Subterranean Adelaide - The Jubilee Railway Line

Subterranean Adelaide

The Jubilee Railway Line

One of Adelaide's forgotten railways existed purely to service the Jubilee Exhibition that was to be located on the corners of North Terrace and Frome Road in the Adelaide.

The line travelled along the River Torrens from the Adelaide Railway Station, across where the Festival Theatre now stands, under King William Street on a diagonal line. It then travelled beside the Torrens Parade grounds, and around to the festival grounds, where the Jubilee was to be held, into an area that is now part of the Adelaide University.

The Jubilee Line was built for the sole purpose of getting heavy machinery and exhibits through to the Exhibition and opened in 1886. It was then used for another 40 years for moving heavy objects into the pavilion of the exhibition and University buildings.
Between 1899 and 1902 it was used to transport soldiers from the Torrens Parade grounds to Adelaide Station in preparation for them to catch trains from Adelaide Station to Port Adelaide and various other ports before setting sail to South Africa to face the perils of the Boer War.

The line was also used to take patients during the Spanish Influenza Epidemic of 1919 from Adelaide Station to a temporary quarantine station made of tents in the oval of the old Jubilee Exhibition grounds.

The showgrounds were moved in 1924 to their current position at Wayville, and the lines were considered redundant, so they were removed in 1927

The tunnel is still intact in one section underneath King William Street but was blocked on both sides in around 1928. Since then the road above has been widened multiple times, but underneath, there probably still lies some train tracks and a very short tunnel, the only remaining remnants of the Jubilee Railway line other than a flat parcel of land between the Torrens Parade ground and northern boundary fence of the Government House Estate.

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2015

The Death of Merle Shelton

The Death of Merle Shelton

King William Street, Adelaide, a bustling hive of activity in 1925. Butchers, barbers, music shops, this was one of the main shopping areas of South Australia's capitol.

At the southern end of King William Street stood Messengers Ham Shop, a small establishment that served food, but also had an upstairs area where people boarded.

One of the borders, Mr Tom Watson had come to Adelaide from the Eastern states just three months prior. Mr Watson had lived previously in Melbourne and Sydney.

Merle Shelton, a young married woman who lived with her parents in nearby Trinity Gardens, worked in the shop as a waitress. Although married, it would seem she struck up a relationship with Mr Watson.

Mr Watson soon came to work for Merle's father, Mr George Perks, who was a carpenter in the Norwood area.

On Wednesday the 15^th of July, the owner of Messengers Ham and Beef Shop ventured upstairs at 4pm to see what had become of Merle, who had gone upstairs at 2:45pm, right before her shift and had not returned. 

The owner saw Mr Watson sitting, back against the wall in his room, bleeding profusely from two holes in his head. In his hand was a small revolver, laying just to the left of him, facedown on the floor in a pool of her own blood, was 21 year old Merle Shelton.

Watson was still alive, and died later from his wounds in a nearby hospital.

The Sydney Morning Herald
, Wednesday 15 July 1925, page 16

A police inquest began into the murder suicide immediately, and a few facts became public knowledge, Mr Tom Watson was also known by other names; “Jack Watson” and also his real name Tom Weathered.

Weathered had been a private in the army but was also a union member of the “Meat Union” and had previously been working in a slaughterhouse.

He had complained of sleeplessness to the owners previously, and had said he had been awake for almost 4 days.

No-one really knows his motives for killing Merle, maybe she was breaking it off with Tom and returning to her estranged husband, no-one except the Merle and Tom really know the truth as to what happened.

© 2013 Allen Tiller

www.eidolonparanormal.com.au

The Fiery Furnace of Melvilles

The Fiery Furnace of Melville's

A loud bang filled the night air, followed by piercing screams, and onto the street a man and a woman ran, covered in flames, flailing wildly, trying to extinguish the fire, and free themselves from the pain of being burned alive. The flames overpowered them, exhausting them of breath, the will to fight, and their very lives.

Sounds like something from a horror novel right?

This is, in fact, the very scene that shook King William Street on March 1920 out the front of the “Collins & Greens” restaurant, just next to the Crown and Sceptre Hotel.

It was an evening just like any other in what was known locally as “Melville's Fish Shop” and the owners and staff were in the back Kitchen cleaning poultry for the evening dinners and tomorrows meals.

Mr Leslie Collins was dressing fowls in the kitchen with his brother Norman. The brothers worked well together, Leslie plucked the feathers, and Norman singed off the stubs.

Also inside the shop was Mr Green (co-owner), Normans Wife and 3-year-old boy Norman Junior, Miss Robinson (waitress) and young Miss Joyce Beckett who had come into the city to see her Aunt Martha.

At 5:45pm, Norman was doing his “burning off”, which required him to use a pan full of methylated spirits. Holding the bird carcass above the flame, thinking the flame had died off, he poured more methylated spirits into the pan, which exploded in a massive ball of fire. The explosion was so great that it knocked the soot in the chimney of the adjoining “Messengers Ham Shop” into the pots and pans on their stove.

Confused by the explosion and the now roaring fire, which had set alight their clothing, the occupants tried to escape the now burning kitchen, only five of them made it outside. Leslie Collins and little Norman Collins were either trapped or overcome by the smoke and flames and perished in the fire.

 Norman Snr. and Martha Collins ran through the dining room out onto the street, where a crowd who had heard the explosion and ensuing screams, had begun to gather.
 As soon as the crowd saw the burning people they tried their best to put out their burning clothing, whilst others rushed to the rear of the shop to see if they could help.

Matters became more dire for the Collins and Green family when it was discovered the Police Ambulance was stationed out on Port Road, and nowhere near the city. Miss Robinson’s clothing was alight, and she had slipped into unconsciousness, Norman was seriously burnt on his back and his hands and Mr Green and Joyce Beckett seemed to escape fairly unharmed, and indeed, Ms Beckett was well enough that she did not need to be transported to the hospital

Ms Robinson died at the hospital around midnight that night, and Mrs Martha Collins a few hours later. Norman Collins Snr. lasted a few more days, but he too eventually succumbed to his injuries and passed away.

Norman Collins, whilst in hospital, informed a local constable that the entire situation was his fault, he had poured the methylated spirits, thinking there was no flame, and it had caught fire and exploded – he was heard running from the burning shop at the time screaming “I did it!, I did it! - I was the cause of it!” - It is thought, the weight of the situation played a part in his death.

The explosion and fire had been so intense that it took mere minutes for it to destroy the entire buildings kitchen, and partially damage the dining room, before the fire brigade managed to control it – from the road people reported being able to see two bodies lying in the kitchen...

Many of the fireman were distraught at the sight of the bodies in the kitchen and for the young 6 month old baby of Norman and Mrs Collins, who was now orphaned and without his brother....

Next week we visit King William Street again for a story from the neighbouring shop mentioned in this story “Messengers Ham Shop”....

© 2013 Allen Tiller

www.eidolonparanormal.com.au