Historic Mackay robberies: violent, clever, laughable

From the Billy Billy gang to boat getaways, we’ve put together a list of Mackay’s long-ago heists.

Heidi PetithHeidi.Petith@dailymercury.com.au

5 min read

August 18, 2023 - 9:24PM

Mackay may have had the appearance of a sleepy North Queensland town in years gone by, but that didn’t deter thieves from targeting residents and businesses. Picture: 'Have you seen the old Mackay?'

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THE crime rate in Mackay is always a contentious talking point, but a look through the archives shows that is nothing new.

From the earliest years, the town's businesses and residents have had to deal with clever and not so clever criminals. From the bank-robbing Billy Billy gang to boat getaways, we've put together the following list of some historic heists.

BANK HOLD-UP

The Billy Billy gang notoriously held up the Mackay branch of the Australian Joint Stock Bank in September 1866.

The two gang members were Henry Ford (alias Billy Billy) and William Chambers (aka Yellow Billy).

Early newspaper reports of the robbery say Ford identified the bank manager Mr Geddes, pulled out his revolver, pointed it at his head and said, "If you stir, you're a dead man."

Meanwhile, Chambers kept guard over the accountant and clientele, even giving each an apple from his pouch before drawing his second pistol.

ROBBED: The Australian Joint Stock Bank in 1868. Security was dubious at best. Not surprisingly the original bank was held up within months of opening in 1866. Picture: Contributed

The pair took 746 pounds - equivalent to about $170,000 today - and rode off on their horses, but not before threatening to shoot anyone who raised the alarm within 30 minutes.

BANK UPGRADE: Far fancier than its shack-like beginnings, the Australian Joint Stock Bank built new premises at 63 Victoria Street, Mackay in 1880. The building, which later housed Mackay’s main Commonwealth Bank branch for decades, is now empty and awaiting restoration. Picture: Mackay Regional Libraries

The bandits were arrested two weeks later after visiting an outback pub in New South Wales.

The gold sovereigns and uncreased banknotes in their possession aroused suspicion.

They were each sentenced to 15 years in jail with hard labour.

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RACIAL TENSION

In March 1886, colonisers called for the slaughter of "blacks" and "robbery of their camps" as retribution after a number of possum rugs were allegedly stolen, the Mackay Mercury and South Kennedy Advertiser reported.

GREED FOR GOLD

A group of "Chinese thieves" reportedly stabbed the hands of a "Chinaman cook", a storeman and one other when stealing more than 5.6 kilograms of gold from Cassidy and Cullinane's stores at Oakey Creek in November 1876.

PRIME PICKINGS: The Mount Britton goldfield at Oakey Creek c 1881. Picture: State Library of Queensland.

PLUNDERED WATERHOLES

Hotels or pubs were frequent targets for plunderers.

In March 1875, a thief stole about 82 pounds (about $18,000 today) in cash and gold from a wooden safe behind the bar of the Golden Fleece Hotel.

PLUNDERED: A photograph of the Oriental Hotel at the corner of River and Wood streets, Mackay in the late 1800s. Previously known as the Golden Fleece Hotel, it is on the site of present-day Riverside House. Picture: Have you seen the old Mackay?

In September 1908, a drawer containing 320 pounds, or about $46,000, was stolen from the National Hotel at Plane Creek. The empty draw was found in the paddock next door.

THEFT: The National Hotel at Plane Creek, now the site of the Sarina Hotel, Broad St, Sarina. Picture: Have you seen the old Mackay?

In October 1921, war bonds, a "very large amount" of jewellery and about $8000 in cash was nabbed from behind the locked bar door in the Royal Hotel at Finch Hatton.

JEWELLERY TAKEN: The Hotel Royal at Finch Hatton. Destroyed by fire in 1962, it was located on the site of the current Finch Hatton General Store. Picture: Have you seen the old Mackay?

And reports show that in July 1953, Leonard Wayne, 25, was staying at the Victoria Hotel when he stole possessions from the room of Duicy May Sies - the licensee's wife. Wayne was sentenced to two years in jail with hard labour.

WIFE ROBBED: The former Victoria Hotel c 1930s, on the northwestern corner of Victoria and Macalister streets, Mackay. It was demolished in the late ’60s and replaced by the Whitsunday Hotel. Picture: State Library of Queensland.

SPARKLY STEALS

A burglar smashed a back window to ransack Andrews Treasure Store in Victoria Street and steal about $25,000 worth of jewellery in December, 1947.

A month later, a thief similarly entered via a back window to swipe about $27,000 of goods from W. H. Andrew Jewellers in Sydney Street, but this time, the culprit left behind bloody smears.

