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.”
Category Archives: Brisbane Gaol
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”
Please, Governor, may we also have a Gaol?
For a place with a lot of prisoners about, and a population fond of indulging in ardent spirits, Moreton Bay was sorely lacking in a place to house criminals. There was a small lock-up in the Police Station, which occupied a part of the former Convict Barracks. It was only suitable for very short stays,Continue reading “Please, Governor, may we also have a Gaol?”
Who Lives in a Place Like This? Part 3.
The Sketch Map of Brisbane Town in 1844, and the stories behind it. 31. Taylor Shappart There was no Taylor Shappart in Brisbane in 1844. There was a tailor, John Sheppard, who lived and worked at Brisbane at the time, and later moved to Ipswich. I suspect that between the Gerler’s understanding of English namesContinue reading “Who Lives in a Place Like This? Part 3.”
Who Lives in a Place Like This? Part 2
The Sketch Map of Brisbane Town in 1844, and the stories behind it. 16. Wright’s Hotel At first, hotels were few in old Brisbane Town. The hospitable Scot, Alexander Wright, was the proprietor of one of the larger and more respectable ones, The Caledonian Hotel, between Queen and Ann Streets. Mr Wright boasted of theContinue reading “Who Lives in a Place Like This? Part 2”
The Windmill Reporter Predicts a Flood, 1848.
TELEGRAPHIC DESPATCH. (From our Windmill Reporter.) The Flood. I am happy to inform you that my elevated position has given me an opportunity of reporting to you the intended proceedings of the flood which has been for the last six years expected in Brisbane. The right wing of the flood will land at South Brisbane,Continue reading “The Windmill Reporter Predicts a Flood, 1848.”
Marriage and crime
Bigamy is much less common today. Paperwork is digitised, and marriage is no longer the sole criteria under which two mutually attracted adults may live under one roof. And for that, women should be eternally grateful. One hundred years ago, an unhappy or hasty marriage was for life. The law was written to preserve theContinue reading “Marriage and crime”
The Crimes of Women.
Mary Eileen Hagenbach, 1919 Mary Eileen Hagenbach was a tall, slender young woman of 23 years of age. A little severe-looking perhaps, an impression not helped by the fact that her hair had been chopped off roughly during a long illness. She’d just spent nearly four months in hospital after hemorrhaging during childbirth, and nowContinue reading “The Crimes of Women.”
Moreton Bay and More 