Death by Brick

 

E. S. Wigg & Son stationers and adjoining buildings in Grenfell St, Adelaide, 1922
SLSA: [B 10365]

  It was August 1921, when Arthur Leonard Brown of 166 Carrington Street, Adelaide, went to work like any other day. On this day he was employed as part of the work gang building known as Wigg’s Building at 63-69 Grenfell Street, Adelaide.

  E.S. Wigg & Son Limited began on Rundle Street in 1849, established by Edgar Smith Wigg. The company produced stationery, which it just so happened, that a law had passed in 1849 requiring records to be kept for councils, religious congregations, licenses and taxation. In the 1870’s Wigg & Son also offered school supplies. A new building was erected on Rundle Street in 1880 – which was subsequently demolished during the Myer Centre rebuild in the 1990s.
 With a growing business in South Australia and Western Australia, the company bought land on Grenfell Street to meet its storage requirements. They moved into the Grenfell Street building in December 1921.[1]

 Mr Brown was going about his business as a bricklayer on that fateful day. Another bricklayer, Harold Gordon O’Reilly, was also working at Wiggs. O’Reilly was stationed on the third floor of the building when he the cry of “Under below!”  O’Reilly noticed two bricks falling from the floor above.
 Gordon Scroop, another bricklayer was working on the third-floor landing, winching up bricks in a barrow. A load of bricks came up on the winch but was an inch too short to be swung onto the landing, because of this there was a slight jerking motion to the barrows which caused two bricks to come loose and fall. Scroop called out several times with a warning: “Under below!”[2]

 Brown had hooked the barrow of bricks onto the winch that was to go to the third floor. Richard Williams, the winch driver, set the winch in motion, and both men watched it go up from below. Williams heard the cry of “Under, Below,” but it was too late, he watched as one brick hit Brown in the back of the head, and another slid across his shoulder.  Brown was rushed to the Adelaide Hospital where he died later the same day.

An inquest was held a week later at the Education Building on Flinders Street, under City Coroner, Dr Ramsey Smith. Dr Wentworth R.C. Mainwaring deposed that the brick had hit Brown in almost the centre of the back of his head. It had left a slight cut but had fractured Brown's skull from the top middle of his head to the base of his skull – this is what killed him.[3] The Coroner found the death to be accidental.

Arthur Leonard Brown was just 29 years of age when the accident occurred. Brown was buried at the West Terrace Cemetery.[4]

Researched and written by Allen Tiller ©2024

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[1] ‘Wigg’s Building’, Heritage of the City of Adelaide, City of Adelaide, (2001), p. 1., https://d31atr86jnqrq2.cloudfront.net/heritage-places/heritage-place-information-sheet-63-69-grenfell-street.pdf.

[2] 'Killed By A Falling Brick', The Express and Telegraph, (29 August 1921), p. 2.

[3] 'Killed By Falling Brick.', The Journal, (29 August 1921), P. 1.

[4] 'Family Notices', Daily Herald, (26 August 1921), p. 2. 

 Is Architectural history a lie? 

– The Tartarian Mudflood Conspiracy.

 

A basement window looking out to Murray Street - Gawler.

 Recently on the Haunts of Adelaide Facebook page, we have had a few conspiracy theories that certain older buildings in Adelaide were built by a highly advanced global empire that visited Australia (and other locations around the globe) pre-European settlement. The conspiracy is that the Tartarian global empire was intentionally erased, and that history was rewritten to make buildings seem younger and more modern.[1] Subscribers to the theory believe that a vast, technologically advanced empire arose in north-central Asia, and spread peacefully across the globe. They believe that approximately one hundred years ago a great cataclysm occurred that toppled the empire which led to many of its buildings being destroyed, and its history erased from records.[2]

European Cartographers often used the toponym ‘Tartary’ to describe Central Asia. The area was bound by the Caspian Sea, the Ural Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. There were a multitude of different cultures living within this area. Tartary was not defined, nor did it represent one race of people. In modern terms, this area spans from the east of the Ural Mountains and the Caspian Sea and includes Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China and Siberia.[3]

The Tartarian ‘theory’ was originated and perpetuated by pseudo-historians who combined a Russian fervour for their allegedly lost empire (Tartaria being the supposed real name of Russia according to some conspiracy believers) with an alternative historical chronology. Basically, the timeline we all know is actually much shorter in reality. This theory has then been picked up by influencers and shared as a fact being hidden by someone in authority – usually a shadow Government, the Rothschilds, the Illuminati or the Secret Owl Society. [4]

Buildings such as the Capitol in Washington, the Pyramids in Egypt, The Great Wall of China, and Bastian Star forts, such as seen in Portugal, Netherlands, and Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka was a Portuguese and Dutch colony, so no mystery how the design was utilized there). Here in Adelaide, buildings being assigned to the Tartarian include the Adelaide Town Hall, the General Post Office and the Edmund Wright Building. This is despite detailed records of design and photographic evidence of construction.

