A Shot of Spirits: Ep 20 - Hahndorf Academy - South Australia

 

A Shot of Spirits. Ep 17. Blumberg Hotel - Birdwood, S.A

 I spoke about this alleged haunting at my 2021 presentation at the Mount Barker Library in the Adelaide Hills. 

A Shot of Spirits: Ep. 14. Stirling Theatre - South Australia

 

A Shot of Spirits: Ep. 14. 

Stirling Theatre - South Australia

We're back in South Australia this week, visiting the Adelaide Hills. I first wrote about this haunting many years ago, and in 2021, spoke about it at a presentation at the Mount Barker Library!

 The 1855 Macclesfield Murder.

 

Davenport Arms Hotel 1921 – SLSA [B 34161] 

 On Monday 24 September 1885, an inquest was held at the Davenport Arms, Macclesfield after the murder of a local man named James Spencer.
 On the Friday prior, locals witnessed Spencer dressed in his best clothing at about 7pm in the evening, after he voted in a local election. He was seen to return to his small home about three-quarters of a mile from the town.

Spencer lived by himself. A neighbour, Mr Crick, noted that no smoke left his chimney on Saturday and Sunday; something that in 1855, would have been a regular occurrence anytime someone cooked, or even wanted to boil the kettle, being as there was no electricity or modern conveniences.
  Crick went over to check on his neighbour and found the old man had been murdered.

The police were called immediately, and upon inspection, locked the door of the house so any potential evidence would not be corrupted. The police then informed the local magistrate and then investigated the home.

At the inquest, it was revealed that Spencer had been stabbed twice in the chest, and three times in his side. He had been left to bleed out. Spencer’s blood covered his body and much of the interior of the hut. Near his body was a washbasin filled with water, where the murderer had washed his hands.^[1]

 

  After the announcement of his murder in local media, a story was published in the South Australian Register about Spencer’s life by his former employer. It was revealed that Spencer was a ‘ticket-of-leave’ man, a former prisoner at Tasmania, sent from Oxfordshire, England.
 Spencer had lived in poverty in his younger days, and worked as a chimney sweep.
Spencer had a grand idea one day. He decided to descend into a house through the chimney and rob it. On his way back up he got stuck in the chimney. He tried to escape but wedged himself tighter, he had no choice but to call for help. When help did arrive, a large section of the brickwork had to be removed to free him. His loot was discovered, and he was arrested, sentenced, and sent to Van Diemen’s Land.

 The author of the description did not know what Spencer was like, nor how long he served during his time in Tasmania’s gaols. However, he stated that Spencer had,

 “Sacred veneration for what he termed his word of honour. His word was literally his bond, and his integrity in fulfilling his encasements was unimpeachable, he was a man of a charitable disposition, and was ever ready, as far as his scanty means would admit, to assist those who were in need, while with scrupulous pertinacity he would avoid incurring an obligation himself.”^[2]

 

It was also written that Spencer was not keen on socialising. He kept few friends, never married, and kept to himself as much as possible.

 The author of the letter addressing the character of Spencer was Mr E. Holthouse, of South Terrace Adelaide. He went on to describe that he had recently employed Spencer as a log splitter. He stated that Spencer was physically strong and that he believed the person in the hut had been caught by Spencer, who tried to stop the infiltrator from robbing him, resulting in his murder.

 The police never found the murderer, and in a statement published in the Adelaide Observer, the South Australian Police Commissioner of the day said: "society is unable to avenge the death of one who had almost entirely withdrawn himself from her circle."
 A curious statement, that may hint at the possibility the police were not going to waste their time on an ex-convict’s death.^[3]

 After the inquest, the jury returned the following verdict of: “Wilful murder against some person or persons unknown.' The deceased was a single man, about 50 years of age, and followed the occupation of a splitter.”^[4]

Spencer’s belongings and property were sold in January 1856 at auction.^[5]

© 2021 Allen Tiller


[1] 'Declarations.', South Australian Register, (28 September 1855), p. 2., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49294447.

[2] 'The Macclesfield Murder.', South Australian Register, 95 October 1855), p. 3., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49298678.

[3] 'The Police Report.', Adelaide Observer, (17 November 1855), p. 6., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article158100707.

