Only he knew how his name really should have been recorded and pronounced. He was best known as Kimboo[i], and all we know of him comes from his interactions with European employers and the courts. He was born in China around 1820. He stood around 5 feet, 2 inches, and was described as neat, pleasant-lookingContinue reading “A Strange Man in a Strange Land.”
Category Archives: Brisbane Gaol
The Snob – Part 2.
St Helena Island Hartigan arrived at Brisbane Gaol on 13 December 1867. The Brisbane Gaol authorities recorded him as 5 feet 5 ½ inches in height, of slender build, with a ruddy complexion, sandy hair and blue eyes. He could read and write, was unmarried, had no children and belonged to the Church of England.Continue reading “The Snob – Part 2.”
The Snob.
Part 1 – Edward Hartigan’s Early Years. In the years between Separation (1859) and Federation (1901), Queensland had its share of storied criminals. Some terrorised the roads for a few years but were captured and imprisoned– the Wild Scotchman was probably the most celebrated. There were infamous murderers who went to gaol or the gallowsContinue reading “The Snob.”
A Lifetime of Crime.
The long career of Alfred Allwood. How did Alfred Allwood manage to spend most of his life in gaol, considering that his haul of stolen goods over 40 years amounted to less than £10, a pair of boots, a gold watch, and a cake? He wasn’t a very good thief, and on a couple ofContinue reading “A Lifetime of Crime.”
The Murder of a French Hermit at Sandgate
“An extremely painful sensation pervaded the quiet little community at Sandgate when it became known that Germain Dubrocca, a French recluse of industrious habits and inoffensive disposition, had been done to death in the most violent, brutal, and cowardly manner within a distance of less than three miles of the township. A survey party workingContinue reading “The Murder of a French Hermit at Sandgate”
A Law to Control the Poor
Mug Shots 1875 – Vagrancy Until 2005, Queensland had an antiquated statue on the books called Vagrants, Gaming And Other Offences Act 1931. It was a gloriously haphazard collection of offences, including, but not limited to: The Act’s purpose was “to make better provision for the prevention and punishment of offences by vagrants and disorderlyContinue reading “A Law to Control the Poor”
Prisoners in Brisbane Gaol, 1875: Family Violence.
Domestic and family violence in the 19th century was tried and punished in a society that took a dim view of wives leaving their husbands, and of children who misbehaved. Divorce was only an option for the well-to-do, and women were seen as the property of their husbands. There were no dedicated laws preventing stalkingContinue reading “Prisoners in Brisbane Gaol, 1875: Family Violence.”
Prisoners in Brisbane Gaol, 1875: Serious Assaults.
The 1875 prison photograph series contains a lot of men who committed serious assaults – near murders in some cases. Looking at the prisoners’ photos, it’s hard to overlook the number of Chinese men serving time for assaults. The accounts of their court hearings are notable for what they do not disclose – motive. AnythingContinue reading “Prisoners in Brisbane Gaol, 1875: Serious Assaults.”
Prisoners in Brisbane Gaol,1875: Murder and Manslaughter
The earliest surviving prison photography in Queensland seems to have been the 1875-6 images of inmates of the Brisbane Gaol. The photographs are a haunting record of the offenders and their crimes. The series contains several hundred pictures, and I have endeavoured to discover the stories behind the inmates and their offences. Kelah Kelah couldContinue reading “Prisoners in Brisbane Gaol,1875: Murder and Manslaughter”
Portraits in Crime Part 1
In the late 1890s, Queensland Courts began granting probation orders, and regional police stations and lockups started to record the released offenders with photographs and detailed descriptions. The photographs here are from a collection at the Queensland State Archives, Photographic records and descriptions of released male prisoners – Police Station, Longreach, 01/01/1889 – 31/12/1899. ManyContinue reading “Portraits in Crime Part 1”
Moreton Bay and More 