 One of the things that Tartarian conspiracy theory believers love to argue as a feature of Tartarian architecture is buildings with basement windows. If you look around Adelaide, Port Adelaide, Gawler, or Kapunda, you’ll see this common feature that allows light to get into basement rooms with pre-electric light (it is widely believed that Port Adelaide has lower basements because the city was ‘built up’ to stop tidal floods, however, there is no evidence of this. One would think if this were the case the original ground-level doors would be visible in what are now basements, and sub-basements, that were originally basements, would be present in all buildings).

Another feature of the conspiracy is that much of our history has been intentionally razed or destroyed by disasters and war. An example is the fire in the Norte-Dame de Paris, the 12th-century Roman Catholic cathedral in France was seen as a deliberate attempt to destroy more Tartarian architecture by conspiracy believers.[5]  Some believers in the theory cite Napoleon’s invasion of Russia as the beginning of the rewriting of Tartarian history and add that further World Wars destroyed much of what was left of the empire in the 20^th century. However, they do not cite how Napoleon’s army overcame the vastly superior weaponry of the Tartarian – as one must assume, a world power with such great architectural stills, would also have an advanced military and weaponry.[6]
  There is little reasoning offered on why such a coverup and rewriting of history has occurred. Much of the rhetoric involves believers riffing on old maps, weaving together narratives based on conjecture picking out small inconsistencies, and a flagrant disregard for documented history.
 There also seems to be little or no understanding of economic differences between now and two hundred years ago. Today, glass, steel and concrete are reasonably cheap to build with; stone, terracotta and marble are not. It was also much cheaper to hire skilled workers and labourers two hundred years ago than it is today.

© Allen Tiller 2025

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[1] Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, What Is the Lost Empire Of Tartaria?, Discover, (2023), https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/what-is-the-lost-empire-of-tartaria.

[2] Zach Mortice, ‘Inside the ‘Tartarian Empire,’ the QAnon of Architecture’, Bloomberg, (2021), https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-04-27/inside-architecture-s-wildest-conspiracy-theory.

[3] Mark C. Elliot, "The Limits of Tartary: Manchuria in Imperial and National Geographies". The Journal of Asian Studies. Vol. 59, (2000), pp. 603–646.

[4] Josie Adams, Inside the wild architecture conspiracy theory gaining traction online, The Spin Off, (2022), https://thespinoff.co.nz/internet/14-01-2022/inside-the-wild-architecture-conspiracy-theory-gaining-traction-online.

[5] Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, What Is the Lost Empire Of Tartaria?, Discover, (2023), https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/what-is-the-lost-empire-of-tartaria.

[6] Zach Mortice, ‘Inside the ‘Tartarian Empire,’ the QAnon of Architecture’, Bloomberg, (2021), https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-04-27/inside-architecture-s-wildest-conspiracy-theory.

 Adelaide’s Lost Mooring Mast Conspiracy.

Adelaide's Two Clock Towers 1939

  Recently on the Haunts of Adelaide Facebook page, I had to ban a subscriber who often made claims associated with a lost technology conspiracy theory. While I am mostly happy for people to believe whatever makes them comfortable, this gentleman’s persistence, inconsistent statements, lack of historical knowledge and context, and often, angry and illogical statements led me to ban him from the page. I thought I might address the conspiracy theory here, to hopefully educate people on some of the quirkier beliefs currently infiltrating our community.

Adelaide Town Hall 1889

  A small sub-genre of the ‘lost technology’ conspiracy, is that airships (also known as zeppelins) and sky docks, such as the one built at the Empire State Building in New York, were removed to hide an advanced technology from the human race. This is even though it is historically documented that the mooring mast is still on the Empire State Building, and the idea was discontinued due to the constant strong winds and serious safety concerns making the application impractical.[1]
One believer in the theory proclaimed that the towers on the Adelaide GPO, and the clock tower on the Adelaide Town Hall were once used for passengers to board tethered airships that could travel at great speeds in the sky to other cities.