[4] 'No title', South Australian Register, (26 September 1855), p. 2., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49298367.

[5] 'Advertising', Adelaide Times, (29 December 1855), p. 4., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article207076731.

 

The Haunting of the Macclesfield Hotel

  The Macclesfield Hotel was built in 1841, with a second storey built in 1882.[1] The first publican was Matthew Linn junior in 1855.[2] This hotel was the second built in the town. There are numerous outbuildings on the property, including old stables.[3]


  In 2015, the then licensee, Mary Rhode, was interviewed by the media and alleged a woman named Rosemary was pushed down the stairs of the hotel, breaking her neck. It was alleged that a psychic visited the hotel and spoke to the spirit, with the spirit claiming that her murder was covered up by local police.[4]

  Rhode claimed, “She was pushed down the stairs and broke her neck. It must have been over 100 years ago. The pub was built in 1841 and the second level was built in 1875. She was having an argument with a man who wanted her to make money for him. She told him that she wasn't that sort of girl and so he pushed her.”
“She was really angry. She said he got away with it because he knew the coppers. The person who did the clearing for me was telling me she was so happy because she hadn't spoken to anyone for so long – she was angry and all alone.”[5]

Rhode also claimed that another psychic, who visited later and knew nothing of the pub, also experienced the ghost on the stairs. Currently, there is no proof of the alleged murder in the hotel.

Another ghost believed to haunt the building is a matronly lady. It is claimed this lady has attempted to push people down the stairs!

Macclesfield Hotel - SLSA [B 31754]

 
© 2021 Allen Tiller

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[1] Macclesfield Hotel, Macclesfield Community History, (2015), https://www.macclesfieldhistory.com.au/macclesfield-hotel.html.

[2] JL Bob Hoad, Hotels and Publicans in South Australia, (1984), pp. 352-53.

[3] Anna Pope, DC Mount Barker Heritage Survey Part 4, (2004), p. 174., https://data.environment.sa.gov.au/Content/heritage-surveys/2-Mount-Barker-Heritage-Survey-2004-Part-4.pdf.

[4] Madison White, Adelaide Hills Ghost Stories, (2015), https://madisonwhiteportfolio.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/adelaide-hills-ghost-stories.pdf.

[5] Madison White, Adelaide Hills Ghost Stories, (2015), https://madisonwhiteportfolio.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/adelaide-hills-ghost-stories.pdf.

 

Adelaide Hills UFO Battle

On Thursday, the 7th of February 1980, at 9:30pm, 10-year-old Phil Tindale and his twin brother Rob witnessed what they believed to be two UFOS battling for supremacy over the skies of Aldgate in the Adelaide Hills.

The two boys watched in disbelief from their bedroom window as a yellow object and a red object fought in the skies above Stirling. The two ten-year-old boys claimed they watched the objects fight for a good fifteen minutes.[1]
 The alarmed brothers woke their parents, but they told them to go back to bed. The following day, the boy's grandmother found a story in the local paper reporting on Daryl Browne, who had seen a similar-sounding incident in the sky.[2]

Daryl Browne, a twenty-one-year-old farmhand, witnessed a yellow object in the sky. The object crashed into the ground nearby. He went to investigate the crash and found the object that he described as “a crescent-shaped 8-metre diameter, speed boat-shaped, yellow, half-moon thing.” He ran back to the house and called the police. By the time the police arrived, the object had disappeared.
 Browne was interviewed by UFO Research South Australia the next day and showed them the crash site. The UFO researchers discovered a 40-metre-high pine tree that had a big section of its trunk demolished, as if from an impact.

 
  Multiple government agencies and UFO clubs travelled to the crash site at Glenalta Stud on the Old Gully Road at Stirling. Browne was interviewed so many times that during a final interview, he stated, if he ever encountered anything like this again, he wouldn’t bother reporting it because of all the attention he received. He also stated he did not believe in UFOs.

© 2021 Allen Tiller

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[1] Paula Ahillon, Two brothers say they're SURE they witnessed two UFOs 'battle' in the skies above the Australian Outback before one made an 'emergency landing' and crashed into a tree, Daily Mail Australia, (20 October 2019), https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7593141/Two-brothers-say-theyre-SURE-witnessed-two-UFOs-battle-skies-Sterling.html.

