South Australia's Weird Laws

South Australia has some unusual laws, most are very old and may have been reasonable in their time period, but seem out of place in this day and age. The following is just a few of them in no specific order

Living with person of “Bad Character”

A person who is the occupier of a premises frequented by reputed thieves, prostitutes, persons without lawful means of support or persons of notoriously bad character is guilty of an offence. Maximum fine $750.

Disrupting a wedding ceremony

Under the Summary Offences Act obstructing or disturbing a wedding ceremony in South Australia can attract a fine of up to $10,000 or two years in jail.

Asking for money or goods in a public place

Asking or begging for money or goods is an offence in South Australia, with fines of up to $250.

The act also includes a person going from house to house asking for alms, encouraging children to do the same, or exposing a wound or deformity with the objective to receive money or goods.

Dont sell ya big Fridge!

A person must not sell or hire, or offer or expose for sale or hire, a refrigerator, ice chest or icebox having in it a compartment of a capacity of 42.5 litres or more unless that compartment is so constructed or equipped that every door or lid can be opened easily from the inside of the compartment when any lock or catch that can be operated from the outside of the compartment is fastened. Maximum fine $750.

Gate crashing

Turning up to a party uninvited can provide unruly and uninvited revellers with a maximum $5,000 fine or one year imprisonment.

If a person trespasses on premises that are being used for a private party and does not leave when requested to by the owner or organiser, they automatically qualify for the offence.

If the person begins to behave offensively, an extra $2,500 fine can be added.

If the name and address of the person is then requested and the person refuses, the total maximum fine could reach $10,000.

Placing advertising posters

Sticking advertising posters or 'bills' on the side of buildings, structures, roads, paved surfaces or objects of any kind without lawful authority can attract a fine of up to $2,500 or six months jail.

The person who distributes the material is guilty of the offence unless it can be proven they took precautions to ensure the posters were not placed illegally on property.

Poster-placers can also be made liable for removal costs.

Drunken tattoos

Party goers are protected from waking up with 'I love ...' tattoos the next morning under the Summary Offences Act.

Tattooists can face fines of up to $5,000 or one year in jail for performing any kind of 'body modification' on someone who appears intoxicated as a result of alcohol or drug consumption.

Faking clairvoyance or medium

If a person pretends to be a clairvoyant, spiritualist or medium, and those involved in a reading believe they are fake, the medium can be charged under the Summary Offences Act with fines of up to $10,000 or two years imprisonment.

Those who pretend to have powers of telepathy or clairvoyance can be charged with the offence - those who actually can provide the service already knew this.

Offering a 'no questions asked' reward for the return of goods

Those posting public notices requesting the return of lost property with 'no questions asked' or 'no prosecution' can themselves be fined $500.

Any person who prints or publishes an advertisement can also be guilty of the crime.

Singing A song with Profanity

A person who uses indecent or profane language or sings any indecent or profane song or ballad in a public place or police station is guilty of an offence. Maximum fine $250.

Ring and run

A person who, without reasonable excuse, decides to ring a door bell or knock on a door is guilty of wilfully disturbing another person and can be fined up to $250.

Close you car door!

A person must not cause a hazard to any person or vehicle by opening a door of a vehicle, leaving a door of a vehicle open, or getting off, or out of, a vehicle. Maximum fine $225.

Pigeon power

Homing pigeons are a law amongst themselves when it comes to protection, with an individual clause in the Summary Offences Act detailing those found guilty of unlawfully killing, injuring or taking homing pigeons may face fines of up to $250.

The gate keeper

A person who opens a farm gate and leaves it open, or in turn closes a farm gate and leaves it closed is guilty of an offence that can attract a fine of up to $750.

Accidental Death or “Spontaneous Human Combustion”

Accidental Death or “Spontaneous Human Combustion”

In July 1883, in the town of Gawler, about an hours drive north of Adelaide, on a somewhat wet Saturday morning, a young man living at one of the oldest parts of Gawler, Church Hill, noticed smoke billowing from his elderly neighbour, Mrs Nicholls, cottage across the street.

Mrs Nicholls lived alone in her little cottage and had been seen the night before about 11 pm by another neighbour with whom she was friends.
The fire alarm was raised early Saturday morning, but before the firemen could come to put the blaze out, the young man and other neighbours kicked the front door down to try and rescue Mrs Nicholls.
They were horrified with what they saw in front of them. Mrs Nichols had been burnt to death.
A report from the Kapunda Herald newspaper at the time stated: 

“all that remained of the poor woman was one foot and her head, charred like a mallee stump, the rest of the body being completely burnt to ashes”.


An inquest into her untimely death was held, which came to the conclusion that it was an “accidental” death, but the mystery of why her house hadn’t burnt down around her was not solved, and to this day remains just that, a mystery.

In her era Spontaneous Human Combustion wasn't a theory put forward for the death, but her case does indeed fit some of the known conditions that are usually associated with the phenomena, such as those listed below.

1. They are usually elderly females.

   

   An example of S.H.C.

2. The body has not burned spontaneously, but some lighted substance has come into contact with it.

3. The hands and feet usually escape.

4. The fire has caused very little damage to combustible things in contact with the body.

5. The combustion of the body has left a residue of greasy and fetid ashes, very offensive in odour.

Could Mrs Nicholls have been Gawlers first case of Spontaneous Human Combustion, or was her death caused by something else?
No-one will ever really know, as it is now far too late to conduct a proper investigation into the death, but the circumstances would lead sway me to believe it is possible.

© 2007 - 2014 Allen Tiller

www.eidolonparanormal.com.au