On Tuesday, January 24, 1984, just two days after the Glenelg riots, thieves broke into the explosives magazine of Quarry’s Industries ltd at Hillbank, in Adelaide’s northern suburbs. Using oxy-acetylene equipment, they cut through the hinges and padlocks on the building between 5pm and 8pm that evening. The thieves stole four cases of gelignite, around 64 sticks of the volatile explosive, and detonators. Elizabeth CIB attended the scene and found a handwritten note which read, "Thank you, now watch out cops at Glenelg." A direct threat to the police station and star force officers that attended the riots on January 22nd.[1]
On January 22, 1984, bands, Pseudo Echo and Sandy and the
Sunsets were scheduled to play at Colley Reserve, Glenelg. It was a hot day,
15000 people descended on the reserve for the free concert sponsored by
radio station SA: FM.
The crows were reasonably
well-behaved until, as reported in the Canberra Times, the police started
making arrests. At around 6pm, the mood in the crowd changed and chants of “Kill
the pigs” and “kill the coppers” began as the restless crowd surged towards the
police.[1]
The police reported
that 200 or so people began charging the police at Colley Reserve, throwing beer bottles at them, and screaming abuse. Cars were damaged in a side street,
and a group of police officers were besieged, locked inside the Glenelg police
station.[2] A local senior
citizens centre had 23 windows smashed. Two police officers were treated for
head wounds. Sixty-three people were charged with offences ranging from drunkenness
and assault to malicious damage.
The New South Wales newspaper Tribune, reported on the riot,
interviewing eyewitnesses to the event. One witness, Stephanie Columbus stated about
the riots, “The first thing to emphasise is that no trouble occurred until the
concert was finished, and most of the 15, 000 people had left the area. The
concert was very relaxed. It is true that lots of booze was being drunk.”[3]
Columbus and another witness, Carol Jacobson claimed that a few young men had
been having an ice fight, throwing ice and water at each other. Some hit a police
officer, who, with three other officers, grabbed one of the men and slammed his
head into the bonnet of a car four times in front of the crowd. This claimed
the witnesses were the trigger for the riot. The crowd started pelting the offending
officers with bottles. The police arrested another young man, again being brutal
in the arrest, and sending the crowd into a further uproar.
Stephanie then
claimed that,
From then on it was a situation of the police imposing their power and authority at will. There could be no talking to
them, to them everybody was the
enemy.
For
instance, a police officer and his
dog passed by an onlooker who seemed
to unthinkingly stroke the dog.
The officer immediately kicked him
in the shins and gave him a karate
chop to the throat. When I
protested about someone else
being forced to move on, a policeman
said: 'You shut up, slut, or
you'll be arrested next.[4]
It is claimed that
during the riot, police officers removed their numbers so no reports of police
violence could be claimed against them. It is also claimed that police entirely
surrounded the reserve so people could not leave, adding further fire to the rioter’s
cause.
A few days after the riot, the State Government became
involved, putting a political spin on the event, and blaming the riot on unemployed
people. Interestingly, at the time of the riot, the Police Association
President was vocal about a review of the Police Offences Act which could lead
to a weakening of police powers to move on disorderly youths.
In the weeks after the riot T-shirts with the slogan ‘Come
to Glenelg…it’s a riot’ began to be seen around Glenelg.
This is not the end of this story…. next week, a chilling
conclusion to the Glenelg Riots!
In 1908, the Loxton Beast raised its head and caused concern
near the Riverland settlement. The Renmark Pioneer reported that people were
too scared to leave their homes at night for fear of running into the tiger near Mr Alwege’s property.
The tiger had been seen near the rear of
Alwege’s farm, with reports that horses, cats, and dogs would not stop in the vicinity
for fear of being hunted by the beast. A posse of local men was formed to hunt
the beast.[1]
It is not known if they captured it, but as it was not reported in local newspapers,
one can assume they did not!
In early 1919, Loxton
farmer, Arthur McCourt publicly claimed he had been working his farm when he
spied what he believed to be a jaguar on his property.[2]
A correspondent for the Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record newspaper
(Renmark), called for a hunting party to be formed to pursue the jaguar, and ‘to
hunt the animal down.’[3]
This was not the first time McCourt, who had previously
lived in Tantanoola, home of the infamous Tantanoola Tiger and other thylacine sightings,
had gone public with his claims. It is implied in the Murray Pioneer and
Australian River Record newspaper, published on 7 March 1919, that McCourt
was associated with cattle rustlers who were found guilty of starting rumours around
Tantanoola that the beast had returned. These rustlers were captured and sent
to prison.[4]
Whether it was cattle
rustlers or a genuine sighting of a jaguar, or a thylacine at Loxton remains
undetermined. It is however an interesting story. I would love to hear from
Loxton residents if their grandparents ever spoke of the Loxton Beast…
Researched and written by Allen Tiller 2022.