The following month, labourer Laurence Noel Delaney, 27, pleaded guilty to both thefts.

HIT TWICE: Andrew’s Treasure Store. Picture: Have you seen the old Mackay?

Just two years later, in December 1949, Andrew's Treasure Store was raided again.

A crowd of 30 people were window-shopping nearby when a man threw a rock through the store's windowfront and pinched the items on display.

A nightwatchman, as well as the shopkeeper next door, attempted to catch him but in the end, the culprit was caught by two policemen halfway down the street.

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TOBACCO HEISTS

In May 1931, thieves used a key to the front entrance to steal about $31,000 of tobacco and cigarettes from Paxton's Warehouse on the Pioneer River before allegedly fleeing with their "swag" by boat.

CIGARETTE THEFT: Paxton's Warehouse in River St, Mackay. Picture: Have you seen the old Mackay?

Four months later, J. Michelmore and Company's warehouse, which was just down the road, was targeted. About $24,000 worth of tobacco, cigarettes, wine, whisky, rum and brandy was taken.

$24,000 HAUL: Michelmores on the Pioneer River, where the Bluewater Quay now is, c 1930s. Picture: State Library of Queensland.

FANCY TAILORING

Robert Foster and Raymond Robert Cassells took about $16,000 worth of shirts, ties and other items of clothing from J. Hillman's shop in July 1924, reports show.

BEST DRESSED. J. Hillman's Tailor Shop at 104 Victoria St, Mackay, 1930. Picture: Have you seen the old Mackay?

And in September 1931, Walter Carey stole about $9400 of items from John Buchanon's shop in Wood St, earning a six-month jail sentence.

MAIL STICK-UPS

In May 1868, a mailman was riding his horse to Rockhampton with mail from Peak Downs, Copperfield and Lilyvale.

A bushranger dressed in moleskin trousers, a Crimean shirt, a slouchy hat and a handkerchief masking his face galloped up to the postie, drew his revolver, pointed it at the mailman's head and ordered him to dismount on the side of the road.

RISKY BUSINESS: Delivering the mail on horseback, Brisbane, 1913. Picture: State Library of Queensland.

He blindfolded the postie with a handkerchief and made him sit behind a tree before helping himself to the letters.

The Mackay Mercury and South Kennedy Advertiser reported the bandit left a large number of cheques and money orders untouched.

MAIL HEIST: A passenger train c 1940s. Picture: Have you seen the old Mackay?

Then, in October 1928, registered mail, including bank cheques, was put on a train leaving Townsville for Mackay on a Saturday.

The mail had disappeared by the time the train arrived on Monday.

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GREAT TRAIN ROBBERIES

The safe from Walkerston's Railway Station was carried to nearby scrub, had its doors blown off and the contents - about $19,000 in cash - stolen in December, 1947.

SAFE TAKEN: Walkerston Railway Station in 1985 before it was removed to its current location at Greenmount Homestead. Picture: Have you seen the old Mackay?

In July 1933, "two hardened criminals" stole men's clothing from a train wagon heading from Rockhampton to Mackay, the Daily Mercury reported.

The men, Patrick Preston (alias Harrison) and Robert Dawson (alias Long) were both sentenced to six months hard labour having been arrested after being spotted wearing the stolen articles.

Reports said police recovered 23 shirts, 28 hats, eight coats, five doormats and two singlets from a second-hand dealer who had paid the guilty pair what is about $310 in today's money.

TRAINS TARGETED: Interior view of a train cabin c. 1935. Picture: State Library of Queensland.

In 1943, during World War II, the Daily Mercury reported "consignment after consignment reaching Mackay from southern firms (was) found to be tampered with".

Thefts included 50 casks of beer, clothing, motor tyres and tubes and cases of tinned food.

And in town, cars left unattended were "milked" and "precious" fuel taken from bowsers.

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NO EXCUSE

In July 1917, Arthur Norton was accused of stealing cash but denied any involvement.

But while detained, he accidentally dropped a named handkerchief and inside was 87 pounds, (about $8500 today), the Mercury reported.

Then, in November 1935, Walter Bogan, charged with robbery and violence, escaped from the Mackay watch-house after climbing a long wooden plank he had placed against the wall, the Mercury reported.

WEAPONS GRAB

Five small arms weapons, including a sub-machine gun, along with live shells, army equipment and cigarettes were snatched from the Drill Hall shed in Mackay in August 1946.

WEAPONS STOLEN: Photograph of the Drill Hall before it was demolished in 1974 for the construction of the Mackay Regional Council administration building. Picture: Have you seen the old Mackay?

PINCHED PAYROLL

Payroll envelopes at the Pleystowe Mill containing about $30,000 were stolen during the night in November 1956.