[2] Frank Chung, South Australian brothers say they witnessed two UFOs in ‘conflict’ before 1980 Stirling crash, (21 October 2019),  https://www.ntnews.com.au/technology/science/south-australian-brothers-say-they-witnessed-two-ufos-in-conflict-before-1980-stirling-crash/news-story/c752b6a3ef019990819d87fb72b7bd62?fbclid=IwAR0wwwEBU72HxcDnQQ0Kljk6M4OyQmUJkEK7hVP3K-bq_erNXTFBPsn8Zus.

 A Ghost in The Old Mill Hotel – Hahndorf

 

Old Mill Hotel - 98 Main Street Hahndorf
2021 - Allen Tiller

In July 2021, I presented a talk at the Mount Barker Library on ghosts and hauntings in the Adelaide Hills. That evening, Karen and I stayed overnight in the Old Mill Hotel at Hahndorf, where the staff told of us a ghost!

2021 - Allen Tiller

The hotel has recently been leased by the Meek family, who own the incredibly popular bars and nightclubs The Woolshed, Downtown and Blackbull. The Meeks have begun renovating the hotel, which as some of you may know, is alleged to be a trigger in some hauntings.
 The hotel now has several older cars, including Model T Fords as part of its unique decor.^[1]

The Mill was built in 1854 by Friedrich Wittwer, an earlier built mill on the site burned down in 1853.[2] It ran for 60 or so years and processed famous brands of flour such as ‘Pride of the Hills’, Windmill' and 'Phaultless’.^[3]

In 1971 it became a German food-themed restaurant with a motel at the rear.

 There used to be an old piano in the hotel. It is claimed that a spirit liked to ‘tickle the ivory’, playing piano tunes at random times of the day and night. When staff went to check who was playing, there was no one there. (The piano is no longer in the hotel).

For more information on the Old Mill, visit their website here: https://hahndorfoldmill.com.au/

 

© 2021 Allen Tiller.

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[1] The Forager, Nightclub owners bringing new life to Hahndorf's Old Mill Hotel, In Daily, (31 March 2021), https://indaily.com.au/eat-drink-explore/the-forager/2021/03/31/nightclub-owners-bringing-new-life-to-hahndorfs-old-mill-hotel/.

[2] Anni Luur Fox, 'Hahndorf - A Journey through the Village and its History', (2002), https://localwiki.org/adelaide-hills/Old_Mill_%28Wittwer%29_-_Hahndorf.

[3] Hahndorf, Old Mill Hotel, (2021), https://hahndorfsa.org.au/business/old-mill-hotel/.

 A Haunting at the Hahndorf Academy

 

Hahndorf Academy - 2021 Allen Tiller

 The Hahndorf Academy was established in 1857 by Traugott Wilhelm (TW) Boehm whose nickname was ‘Chibby’. Two storey building was erected in 1871 and a belltower in 1875.^[1] The Hahndorf Academy, according to Boehm was to provide 'a sound and good English and German education, to enable its pupils to enter the learned professions or to prepare for commercial life'. In 1863, the academy became a boarding school.

 In 1877, Boehm sold the school to the Lutheran Church for 700 pounds. It became a Lutheran College and seminary. The property was repurchased by Boehm in 1883 and resold in 1886 to Douglas Byard.
  Byard reopened it as Hahndorf College. Under Byard an Oxford Master of Arts and Anglican lay preacher, the College gained a solid reputation for scholastic excellence.
When Education Department high schools were introduced in 1916, the building was sold. The property was next owned by H. Hirthe and became a nursing home and hospital between 1917 and 1937.[2] During World War Two, the building housed the local council offices and local military headquarters.
 For a short while, it was a betting shop and a dentist. In 1939 the property was owned by Mr H. Haebich, who converted the Academy into flats. He died in 1959, with renovations unfinished, and the property falling into a state of general disrepair.