[1]'The Loxton "Tiger."', Renmark Pioneer, (26 June 1908), p. 2., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article109521734.
[2] 'Loxton's
Jaguar.', The Mail, (22 February 1919), p. 2., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63762622.
[3] 'Loxton.', Murray
Pioneer and Australian River Record, (7 February 1919), p. 6., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article109227561.
[4] 'The
South East.', Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record, (7 March
1919), p. 3., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article109227803
Recent reports have come in regarding the sighting of the
ghost of a man walking his dog on Angle Vale Road, Angle Vale.
Witnesses have been driving along Angle
Vale Road at dusk, and sometimes late at night when seeing the alleged ghost.
The man and dog are walking in the middle of the street. He appears solid but
vanishes before the witnesses’ eyes.
If you have witnessed this ghost, we would like to hear your
story… please contact us.
An Update (19/10/2022): Since sharing this story of the ghost of a man walking his dog on Angle Vale Road, I have been contacted about the same, or a similar ghost, seen on Dalkeith Road....
Joseph Stagg was executed at the Old Adelaide Gaol on 19 November 1840. Portable gallows were erected at the front gates of the gaol, and at 8 am, Stagg was hung in front of 700 spectators. Stagg was found guilty of murdering John Gafton at what is now Port Gawler.
Mrs Robertson, a resident near the Gawler River was approached by a man asking for a loaf of bread. He and his friends had not eaten for three days, and they were hoping for some charity. He offered her half a sovereign for the loaf. Robertson grew suspicious of Gafton and his cohorts, and at her first available opportunity, reported him and his friends to the local police constable. Mounted police were sent to the area. They had been searching for three wanted cattle rustlers; Gafton, Fenton and Best. Aboriginal trackers were employed who were able to track down the men’s campsite. The trackers had led police to a small, recently constructed hut. Inside lay the lifeless body of John Gafton. Well known to police, Gafton had recently escaped gaol. He was found to have a gunshot wound behind one of his ears. In his pocket were 11 sovereigns, but no pistol could be found in the hut.
The Coroner and two jurymen were called to the murder site to collect the body and gather evidence. A known accomplice of Gafton, Joseph Stagg was accused of the crime and a warrant for his arrest was issued. Stagg was apprehended by Constable Lomas and taken to the local police station where he was searched. In his possession were 16 pounds, several percussion caps, and paperwork that related to transactions between Stagg and Gafton regarding their recent cattle rustling. Also in Stagg’s possession was a pistol, which was identified by Mrs Robertson as the one being in the possession of Gafton, the young man who had first begged her for the loaf of bread.
Stagg declared his innocence. All the evidence was circumstantial, but still, he was found guilty of murder and sentenced to execution. His final days were taken up with him reading the bible. The night before his execution, he was taken to the Police Horse Barracks, to be separated from the general population, and returned the morning of his execution.
The original Greenock Hotel was located on the other
side of the road from the one we see today. It was moved to its current location
in 1956 by Mr G.E. Schluter into a house and corner shop that was once the
General Cash Store, built in the 1850s by James Jackman.
Prior to the hotel, the building had also
been used as the local post office.
In the 1960s a young married couple went to stay at
the hotel with the new husband’s aunt. After closing, the couple retired to
their bedroom. The newlywed wife awoke and went into the kitchen for a drink
of water. As she passed the former living room, now a lounge, she witnessed a
large coffin draped in black cloth and a host of people dressed in black
standing around the coffin, silently weeping.
Over the years, other guests have also
witnessed the same mourning event in the room.
Guests have also reported small objects, like keys
going missing, only to find them in another place, far from where they knew
they had been placed. Cold spots and doors opening and closing of their own
volition are also reported.
The Tanunda hotel was built circa 1845 and was first licensed in 1847. In 1905 a fire severely damaged the building, so it was rebuilt. A second story built of Angaston marble was also added, and a balcony was imported from England, finishing the look it has today.
It is claimed that apparitions stalk its hallways, and disembodied footsteps can be heard walking into the bedrooms. One witness claims he awoke in his bedroom with a group of ghosts standing around staring at him. The witness believed that the ghosts followed him from the Langmiel Lutheran Cemetery just a little further south of the hotel after an evening of ghost hunting.