  The first airship was invented in France in 1850 by Pierre Jullien. The first steam-powered airship flew in 1852 and was invented by Herni Giffard.[2] The first round-trip in an airship was flown by Charles Renard and Arthur C. Kribs in 1884. Renard and Kribs flew the electric motor-propelled La France for 8 kilometres. It wasn’t until after World War One that airships were capable of commercial transatlantic flights. They were considered by some as a quicker and cheaper way to cross an ocean than a ship. However, after the tragic destruction of the Hindenburg airship in New Jersey in 1937, interest in airships waned and was replaced by fixed-wing commercial aircraft.[3]

  Australia’s first airships were bought by Alan Bond in 1987 from the UK’s Airship Industries in Cardington (which Bond Corp owned).[4] They were 16-seat vehicles equipped with two Porsche 930-67 piston engines and painted in Swan Premium colours (Swan Brewery was owned by Bond.) They were sourced from the UK, and flown over Fremantle during the America’s Cup, before being utilised as a tourist attraction over Sydney later the same year.[5] Bonds airships attracted controversy after offering $200 joyrides over Sydney in 1987. The airship joyrides were short-lived after hundreds of complaints about noise, privacy and advertisements for alcohol and tobacco.[6]

  As a counterpoint to the conspiracy theory that the technology was lost, Alan Birchmore said in a 1988 interview with Anne Burns,

Airships were overlooked for so long because the technology wasn't there to make them work. They just had to wait in the queue for technology to make the tough new materials available and a brilliant designer to put them to work.[7]

Bonds airships were withdrawn from use in Australia in 1993.[8] One of those airships now flies in Japan, the other in the USA. Airships are still utilised in the USA as floating advertising billboards, further debunking the conspiracy theory of ‘lost technology’.

  The Adelaide General Post Office was completed in 1872. It took another three years before the clock was installed in 1875. The Adelaide Town Hall was opened in 1866. It was 69 years later in 1935 that former Lord Mayor, Sir J Lavington Bonython donated a clock to be placed in the tower. The electric clock was switched on in 1935.
  I am yet to see photographic evidence of any airship attached to a mooring dock on any Adelaide building. Such a grandiose event would have been documented by one of Adelaide’s many photographers of the period. “But those photos were wiped from history,’ I hear the conspirators say!
Why hide airship technology from the public, what would it achieve? Who would try and delete this part of history – the Illuminati, shadow governments? It is almost, always a ’them’, a person, government, or secret society with power, that the conspiracy theorist doesn’t trust, often for spurious personal reasons, or to feel a sense of belonging to a larger group of like-minded people.[9] I have no doubt that I’ll now be accused of being a shadow operative or whatever term is used for someone who doesn’t believe this conspiracy theory is real!

King William Street  1936

Researched and written by Allen Tiller ©2025.

 

Photographs:

Ernest Gall, King William Street, Adelaide [B 1581], Acre 203 Collection, State Library of South Australia, (1889), https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+1581

King William Street [B 6832], State Library of South Australia, (1936), https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+6832

Adelaide's two clock towers’, [PRG 287/1/8/28], Robjohns collection, State Library of South Australia, (1939), https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+287/1/8/28.

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[1] Tandy Chou, Lost Zeppelin Mooring Mast Of Empire State Building: Forgotten Sky Dock, Tourist Secrets, (2024), https://www.touristsecrets.com/travel-guide/weird-amazing/lost-zeppelin-mooring-mast-of-empire-state-building-forgotten-sky-dock/.

[2] Tim Sharp, The First Powered Airship | The Greatest Moments in Flight, Space.com (2012), https://www.space.com/16623-first-powered-airship.html.

[3] Jeremy Hsu, The Zeppelin Hindenburg: When Airships Ruled | The Most Amazing Flying Machines Ever, Space.com, (2012), https://www.space.com/16632-zeppelin-hindenburg.html.

[4] 'Bond's airship gamble', The Canberra Times, (20 February 1988), p. 4.

[5] Roger Garwood, ‘146969PD: Alan Bond with a model of the Bond Airship used during the America's Cup, Fremantle, 1987’, State Library of Western Australia, (1987), https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b4797475_1.

[6] David Monaghan, From the Archives, 1987: Bond’s ‘blimps’ have Sydneysiders up in arms.’, The Sydney Morning Herald, (2022), https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/from-the-archives-1987-bond-s-blimps-have-sydneysiders-up-in-arms-20220729-p5b5ro.html.

[7] 'Bond's airship gamble', The Canberra Times, (20 February 1988), p. 4.

[8] ‘VH-HAA.’, Airhistory.net, (2020), https://www.airhistory.net/photo/266682/VH-HAA.

[9] Jan-Willem van Prooijen, Conspiracy thinking: A scapegoat is always useful, Unesco, (2021), https://courier.unesco.org/en/articles/conspiracy-thinking-scapegoat-always-useful

 

 A Haunting at Bowden and Brompton

 

In 1903 the women of Brompton and Bowden became terrified of the vagaries of a ghost! Women, and some men, became afraid to leave their homes at night in fear of encountering the ghost haunting the streets. Some men began to arm themselves for self-defence if they encountered the terrifying spirit, but one has to wonder what effect a bullet would have upon the non-corporeal.