At the beginning of the 1960s, the Mt Barker Council declared the building unsafe, meaning it could be demolished if bought at auction. Several petrol companies became interested as the building was in a prime location. Karlis Lidums bought the property in 1961. The Hahndorf Academy Museum Trust was established the same year under Dr Derek van Abbe, with Miss Josephine Heysen (Sir Hans Heysen's granddaughter) as secretary. The aim was to restore the building. In the same year, Sir Hans Heysen donated paintings to the Academy.
 In 1963, the Trust took over the building from the Lidums. In 1966, the building was sold to Elva and Walter Wotzke. The Wotzke's restored the property. They opened the rejuvenated building as an art gallery in 1967 on the 90th birthday of Sir Hans Heysen.

In 1988 the building was bought by the Hahndorf Academy Foundation Incorporated, and in 1998 by the District Council of Mount Barker.[3]

 Ghosts

One of the best-known ghost stories from the Academy is that of the Woman in White. She is alleged to appear at the top of the staircase. She is described as an elegant spirit who appears on the upper level and glides back and forth from the hall to the former balcony. She wears a dress that hides her feet, she wears her hair up and sometimes wears a hat.

Another ghost is that of a young boy, who runs up and down the steps on the south side of the old academy. He is thought to be between 10 and 12 years of age. A witness described him as a blond boy who wore hobnailed boots, home woven pants, and a smooth white shirt. She claimed the boy laughed a lot and was smiling as he ran up and down the steps on the southern side of the academy.

A third ghost is reported as an unpleasant old man who sits at the bottom of the stairs leading to the former Heysen gallery. He is known to terrify visitors as well as frighten local animals. A witness described him as dirty grey in colour. Another spirit was witnessed by Julie Messenger. This spirit was described as a forlorn-looking woman who was looking out a top floor window.

In an article titled “Adelaide Hills Ghost Stories” by Madison White, Academy Director Kate Wake states that she has had her own ghostly experiences in the Academy. “I believe that we do have ghosts and I believe that I've heard them,”. Kate went onto say that heard some very heavy breathing in the downstairs gallery.[4]

© 2021 Allen Tiller.

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[1] Suzanne Edgar, 'Boehm, Traugott Wilhelm (1836–1917)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/boehm-traugott-wilhelm-5280/text8903.

[2] Gemma Nisbet, Hahndorf’s past proud heritage, Yahoo! News, (5 May 2014), https://au.news.yahoo.com/hahndorfs-past-a-proud-heritage-23118763.html.

[3] Hahndorf Academy, History, (2021), http://hahndorfacademy.org.au/history.

[4] Madison White, Adelaide Hills Ghost Stories, (2015), https://madisonwhiteportfolio.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/adelaide-hills-ghost-stories.pdf.

 A Haunting at Mount Lofty House

Mount Lofty House - photo courtesy QANTAS

Mount Lofty House was built for Arthur Hardy, Adelaide’s wealthiest man at the time. Hardy was a barrister, pastoralist and quarry owner who was also the first district Grandmaster of the English Freemasons in South Australia.
 The home was built in 1852. The upkeep and housekeeping expenses became too great for the family, so the Hardy's sold it in 1865. A Gardener named George Smith died on 10 August 1922 at the property. During the 1970s the house was a commune.
In 1983, all but the walls were destroyed during the Ash Wednesday fires that ravaged the Adelaide Hills.[1]
 The property was rebuilt in 1986, with the Piccadilly wing added in 1988. In 2009, the Horbelt family purchased the property and have continually upgraded it adding a day spa and restaurant.[2] The buildings are now part of the Grand Mercure Brand of Hotels.[3]

 

 Haunting Australia planned to film here in 2013, but due to renovations and bookings at the time, were declined. Instead, we filmed at the Adelaide Arcade.

Room 7 is said to be one of the most haunted rooms in the building and is in an original section of the house. A visitor from Sydney once had a ghost experience in this room. He reported to staff that he woke up one evening and could feel a presence in the room with him. He could see, at the end of his bed, a woman standing, staring at him. He jumped out of bed and checked his belongings thinking he was being robbed. When he looked around the room, the woman was gone, except, his bed covers now had the distinct shape of a woman lying underneath them, when he pulled the covers back, no one was there!

