Cursed crusade of the wealthy wife who tried to rid Tasmania of snakes
Just as St Patrick is said to have banished snakes from Ireland, Lady Jane Franklin — the governor’s wife — made an audacious bid to do the same for Tasmania.
In Black and White
The man who kept prisoners alive on the First Fleet
Doctor John White had one job: keep as many prisoners alive as possible during the eight-month voyage. And he did, with many having a greater hope of survival than if they stayed at home.
How a feisty young artist helped our troops face a Russian invasion
Adelaide Ironside held court with princes and poets, but it was a startling act amid the Crimean War that first made her famous.
Meet the Aussie POW who survived the atomic bomb
Allan Chick not only survived his ship being torpedoed and sunk during WWII and again when an atomic bomb blew him off a roof, but he went on to marry a Japanese teacher and live to 93.
More Stories
Mystery surrounds “Green Tent” killer after second body found
Young mum Elizabeth Lowe was slain in her goldfields shack. Then a second grisly find raised the question: did the killer strike twice?
Australia’s forgotten Titanic hero
As the ship slowly sank, a brave Aussie sailor gave up the chance to save himself in order to save countless passengers and crew.
How ‘treasonist’ became playwright genius
While famed as a rebel, Eureka rebellion ringleader Raffaello Carboni’s greatest contribution to Australian history may be a long-lost Italian operatic pantomime.
Why it took 14 murder trials to bring down Elizabeth Downey
A code of silence among desperate victims enabled the Melbourne nurse to repeatedly get away with murder.
How Johnny Peck became an ‘escape artist’ in World War II
As war raged in Europe, a daring Aussie soldier made fools of his captors with a series of prison breaks.
Listen: Little convicts’ son Richard Mulholland’s night of horror
In a single day, a young farmer boy found his mother dead, his father maimed, and himself whisked away to a life of servitude.
Extravagant life of the McEwans hardware king
William Kerr Thomson worked his way up from nothing to become a hardware mogul during the gold rush, then blew it all.
How act of gallantry cemented status of war hero
He’s one of Australia’s best-known war heroes, but a little-known incident in France may have been his greatest act of bravery.
The hapless, heroic ‘Columbus’ from Melbourne
Henrik Bull was a spectacular failure as a whaler, but to his surprise was feted as a hero for reaching the “last continent”.
Was Melbourne killer really Jack the Ripper?
A serial killer who slaughtered his wife in Melbourne became a prime suspect in one of history’s greatest murder mysteries.
Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/in-black-and-white/page/5