 According to The Advertiser (newspaper), the ‘ghost is everywhere, and nowhere in particular’. The ghost appeared in East Street Brompton at midnight, as witnessed by a young man in the neighbourhood.
Shortly after midnight on Saturday, the same young man witnessed the apparition again. This time the witness provided an odd statement about the ghost, when he stated, ‘The ghost of someone hath appeared to me two several times by night—at Brompton once, and this last night here in the Bowden brickfields. I know my hour is come."[1]
 

At 9pm Tuesday, the screams of a child shouting on Drayton Street, Bowden were heard. ‘The Ghost! The Ghost! It’s gone up the street!’  the child screamed, which attracted a small crowd of onlookers. None of the crowd were brave enough to chase the ghost down. Frightened women, who were witnesses to the ghost claimed it attacked the child, clasping it in its ghostly arms and almost scaring the child to death…the child lived, and the ghost escaped into the night.[2]

 

The police later ascertained that the ghost was an ‘unfortunate woman’ who could not held responsible for her actions. She was dressed in a ragged and torn white dress, with unkempt hair, and a sullen white face, which gave her a spooky appearance in the moonlight.

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2024

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[1] 'A Ghost at Hindmarsh.', The Advertiser, (4 February 1903), p. 4.

[2] 'A Ghost at Hindmarsh.', The Express and Telegraph, (4 February 1903), p. 2. 

 William Williams and the Missing Christmas Day Goose!

  In 1845 William Williams a 37-year-old brickies labourer was charged with theft for stealing a goose, the property of hairdresser, Alfred Cooper. Williams saw the goose being cooked at Birrell’s bakery on Rundle Street.  He decided he would like to eat it and stole it.

  He then took it to the house of Henry Brooks, a bricklayer. The men and some friends dined on the goose. Cooper, missing his prized goose, suspected that Williams may have stolen it. He arrived at Brooks's house and caught the men eating it, then went to find a police officer.  Williams knew he was in trouble, and asked Brooks for a loan of 5s 6d. – enough to pay for the goose.

  The South Australian newspaper reported that Cooper “came in and saw his goose in the hands of the Philistines. He then got a policeman, who took Williams into custody”.[1] Williams offered the money he had borrowed from Brooks for a goose, but Cooper declined, and Williams was arrested and taken to the police station where he was committed for trial.

  At court the following day Birrell was asked to give testimony. He stated that on Christmas Day Williams came into his shop and asked for a light for his pipe. He went through the shop into the kitchen to get a light. On his way there, he passed through a small room where he saw Birrell’s wife stuffing a goose. Williams stated he would like to dine on the goose, as he was, ‘out for a spree’. The goose was taken into the kitchen to be baked. Williams left Birrell’s and went to the adjoining house, owned by Brooks.
 Mrs Cooper came to the shop to get her cooked Christmas goose but returned home without it. So, Mr Cooper and his wife went to Birrell’s to find their goose. They then stopped at Brooks's house and witnessed Williams and other men eating a goose.
 The men dining denied stealing the goose, but after Cooper called the police, Brooks and his wife admitted that Williams had brought the goose to their house. Williams had then offered Cooper double the value of the goose so he would not press charges against him.

 

James Birrell, the baker, stated to the court that Cooper came to his house seeking a Christmas goose but got none. He told Cooper there were more geese than one -"two gooses" - and that Williams had taken one away on a plate; leaving the tin in which it was brought behind. There was nothing else missing but the goose.
Williams and Brooks came in together whilst he was drawing the baking, and saying the goose was what he wanted, it was handed up to him.

Henry Brooks stated to the court that he went to Birrell's for his dinner and was followed by Williams. He assisted Mr Birrell in taking out the dinners, and when he left with his dinner Williams had left the shop. Afterwards, Williams came to his house with a goose on a plate and stated he had bought it overnight for six shillings. They ate the goose together. When Cooper came with the police, Williams called him into the next room, told him he had got into trouble about goose stealing, and borrowed some money from him to try to arrange payment for the goose and avoid gaol. Instead, he was then taken to the station-house.

Ellen Birrell, wife of Mr Birrell, deposed that Williams asked for one of the two geese, and took one away. A girl came and fetched the other goose. When the police arrived, she recalled Williams saying to Cooper, “I will pay you any amount you like rather than go the office.”