 The woman in room 7 is not the only ghost, another has been identified as ‘George the Gardener’ who died in 1922. George is seen mostly in the old section of the building. He has been known to wake people up. He is considered a friendly, but curious ghost and is not known to be harmful or to scare people.

© Allen Tiller 2021

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[1] Brad Crouch, A magic moment of inspiration, The Advertiser, (8 Sept 2007), http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/travel/a-magic-moment-of-inspiration/story-e6freexc-1111114373361.

[2] Powla Gee, Meteoric Rise, Hotel Management, (13 May 2011), http://www.hotelmanagement.com.au/2011/05/13/grand-mercure-mount-lofty-house-continues-meteoric-rise/0.

[3] [3] Brad Crouch, A magic moment of inspiration, The Advertiser, (8 Sept 2007), http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/travel/a-magic-moment-of-inspiration/story-e6freexc-1111114373361.

 

THE DAWSLEY GHOST.

Oh, have you heard the latest news

   Of how a ghost was seen,

By people whom we cannot say

   Are altogether green.

 

To Dawsley they had been, it seems,

   To hear a parson preach;

And service done they harried on,

   Their cosy homes to reach.

 

T'was Sunday night, the moon was young,

   And cast a silver sheen

On all the gum trees in the vales,

   And o'er the hillocks green.

 

ln such, a scene, oh, would that I

   Could wander on that road,

Acknowledge to some charming girl

   The debt of love I owed.

 

Alas! I'm old, and now from me

   Suck, happy scenes ace fled

With mem'ries of a lovelit past,

   Long buried with the dead.

 

But these good folk that trudged along

   Were lassies bright and fair,

Whose silver laughter rang upon

   The balmy evening air.

 

And laddies, too, with buoyant heart.

   Beside the lassies strode

With manly, light, elastic step,

   Along that Dawsley road.

 

Old fogies, too, serene and calm.

   Were walking with the young,

Whose blended voices harmonised.

   And through, the wattles rung.

 

In jocund mood, they strolled along,

   Bereft of every care;

When lo! their merry mood was changed

  To grim and horrid fear.

 

From out beneath a bridge was beard

   A deep sepulchral moan.

Soon followed by unearthly sounds,

   And then a horrid groan.

 

“Come down,” a ghostly voice called out,

   “Come down at once, I say;”

But rooted to the spot they stood,

   Upon the Queen's highway.

 

The ladies all began to scream,

   As nicely as they could,

While all the men with trembling knees.

   In silent horror stood.

 

Then bounded from that sullied group,

   Young brave and stalwart Joe,

Declaring by his lady love,

   Beneath the bridge he'd go.

 

Like hero true he plunged below,

   That bridge so drear and dark,

Declaring he would catch the ghost.

   And prove the thing a lark.

 

He soon returned, and said he saw

   A figure white and tall

Quick vanish through a wooden fence

   Through panels, post and all.

 

He said he thought it was no ghost,

   But some 'owdacious' fellow

Whom he would like to pommel well,

   Until he'd roar and bellow.

 

The ladies all admired Joe,

   And gave him each her blessing,

Each wishing he'd got the chance

   To give the wretch a dressing.

 

So let us hope with all our heart,

   When next he sees a ghost

He'll grab him by the heels or neck,

   In spite of rails or post.

 

I send this yarn with true intent,

   In hope that you may know

In Nairne there dwells and flourishes

   That brave young miller Joe.[1]

 

An original poem written by Mr F. Lines in 1877, describing a ghostly incident near Nairne.[2]

Researched by Allen Tiller. 2020

[1] 'DOTTINGS FROM THE DESERT.', Bunyip, (24 August 1877), p. 4. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article97220329.

[2] 'NAIRNE, AUGUST 27.', South Australian Chronicle and Weekly Mail, (1 September 1877), p. 21., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90944379

A Ghost at Nairne

A Ghost at Nairne

 

Nairne 1910 - SLSA: [B 394]

In March 1878, the Adelaide Hills town of Nairne was beset with an unruly and persistent ghost who over several nights was terrifying local ladies. The ghost would appear in the evenings at various locations around the town surprising locals, before vanishing into the night.

