Right men put away for fire: former officer

IT would take a lot of evidence to change retired Vic Tipman’s mind about who is responsible for the deaths of 15 people in the Whiskey Au Go Go fire of 1973.

The aftermath of the Whiskey Au Go Go fire in Fortitude Valley in 1973. Picture: Contributed

IT would take a lot of evidence to change retired Gympie police sergeant Vic Tipman's mind about who is responsible for the deaths of 15 people in the Whiskey Au Go Go fire of 1973.

Mr Tipman, who left the force after 42 years in November 2012, was a fresh young officer on the beat at Fortitude Valley when the Whiskey Au Go Go went up in flames on March 8, 1973.

He was part of the well-known Murphy's Marauders on the Valley beat and almost had arrested two detectives for urinating in public behind the fateful club just an hour or so before it went up in flames.

He was quickly on the scene for traffic control as the Whiskey burned; one of several restaurants and clubs Mr Tipman said went up in flames around that time.

"There were police everywhere that night," Mr Tipman said of the night the Whiskey Au Go Go burned.

"Once everyone realised what happened, you couldn't get near it."

Once the fire brigade had put out the blaze and emergency services had tended to the patrons, the place was sealed for police investigation.

He said it was only after the Whiskey burned that police looked at the events as having a possible connection to standover men and underground protection systems.

Vic Tipman. Picture: Renee Pilcher

Mr Tipman said John Andrew Stuart and James Richard Finch were the right men put in prison for lighting the fire.

He said it was strange that the fire wasn't lit until after the two detectives he had seen earlier that night left the club.

He didn't know if the detectives were known to the arsonists or whether it was a coincidence the blaze wasn't lit until the detectives were out of sight.

Mr Tipman said while the media had been again stirring about who was responsible the Whiskey Au Go Go fire, and there was talk of the revelation of new names by MP Peter Wellington, he was convinced the right men went to prison for the crime.

Mr Tipman said any evidence contrary to that which put Stuart and Finch away would have to be "good" and "provable" to make a difference.

Part of his confidence in Stuart and Finch's guilt goes down to the trial, explaining 12 jurors saw the "nitty gritty" evidence of the case and were "so convinced these fellas were guilty they convicted them".

As for Stuart and Finch's claims of innocence: "A lot of people claim innocence in the face of compelling evidence against them."

Prison guard tells different story

A GYMPIE resident, who was a prison guard and ear to John Andrew Stuart, has his own theory on who could have been behind the Whiskey Au Go Go fire.

Dennis O'Brien was a prison guard at Long Bay jail when Stuart "ruled the roost" among the inmates before moving to Queensland and subsequently being convicted of setting alight the Whiskey Au Go Go night club.

CONVICTED: John Andrew Stuart and James. Picture: Contributed

Stuart, "an interesting character" as Mr O'Brien described him, was the top dog prison wardens called on to settle a fracas.

"Prison officers often relied on him to settle things down," Mr O'Brien said.

He said that while Stuart was feared by other prisoners, he was "obedient" to guards and to the best of his knowledge, would never hurt civilians, which is why at first Mr O'Brien "didn't believe" Stuart could have been the arsonist, killing 15 people.

Mr O'Brien said Stuart had told him of his professional in offering underground protection to restaurants and clubs of Sydney's King's Cross.

"He was a professional criminal."

Mr O'Brien's theory is that the Whiskey was lit as retaliation from Brisbane underground protectors to Stuart moving in on their turf.