  The Defence argues that there had been no proof that the prisoner had taken, nor stolen the goose. Identification of the thief was insufficient.  The defence continues, ‘Mr Birrell had stated there were ‘two gooses’ at most it was only a "spree" and having seen Mrs Cooper stuffing a goose, he perhaps thought he might as well stuff it too, only in a different manner; he was sorry Mr Cooper should have been prevented dining off the goose, and also that he should have been such a goose us to lose it: it was at most only a case for the Resident Magistrate.
  Mr Cooper then argued that if Mr Fisher, the defence lawyer had lost his Christmas dinner, just as it was cooked, and he was ready to eat it, he would not have made so light of it.
  Mr Fisher then replied, “By no means! he was sorry for both him and Mrs Cooper; and would further say that if she could dress geese as well as he could hairs, they must be a very clever couple.
  The Magistrate said, he feared it would prove a serious "spree" for Williams, as he should commit him to take his trial, though he would admit him to bail.[2]

 On Monday, March 9, 1846, Mr Williams faced trial for ‘Stealing a ready cooked goose, value 5s., the property of Alfred Cooper, on 25th December 1845, at Adelaide.” A handwritten note on the side of the record indicates that Williams was found Not Guilty.[3]

 

© 2024 Allen Tiller

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[1] 'DEC. 26.', South Australian, (30 December 1845), p. 3.

[2] 'Law And Police Courts. Police Commissioner's Court.', Adelaide Observer, (27 December 1845), p. 6.

[3] GRS 12820 Criminal record books, Supreme Court of South Australia

 

'The Soldiers' Farewell. South Australians off to the War. Monday's Parade.'

Farewell parade of the first contingent of South Australian soldiers for the First World War

SLSA [B 30437]

According to a newspaper article titled, ‘'The Soldiers' Farewell. South Australians off to the War. Monday's Parade,’ in The Register newspaper, Adelaide (Tuesday, September 11, 1914. Page. 9),

"The parade was a triumph of faith, hope and loyalty - faith in the strength of British arms, hope of a speedy peace, and loyalty which can never give enough for King and country. The city was transformed. North Terrace and King William Street presented a picture of seething humanity which will not readily be forgotten. For fully two hours before the parade trains and trams were pouring people into the city. There was no open roadway to be seen from Victoria square to the Adelaide Railway Station. The (parade) route was in a northerly direction from West terrace to North terrace, thence to Pultney street along Rundle, King William, and Grote streets, passing the Queen's statue".

A military band leading South Australian soldiers as they make a farewell march along King William Street, Adelaide before going overseas in World War I; large crowds line the roadside on both sides

SLSA: [PRG 280/1/3/339]

The Kapunda Royal Visit: 1866

Originally posted on ' The History of Kapunda' on Monday, March 20, 2017

In 1886, Kapunda was graced with a Royal visit from the then Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Alfred,
Queen Victoria's second son. While visiting South Australia on a royal tour, Prince Alfred made a visit to Kapunda on November 6th, travelling to  Kapunda via train direct from Adelaide Station.
Once the Prince arrived at Kapunda Train Station, which had been adorned with pine branches and fronds (as had much of the town, simple decorations for simpler times), The Prince was whisked into an awaiting carriage. The ornamental carriage made its way towards the centre of town, surrounded by soldiers, and a large crowd of cheering and adoring Royal fans, keen to get a glimpse of the Prince.

Throughout the town, large Union Jack flags waved next to large banners with the words "Welcome to our Sailor Prince” written across them. Around the town were flags and signs of family crests and the flag of St George. Prince Alfred was taken via carriage to Mr Crase's newly refurbished North Kapunda Hotel. After a tour of the hotel from top to bottom, the Prince retired briefly to a sitting room upstairs that had been carefully prepared for his arrival.

A banquet held in his honour commenced in the rear ballroom (now demolished) of the hotel. Amongst the many dishes served was one dish usually reserved for the dining room of the Queen, and only served within the walls of the Palace. The Prince was very curious about this and asked for the cook to be brought to him for questioning.
The Prince questioned the cook on his preparation of the meal, asking how he knew the recipe. The cook informed the Prince, that he had been the Queen's personal chef prior to arriving in Australia, and now cooked and served in The North Kapunda Hotel. Upon hearing of the Royal Tour, he had become excited, and prepared the specialty Royal meal in the Prince's honour, to make him feel a little more like he was at home.

After a number of hearty speeches by town dignitaries, the Prince, and Mr Crase, three cheers of “Hoorruh” were given. Prince Alfred made his way back to the Kapunda Railway Station, where he boarded the Royal Train and made his way back to Adelaide continuing his tour of the country.

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2017

Kapunda Biographies: John Hill

(Orignally posted on 'The History of Kapunda' Tuesday, August 7, 2012.)

