he jumped in straight away - said, ‘No need, Peter, I can handle that for you.’

"So we filmed and recorded a few episodes, they were really well received, and now every few weeks, we sit down and record more stories.”

Titled The Aussie Bush Cop, Peter’s podcast launched just five months ago and has already garnered more than 3,000 subscribers and more than 150,000 views on YouTube and grows every week.

With 35 episodes recorded so far, it’s a deeply personal, often emotional series of reflections on life in the force, the challenges of trauma, and the healing power of storytelling.

“I try not just to recount facts,” Peter said.

“I want to show what it’s actually like emotionally and psychologically to be a police officer.”

That raw honesty has struck a chord with listeners from as far afield as South Africa, the US, Japan, and the Netherlands and many countries in between.

“It’s amazing to think I’m sitting here on King Island, talking to the world.”

The comments, Peter says, have been overwhelmingly positive and therapeutic.

“When you’re a cop, you don’t really know how people feel about what you do. But now I hear every week from people who say thank you. That’s been good for my mental health."

“As a copper you would have to have a sense of humour to cope with the horrible situations. It’s mind-boggling how you live in this tiny island in the middle of the ocean in the middle of nowhere and the world is watching you,” said one follower.

Some are fascinated by the crime stories, others relate to mental health issues and there’s a growing curiosity about lifestyle and place.

Still, Peter doesn’t shy away from criticism which is inevitable with an online presence.

“Everyone’s entitled to their opinion,” he says.

“If there’s truth in it, I take it on board.”

Looking ahead, Peter hopes to expand the podcast to share his journey of becoming a home steader and offer a glimpse of a life many dream of but few attempt.

“Most Australians live in cities...but a lot of people want something simpler, more grounded. I want to show them it’s possible …even if they’re just growing herbs on a balcony or a beehive on a highrise rooftop. If I can do it, anyone can.”

Beyond the numbers, views, and followers, Peter has a deeper motivation: to help others facing the same darkness he once did. 

“Every six weeks, an emergency service worker in Australia takes their own life. If I can help someone talk about what they’re going through, maybe I can help them choose to stay.”

As for the future, Peter is conscious that his digital legacy will outlive him.

“One day my great-grandchildren might wonder what their old Pa was like,” he says.

“And they’ll be able to watch a bit of me, hear my voice, and know who I was.”

In a digital world bursting with polished influencers and media empires, Peter Gillett’s voice cuts through because it’s something rarer: it’s authentic – it’s real.

From Sydney’s suburbs to King Island’s shores, his story is a reminder that with truth, purpose, and a microphone, even one man in the bush can speak to the world.