A menace. Larcenous. Infernal. A nuisance. Horrid. Abominable. Laws were passed against it but had little effect. Newspaper letter-writers railed for decades. Vigilantism broke out. Fights ensued. Blood was shed. Men went armed. The sleep of innocent families was murdered. Jonquils were destroyed. Even orchids. What was this scourge, this menace to peaceful society? TheContinue reading “Public Enemy No. 1 in Colonial Queensland”
Category Archives: Newspaper stories
Prisoners in Brisbane Gaol, 1875: Fighting and Destroying Police Uniforms.
Oh, what a night! Police uniforms certainly took a beating in the 1870s. They looked sturdy enough. Heavy-looking tunics, trousers and forage caps were the order of the day. Yet at least four of the men featured in this post managed to “destroy” a police uniform in the course of their arrests. Restitution was alwaysContinue reading “Prisoners in Brisbane Gaol, 1875: Fighting and Destroying Police Uniforms.”
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”
A Tale of the Hard Life – William Murray and the killing of Daniel Roberts
An unkempt and hopeless-looking man stares warily at the Brisbane Gaol photographer. His jacket doesn’t quite fit, and his hair and beard seem to have been barbered using a kitchen knife. His eyes, set deep under faded brows, are pale. His mouth is slightly open, as if the photographer caught him just as he wasContinue reading “A Tale of the Hard Life – William Murray and the killing of Daniel Roberts”
The Odd Man About The Shed
John Hayes was an Irish labourer who had arrived in Queensland in 1873 on the Landsborough. There might well be a fortune to be made by a man who would work hard. Perhaps after a few years he could own some land, have a family. Perhaps he could send some money home to Ireland. ItContinue reading “The Odd Man About The Shed”
The Further Hazards of Old Brisbane
More threats to public safety and happiness from the early days of European settlement in Brisbane. Termagants The Victoria Hall seemed to be the only part of Brisbane that welcomed termagants, and that was for theatrical purposes only. The idea that women might get drunk and/or fight was simply too much for the Courier. InContinue reading “The Further Hazards of Old Brisbane”
The Hazards of Life in Old Brisbane
It’s quite comforting to look back on old Brisbane and find that many of the hazards of life these days also troubled our forebears. The river still has its surprises for the unwary. Pet ownership attracts all manner of official scrutiny, not to mention revenue-raising. Traffic is still appalling and drunks still populate our watchhouses.Continue reading “The Hazards of Life in Old Brisbane”
A Sack of Ghosts, Desiccated Canaries, Kilts v Trousers
THE STRANGE WORLD OF THE EARLY 1870s, AS SEEN IN THE CLASSIFIEDS The School of the Arts, hitherto a rather stodgy institution, offered the most peculiar entertainments in the early 1870s. Not since the outbreak of wizardry in the 1850s had Brisbane flocked to anything like Chapman’s Wonders: Legerdemain effects involve sleight of hand, presumablyContinue reading “A Sack of Ghosts, Desiccated Canaries, Kilts v Trousers”
Moreton Bay and More 