Kapunda, A town of mystery, a town of history, and a town with a past like no other. Today I am starting a new edition to the blog, highlighting some of the people who lived, worked, played, loved and built the town. Some of the ladies and gentlemen I will profile over coming months have long left. Others are living in the town today, you may have passed them in the street and not known what achievements they had accomplished, right here in Kapunda. With this blog, I aim to change that!

To get started, I am going to profile a gentleman who passed away long ago. A man who crossed the sea to play an important role in South Australian history. A man who would eventually call Kapunda home, and be buried in the Clare Road Cemetery.

Mr John Hill served as boatswain (The Foreman of the “unlicensed” crew) in His Majesty, King William's ship, The Buffalo. [1]

John Hill was born on the 3rd of June 1808 in Cheshurst, Hertfordshire, England. Mr Hill was a skilled thatcher before serving his King in the English Navy.

John Hill's most notable mark in South Australian history, other than coming to our fine shores aboard the Buffalo, was under the soon to be Governor of South Australia, Captain John Hindmarsh.

As the proclamation, declaring South Australia a British colony was read aloud to the gathered sailors and dignitaries, John Hill raised the British Flag, thus marking his place in South Australian history for all time. He was aged 29 at the time.

Mr Hill was soon engaged in the colony to undertake his regular occupation, thatching rooves for the newly colonised State. The only skilled roof thatcher available, he was very busy and was summoned to thatch the roof of the Governor's house.




Mr Hill died at the age of 77, on the 2nd of April 1885, and was interred in The Clare Road Cemetery.


Mr Hill's wife and family were very proud of the fact that their husband and father hoisted the flag on proclamation day and marked the significance upon his tombstone.

His grave also features a very distinct and different marking. It features as the centrepiece the “British Standard” with Gum tree carved into Headstone.

Mr Hills obituary appears in the South Australian Register on page 2, April 11th 1885 and reads,

Deaths of Pioneers.— Our Kapunda correspondent mentions that bluff, hearty old John Hill the boatswain of the Buffalo, who hoisted the flag at Glenelg when the colony was proclaimed, died on Thursday evening, after an illness of four months. He was 77 years of age, and during his life enjoyed the very best of health until recently, when he was attacked by bronchitis. During his illness, he suffered a great deal. He leaves a widow, who is somewhat older than himself.

Researched and Written by Allen Tiller
for Kapunda Community Link



[1] The “Buffalo” was originally named The Hindostand in 1813 when it was built it was sold in that same year to the United Kingdom Navy and renamed “The Buffalo” where it began to ship mast timbers across the globe. It eventually was used to ship English female prisoners to Sydney (187) then travelled to South Africa. The ship was recommissioned in 1835 where it was fitted to house emigrants for transport to Australian Colonies.

 

The Pirate Bushrangers

This is a true story that starts with the Little Para Bushranger who terrorised Salisbury South Australia, was captured, and then sent to Port Arthur Penal Colony.

The Pirate Bushrangers is a true story of murder, robbery, and bloodshed across three Australian States. Patrick O’Connor and Henry Bradley were convicts sent to Port Arthur in Tasmania. Both were noted for increasingly bad behaviour and sent to the notorious penal colony on Norfolk Island to be broken. After serving their time in the infamous Norfolk penal colony, they were transported back to Tasmania within weeks of each other. They met again as 'ticket of leave' men and began a murderous rampage in northern Tasmania as bushrangers. They stole a ship at Circular Head van Diemen’s Land becoming pirates, sailed to Cape Schanck, and returned to bushranging in Victoria, where they were eventually caught and hung.
This is the story of the pirate bushrangers who for 40 days were two of the most brutal, bloodthirsty villains in southern Australia’s history.

BUY HERE

Tracy Muzyk murder - update March 2023

 Tracy Muzyk murder - update March 2023

On a previous blog post – found here (http://hauntedadelaide.blogspot.com/2016/07/muzyk-murder.html), I detailed the gruesome murder of Tracy Muzyk. I have since spoken to family members and follow reports of those convicted closely.

 On 3 March 2023, ABC News reporter Candice Prosser published a report on one of the convicted murderers, Bruce McKenzie. McKenzie and four other people were convicted for the prolonged torture and murder of Muzyk in 1996. McKenzie was 18 years old when he was convicted. He was paroled in 2021 and placed in a pre-release centre, where he was caught in possession of contraband reported as “10 suboxone strips, a white parcel described by McKenzie as "smack", a packet of tobacco and a USB memory stick, hidden in his underpants.” [1]

McKenzie’s locker was also searched where nine mobile phones were found. He admitted to smoking cannabis “due to Covid isolation and harassment from other prisoners.”
In his defence, McKenzie stated that the contraband had been smuggled into the prison due to him being threatened by a group of men who ‘stood over’ him.

