The heroically named Julius Caesar Alexander Goeldner loved a drink. He also had a furious temper. An enthusiastic indulgence in the former weakness gave free rein to the latter characteristic, which brought Julius Goeldner to the attention of the Brisbane Police for thirty years. Julius Caesar Alexander Goeldner was born in Brisbane in 1862, oneContinue reading “Mug shots – Julius Goeldner’s Turbulent Life.”
Tag Archives: Mug Shots
James Duffy – Crime and Misfortune
Inmate No. 3 of the Proserpine. The Proserpine Reformatory couldn’t reform James Duffy. Unfortunately, nothing could. The son of a colourful ticket of leave man, young James led a life of petty crime and misadventure. James was born in Brisbane on 22 July at 1856, the third son of Timothy Duffy and Catherine Fahey. HisContinue reading “James Duffy – Crime and Misfortune”
A much-persecuted man with a weakness for fowls.
Isaac Alder had a long, hard-scrabble life. Born either in England or on the Hawkesbury, probably in 1826 or 1828, Alder worked as a drover and itinerant butcher in New South Wales and Queensland. He went by a number of aliases, including John King, Isaac Peter Houlder, Wright Houlder, John Smith, Isaac Alder, and JohnContinue reading “A much-persecuted man with a weakness for fowls.”
A Review of Gentlemen’s Hair Styles 1875
For men in the late 19th Century, beards were the order of the day. If a man couldn’t grow a healthy, bristling beard, a moustache of distinction was an alternative. The very few fresh-faced individuals found in Brisbane Gaol’s description book are invariable quite young. The Fresh-Faced Look David W Barr was a 22Continue reading “A Review of Gentlemen’s Hair Styles 1875”
Mug Shots: what shall we do with a drunken sailor?
Irish sailor John McConnell had a very big night ashore in Brisbane in August 1875. His Brisbane Gaol photo has him dishevelled, sporting a bristling moustache and an unkempt, towering coiffure. It’s unlikely that anyone was game to come near him with a comb, given the circumstances of his arrival. The contemporaneous report is priceless,Continue reading “Mug Shots: what shall we do with a drunken sailor?”
Mug Shots: The Miner from New Orleans
William Warren was born in New Orleans in 1830 and arrived in Australia in 1853 aboard a ship (also) called the New Orleans. While his family and past friends experienced the war between the States, William was in Northern Queensland, eking out a living as a miner, occasionally coming to the attention of theContinue reading “Mug Shots: The Miner from New Orleans”
Mug Shots: Two larcenous lads.
Another sailor on shore in Brisbane in August 1875 was John E. Fincham, aged 20. He was however without a ship and working at a city club as a boot-black. Given that his offence was stealing a coat, it seems appropriate that the unhappy young man is virtually swallowed by the prison jacket. Stealing aContinue reading “Mug Shots: Two larcenous lads.”
Mug Shots: The larcenous clerk.
The photo taken in Brisbane Gaol on 24 May 1875 shows a well-built, slightly perplexed young man with a truly impressive set of whiskers. What could Joseph Arthur Viccars have done to bring him to Boggo Road? Turned up on the doorstep of an old acquaintance from England, claiming to have been shipwrecked, and left with nothing but a cheque forContinue reading “Mug Shots: The larcenous clerk.”
Mr Woodward and the Married Women’s Property Act.
In the 1890, the fifty-fourth year of Queen Victoria’s reign, the Legislative Assembly of the Colony of Queensland passed the Married Women’s Property Act. Similar legislation had already been enacted in the United Kingdom and other Australian Colonies. Prior to this Act, married women did not have the kind of property rights as single women,Continue reading “Mr Woodward and the Married Women’s Property Act.”
Snippets: A Remarkable Statement.
Like James Gardner, George Blanton killed the girl he loved. Like James Gardner, George Blanton had been a heavy drinker and this contributed to his violence and his end. Unlike James Gardner, George Blantern confessed immediately, and was deeply remorseful from the instant he had committed the crime. The following is his statement at his sentencing. Continue reading “Snippets: A Remarkable Statement.”
Moreton Bay and More 