Australian History

[DrDuck]

I was a bushranger who was hung after a notorious robbery. What happened after I was hung caused a public sensation, and changed the way executed peoples bodies were dealt with.

As usual, clues will be forthcoming if no one gets it.

 

[Tathradj]

Ned Kelly.
His head was stolen.

 

[DrDuck]

Nope, TJ, not Ned Kelly. The bloke I had in mind was not as famous as Ned, and was hung a bit earlier on.

 

[Balmain Bob]

Gday Dr Duck,

Was it George Melville ? He robbed the Melbourne Gold Escort Company dray killing the driver Thomas Flookes.

He and 2 others were convicted of the robbery and murder and executed on Monday 3 October 1853, before a large crowd and the body's were handed over to their respective family's. Because of the public display put on by Mrs Melville to condemn the police, this was the last time that remains were handed over and from that point on those executed were buried in prison grounds.

http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC4BF9E_george-melville-australian-bushranger

Bob

 

[DrDuck]

Good Get, Bob

Melville it was. The full story is a bit more interesting than the account in the source you have quoted. In one of my sources it is reported that Mrs Melville displayed the body, all decked out with ribbons and flowers, in her Melbourne Oyster Shop. It sure would not have encouraged me to buy some oysters there!

"Melvilles wife and friends applied to have his body released to them and their wish was granted. They took his body, decorated it with flowers and ribbons an displayed it in the window of an oyster shop in Little Bourke Street. Whether they did it because they were upset about his death or as the popular newspapers reported, because they used it to increase custom at the oyster shop, we will never know. After the Melville incident all convicted criminals bodies were buried in unmarked graves within the prison grounds"

Over to you...

 

[Balmain Bob]

Dr Duck,
Its amazing how many different versions of an event that you can find. I suppose they get distorted by time and the retelling of the tale over the years. Although even contemporary reports in the papers of the time can differ greatly to each other. Probably the same as the reporting now days and the different agendas the media have.

Here is my next go

This event was one of the major crimes of the Victorian gold rush.
It was a robbery that took place between 1850 and 1852
What was robbed ? (not what was stolen)
Were did it take place?

Ive checked the site and the answer to this question has been posted but as a guess to another question as far as I can find.

Bob

 

[DrDuck]

Was it the private escort robbery between the McIvor goldfield and Kyneton? The bushranger Melville, who was the subject of my last question was a member of the gang, along with John Francis and others. Francis turned Queen's evidence and was given free passage out of the Colony, avoiding the noose and apparently ending up at the Cape of Good Hope.

 

[Balmain Bob]

Gday Dr Duck

No It wasnt, That would have been too easy.

Clue.. Well over 7750 oz of gold was taken

Bob

 

[Magilla]

Was it the gold shipment from the ship Nelson?

 

[Balmain Bob]

Well done Magilla

The trove report is very badly mistranslated and makes litttle sense so I wont post it but here is the Wiki report

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_robbery

Again, well done Magilla. Over to you..
Cheers

Bob

 

[Magilla]

Thanks Bob.
An easy one, I am an island made famous through mistaken identity.

 

[DrDuck]

Magilla, was that Van Diemen's Land?

 

[Magilla]

No Dr, but I can see how it fits.
This island is not that big but obviously looked bigger to its discoverers.

 

[DrDuck]

Then it might be Barrow Island in WA, Nicholas Baudin sighted it in 1803, mistakenly believing it to be part of mainland Australia.

 

[Magilla]

Wrong state Dr.

 

[DrDuck]

There are a few other contenders, including French Island in Victoria, which was originally thought to be part of the mainland, or Montague Island in NSW, which Captain Cook thought was part of the mainland.

 

[Tathradj]

Then there is King Island,

 

[Magilla]

None of the above but on the right track.

 

[S.A_Stu]

not K.I is it?

 

[S.A_Stu]

Sorry guys didn't mean to butt in.. was jus flickin thru an saw it