Boxer who became our most violent gangster
He would run the length of a city block to attack a police officer when he saw one and was the feared enforcer of Melbourne’s ‘Little Lon’ red-light district. HEAR THE PODCAST
Our Criminal History
Strange quirk of fate ended Melbourne killing spree
The Brownout Strangler killed three Melbourne women in 16 days. If not for a split-second quirk of fate, chances are he would have evaded detection and escaped the noose.
The diamond that solved a grisly murder
When a woman was found horribly murdered in the bedroom of her ransacked Melbourne home, it was an unusual item of jewellery that led police to her killers.
Unmasked at last: Sex offenders lose anonymity
Alleged sex predators will no longer receive special treatment under the law, while victims will be able to talk about their cases freely, under new laws expected to be in force by Christmas.
More Stories
Skase begged for cash from prison toilet phone
Christopher Skase begged his family and friends for money to fund his legal case from the toilet of his prison cell on a smuggled mobile phone, as his son-in-law has revealed the desperate measures the disgraced businessman took to try to get back on his feet.
Why acid bath killer wanted to get rid of his wife
Klaus Andres killed his wife of five years and to cover up the crime he used acid to dissolve her body in a bin and then washed her down a drain outside his Cairns home.
The gang of amputee thugs who terrorised Melbourne
In an age when people with disabilities were pitied, a gang of men on crutches struck fear into the people of Melbourne. Members required a missing limb and a taste for grog and violence.
How the Kingsgrove Slasher terrorised a city
It was a bizarre and frightening crime spree the likes of which police had never encountered before — sleeping women and girls repeatedly cut in their own beds before their stealthy attacker fled into the night.
80 years later: Creepy message in a bottle
It’s been over 80 years since the mysterious disappearance of a Brisbane public servant and socialite who vanished from a train station.
A dead man walking, the mutilator and a sordid Lone Avenger
The comic book killer rapist, the Sydney mutilator, a Black Widow serial killer with a penchant for rat poison and the bikie killer who was a dead man walking. The Daily Telegraph continues its alphabetical compilation of crimes that horrified, intrigued and scandalised a nation. Part 4 of a 6-part series.
Australia’s worst female killers
Poisoning, cannibalism and drinking the blood of their victims. These are the stories of Australia’s most savage female killers.
Convicts’ first Christmas marred by crime
Eleven months after the First Fleet landed, Christmas was “observed with proper ceremony” according to a report from the time. But not all the convicts were prepared to make do with their extra ration of rum.
Ned Kelly’s sister, the gun and an unwanted kiss
The incident that forced Ned Kelly on the run was sparked by an amorous constable who was supposed to be arresting Ned’s brother — but had eyes for his sister instead.
![SECOND FLEET STORY Item 01: The perilous situation of "The Guardian" Frigate as she appeared striking on the rocks of ice - with the departure of the crew - and the wonderful intrepidity of the Commander Lieutenant Riou / [possibly by Robert Dighton] Picture: State Library of NSW](https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/3412cf4dd9628e15206f664a6b403c80)
Ship of horrors: Death, ‘floating brothel’
By the time these ships began arriving in Sydney, most people couldn’t stand upright. Some had gaping wounds so deep you could see their bones.
Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/ourcriminalhistory/page/11