 

McKenzie was raised in Victoria, where his family still reside. His lawyer argued that it would be beneficial to McKenzie to be paroled to Victoria where he would receive support from his family. The South Australian Parole Board had no objection to McKenzie being paroled to Victoria, however, in doing so, the Victorian Parole Authority would assume supervision obligations for the rest of McKenzie’s life.

On 3 March 2023, The Supreme Court re-sentenced the 44-year-old McKenzie. Justice Kevin Nicholson, stated of Muzyk murder, "The many acts of torture were barbaric and inhuman. [McKenzie] was also only 18 years old. He had grown up within a dysfunctional family,"

"You told [a social worker] that you were involved in the assault on [Tracy] at the house and that you continued on out into the paddock, at the paddock, you tried to stab [Tracy] with a star dropper. You also picked up a rock which took two people to hold and dropped it on [Tracy's] head. You then stabbed her to try and kill her.
You told the social worker that the reason for your involvement was peer pressure because the others were egging you on. After leaving school, you moved from one youth refuge to another. You involved yourself with illegal drugs. On the day of the murder, you had taken heroin, and you described yourself as being 'off my face'."

After his concluding remarks, Justice Nicholson sentenced McKenzie to five months imprisonment, and another eight months non-parole period for the murder of Muzyk, which was backdated to August last year.[2]

McKenzie is due for release in May 2023.

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[1] Candice Prosser, ‘Murderer who tortured Adelaide woman Tracy Muzyk to be released from prison within months.’, ABC News, (2023), https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-03/tracy-muzyk-killer-ian-bruce-mckenzie-to-be-released-again/102049450.

[2] Sean Fewster, ‘Torturer, murderer back behind bars months after parole.’, The Advertiser, (2023), www.adelaidenow.com.au%2Ftruecrimeaustralia%2Fpolice-courts-sa%2Ftracy-muzyk-murderer-ian-bruce-mckenzie-back-behind-bars-for-trying-to-bring-drugs-into-prerelease-centre%2Fnews-story%2F53d19fc3254381e89106aeb573ae45e2&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=dynamic-high-control-score&V21spcbehaviour=append.

 A Haunting at Waterhouse Chambers

Waterhouse Chambers was built by successful grocer Thomas Greaves Waterhouse, who had invested heavily in the Burra Mines and made a small fortune in return.

 Waterhouse used his earnings to construct the impressive building, which was so iconic at the end of Rundle Street, that the corner became known locally as “Waterhouse Corner”, before being usurped as “Beehive Corner”, when the even more impressive “Beehive” building opened across the road.
 The building has seen many uses, including, at one time, being used as the head office of the South Australian Mining Company.

The building left the ownership of the Waterhouse family in 1919 after A. Waterhouse sold it to F.N.  Simpson of Gawler Place through realtor J.S. Kithor. In 1921 Kithor would on-sell the building to tobacco merchants “Lawrence and Levy” who remodelled the ground floor shop front.

After ninety years of occupying a section of the building, Shuttleworth and Letchford moved their offices to the YWCA building on Hutt Street.

 The building has seen many tenants over the years but perhaps one of the best-loved was the 44-year occupation by the iconic confectioner, Darrell Lea before the current Tennant, Charlesworth Nuts took over in 2013.

Ghost Stories:

Long rumoured to be haunted amongst the local paranormal community, ghost stories for this particular building are very hard to come by, but it would seem, that the majority of stories that have surfaced involve the upstairs section of the building.
 It has been reported that staff do not like the feeling of the upstairs room, reports of paranoia, smelling phantom pipe tobacco smoke when clearly no one is smoking, and hearing loud footsteps in rooms have surfaced.
 At one point this led staff from a downstairs shop, which used the upstairs as storage, to abandon the upstairs section as no one wanted to enter the rooms for fear of the unknown. If it is haunted, it has yet to be investigated by a professional paranormal investigation team or group of sceptics to find the cause of fear and paranoia! 

Trivia: Before the imposing Beehive building was built the corner of King William Street and Rundle Street was known locally as “Waterhouse Corner”.

This story was originally written for the Adelaide City Library project "Haunted Buildings in Adelaide." For a more complete history of the building and eyewitness accounts of ghost stories at this building please refer to my book "Haunted Adelaide" available via Amazon here: Haunted Adelaide

© 2016 Allen Tiller

The Wimbledon Kidnapping: Part Three: Closure

Muriel McKay

 

In early 2022, Nizamodeen Hosein, now 75 years old revealed to police where he had buried the remains of Muriel McKay, who he, and his brother Arthur, had murdered 52 years prior in the bungled Rupert Murdoch kidnapping and blackmail plot.