One evening a group of young men set about capturing the ghost. They waited patiently for it to appear. When it did appear, the ghost seemed to be very much aware of the plans for its capture, evading the various traps put in place. The ghost was also very fast, outpacing the living. It vanished once more into the night.

 A warning was put around the town that if the ghost was captured, a harsh and severe punishment would be dealt to it. The ghost was not seen around Nairne again after the warning.

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2019

Bibliography

'COUNTRY LETTERS.', Adelaide Observer, (16 March 1878), p. 6.

'COUNTRY CORRESPONDENCE.', South Australian Register, (14 March 1878), p. 6.

'NAIRNE, MARCH 13.', South Australian Chronicle and Weekly Mail, (16 March 1878), p. 4

Witchcraft in South Australia Part V: Kadina to Hahndorf

Witchcraft in South Australia Part V: Kadina to Hahndorf

In the town of Kadina, on the Yorke Peninsula in 1874 a find inside a local house led to much local intrigue and excitement. A family bought a house close to the mine and began to move in. While going about their business, they decided to inspect the building as they cleaned it. On looking up into the chimney, the Father discovered two suspended bottles containing water and pins.
The man looked closer in the chimney and soon discovered an old bullock's heart, which was crammed full of pins.
It was thought that the water, heart and pins were an old protection spell to ward off the evils of witchcraft affecting the householders, by suspending it in the chimney, it is thought to have stopped any witches, or their magic from entering the house through the chimney opening.[1]


Witches were also said to live openly in Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills. It is claimed an evil witch and a white witch both lived in the town, competing against each other with their various magical wares.
The witches were said to be the reason that some residents in the town began to wear their clothing inside out to ward off evil and to wear red ribbons for the same reason.
The Hahndorf community chose to commemorate their witchy past with a mural inside the German Arms Hotel that immortalises the two magical folks!



Researched and written by Allen Tiller ©2018
https://www.facebook.com/TheHauntsOfAdelaide/


Bibliography

[1] 1874 'OUR KADINA LETTER.', Yorke's Peninsula Advertiser and Miners' News (SA: 1872 - 1874), 18 September, p. 2. , viewed 10 Apr 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article215906689

Bridgewater Beauty Killing Pt 1:
The Death of Miss Devina Schmidt

 Bridgewater, a small Adelaide Hills town popular for its scenic beauty, and up until 1987, the end of the Adelaide Hills railway line.
 In November 1927, Bridgewater would make national headlines for all the wrong reasons.

  Horace Clarke, who was holidaying in Adelaide from the town of Geranium (near Tailem Bend) had organised a picnic party for himself and a group of friends in Bridgewater, all up the party consisted of 6 young women and 6 young men.
  The group boarded the train at the Adelaide Railway Station. A man, unknown to the rest of the party, approached Devina, she was heard to say to him “You had better not, or I will put the police on to you!” before turning away hastily and joining the rest of the picnic party.
 The group arrived in Bridgewater sometime around 11am and found the town full of people celebrating the warmer weather. Music was in the air with other picnickers bringing their gramophones and singing and dancing.

The small group found their place in the park and began their lunch, afterwards they began to play a game called “Paper chase”, which saw the girls leave the boys. The boys caught up to the girls not more than five minutes later, when the man from the train station, Mr William Haines, stepped out from the bushes and made towards Devina.
 Fear gripped the young ladies and they left Devina with the young men who had been playing paper chase with them and had managed to catch up. Haines asked Devina to take a walk with him, but she refused.
 Haines went into a fit of rage and grabbed Devina by the shoulder, shouting “You won't!” he then pulled out a revolver and told the young men “All of you put your hands up!”
 Some of the young men ran off to the group of girls to move them out of harm’s way. Haines, looking straight at Devina, fired five shots from his revolver, into her head. He calmly walked away and then reloaded his gun. He looked back at the young men, and stated “I have another six here”.
 This gave some of the young men the time to run and find a local police officer.

 The first to attend to Devina was her killer, Haines, who scooped her almost lifeless body up in his arms, he shouted for help, and with assistance got Devina into a motor car to take her to the hospital.

 Mounted Constable Gumley was the first Police Officer on the scene, arriving he found Devina already in a motor car, with Haines holding her. After hearing the story, he detained Haines and found a .22 calibre revolver in his possession. Haines had a bullet wound to his right temple.

Devina Schmidt, the only daughter of Mr and Mrs Walter Schmidt, a Butcher at Brooklyn Park, was dead.
 She had been an active and popular young woman, working at a city insurance office. Haines, who for some time, had been trying to date Devina, had not met the approval of her parents. It was his jealousy that drove him to stalk her that day and take her life.
 

Next Week: Bridgewater Beauty Killing Pt 2: The Trial of William Ephriam Peter Haines

Henry Alford and “The Tiers”

Henry Alford and “The Tiers”

 

Mount Lofty Ranges, 1912
Image courtesy of the State Library of South Australia, SLSA: PRG 280/1/16/278, Public Domain

 Long before the Adelaide Hills became one of the favourite holiday destination of residents in Adelaide, trying to escape the heat, and enjoy the scenic beauty of iconic locations such as Handorf, Mount Lofty, Stirling and Balhannah. The Adelaide Hills, known in the early days of South Australian settlement as “The Tiers” was home to “Duffers”, vagabonds, ruffians and other nefarious people.
 

 South Australia, in particular, Adelaide, was the only South Australian settlement not founded on the back of convict labour. It was a colonial utopia, designed for good, hard-working, salt of the earth people. It didn’t take too long before it was overrun with the escaped convicts, army and navy deserters, runaway sailors and opportunists.
 This “underclass” of people needed to hide away from the Police Force which was starting to establish itself, and to do so, hid in the Adelaide Hills, in log cabins, hidden away in nooks and crannies, caves and lonely gullies…
 These underhanded criminals could plan their raids, plunder the city, and return to their mountain caves, knowing the likely hood of being caught by the fledgling police force would be minimal.

 Duffers (cattle rustlers) would hide in the hills, steal cattle from local farmers and slaughter them in hidden pockets in the hills. The hides would be burnt and the meat pickled, taken to Port Adelaide, or other seaports, and sold to Sea Captains, who would turn a blind eye to where the meat came from.

 The establishment of the South Australian Police Force in 1838 saw Henry Inman selected as the Superintendent. The South Australian Police Force is the oldest in Australia and the 3^rd oldest in the world.
 One of the first constables was Henry Alford, who had come to South Australia on-board the schooner John Pirie in 1838 in the employ of the South Australia Company. Alford would go on to work for the SA Police for 16 years. Within his duties, he once escorted 33,763 ounces of gold from Victoria to South Australia. He was also crucial in arresting a lot of bush-rangers which raided Adelaide from “The Tiers” in the early days of the colony.

 One of Alford's most written about conquests were the arrest of a rogue known by the name of “Spearman”.

 Spearman was a bushranger with a predilection for highway robbery, and holding up farmers. One farmer a masked bushranger held up happened to recognise the voice of his assailant from an earlier legitimate business transactions, and reported to Alford that the masked bushranger he was looking for was Spearman.

 Alford and two troopers assigned to him, went into the Adelaide Hills looking for Spearman, they were pointed in the direction of where Eagle-on-the hill stands today.
 The three police officers found a shanty hut, and snuck up too it quietly, and listened to the conversation between the occupants.
 The conversation inside the house between Spearman and his wife went something like this:
 Spearman; “What did you do with the plunder?”
 Spearman’s Wife; “I have sewn it up in my stays”

That was enough evidence for Alford and his men, they snuck away and rode up the next morning to Spearman’s hut. Spearman, who was readying to leave for Mount Barker was taken by surprise and was arrested, along with his wife.

 Both Mr & Mrs Spearman took offence to being arrested and asked for what reason was Alford doing so, his reply “For having stolen plunder in your possession!”
Mrs Spearman protested the arrest and asked if she could change her dress before being taken to gaol.
 Alford, with a wry smile, said “No, I prefer you as you are!”

 Both were sentenced to gaol, with Mr Spearman being sentenced to transportation and hard labour in Van Diemens Land (Tasmania). Henry Alford would eventually become an Inspector in the Police Force, and after 16 years of service, retired to become the publican of the Glynde Hotel until his death in February 1892. He was buried at the West Terrace Cemetery.