 It had long been suspected that the brothers had fed Mrs McKay’s body to their pigs. No evidence of her remains had ever been found. Hosein claimed that while Mrs McKay was his hostage, she collapsed and died while watching the news of her kidnapping on TV.

The two brothers had been sentenced to life at the Old Bailey for the kidnap and murder. It was believed to be the first prosecution to go ahead without having a body to prove the murder. Nizamodeen was deported to Trinidad after serving his gaol time. Arthur died in prison in 2009.

 

Nizamodeen stated to the media, that his reason for revealing her burial location was that he was nearing death and wanted ‘closure’ before he ‘met his maker’.[1] He also claimed that there was no violence toward her during the kidnapping.[2]

 

© 2022 Allen Tiller

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[1] Tom Pettifor, Bungled Rupert Murdoch wife kidnapper FINALLY reveals where he buried murder victim, Mirror, (2022), https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bungled-rupert-murdoch-wife-kidnapper-25918374.

[2] Sam Ramsden, Where Are Arthur & Nizamodeen Hosein Now?, Bustle, (2021), https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/where-are-the-hosein-brothers-now.

The Wimbledon Kidnapping: Part One: Rupert and Anna Murdoch

The Wimbledon Kidnapping: 

Part One: Rupert and Anna Murdoch

Rupert Murdoch, wife Anna Murdoch and their three children, (left to right) Elisabeth (9), Lachlan (6), and James (5), New York, 1977.

Rupert Murdoch is ingrained in Adelaide’s history, having started his empire in the City of Churches. He has never been far from controversy, and in the late 1960s was associated with a murder. Before I get to that, a brief background on one of Australia’s most successful men.

 

 Born in Melbourne, Australia in 1931, Keith Rupert Murdoch became the head of one of the largest media empires in the world. Murdoch was the son of Sir Keith Murdoch an Australian war correspondent and publisher. In 1952, Sir Keith Murdoch died, leaving to his son Rupert an inheritance that included South Australian newspapers, The Sunday Mail and The News.
 Under Rupert’s leadership, The News became a tabloid full of brash and salacious headlines. Murdoch sold The News in 1987 to Northern Star Holdings.[1] It was on this inheritance that Murdoch founded News Corporation, later acquiring another South Australian newspaper, The Advertiser.
 Murdoch grew his empire by purchasing newspapers in other Australian states and running the same headlines that featured sex and scandal.
 In 1969, Murdoch expanded into the UK, acquiring News of the World, and like his Australian newspapers, this one also began to feature copious sex, crime and scandalous headlines, pushing sales through the roof. In 1970, Murdoch acquired The Sun, a London daily newspaper; and in 1973, Murdoch broke into the U.S. market by acquiring the San Antonio News. Later he acquired the New York Post, The Boston Herald, TV Guide, the Chicago Sun-Times, and New York Village Voice. He bought and sold newspapers over the decades before diversifying into radio, film, and television. He bought Twentieth Century – Fox Film Corporation, and later founded Fox Inc, after acquiring television stations in the USA.[2]

 

  Rupert’s profile increased through his media acquisitions, putting him on the radar of some very shady people!

In 1969, Arthur Hosein was watching TV with his brother Nizamodeen one night, when Rupert Murdoch and his wife Anna were featured on a program. Arthur had a ‘get rich quick' idea and decided to put it into action.

 Hosein was a tailor’s cutter who had emigrated to the UK from Trinidad in 1955. He had big dreams of becoming an English squire and purchased a property for him and his wife near Hertfordshire. He applied to become a member of the local fox hunting club, even though he couldn’t ride a horse, or afford the subscription![3]
 To alleviate his money problems Arthur concocted a plan to abduct Rupert Murdoch’s wife and hold her for ransom. They staked out the Murdoch’s Roll Royce, and followed it to its destination at 20 Arthur Street, Wimbledon, believing it to be Murdoch’s house.
 The two men later broke into the home and abducted 55-year-old Muriel McKay, mistaking her for Anna Murdoch. Muriel and her husband Alick were Adelaide born and raised and had moved to London when Alick took the job of Newspaper Executive for News Limited. Muriel had been using the company car, the Murdoch Rolls Royce, while the Murdochs were on holiday in Australia.

Continued next week: The Wimbledon Kidnapping: Part Two: Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein

© 2022 Allen Tiller

[1] SA Memory, ‘News’, State Library of South Australia, (2013), https://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?c=2627.

[2] Rupert Murdoch: Australian-born American publisher, Britannica, (2022), https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rupert-Murdoch.

[3] Rachel Scout, Arthur & Nizamodeen HOSEIN, Murderpedia, (2022), (https://murderpedia.org/male.H/h/hosein-brothers.htm.