Oatlands Gaol - Tasmania

The largest building remaining in the former Oatlands Military Precinct, the Oatlands Gaol opened in 1837.[1] The gaol was built to hold 300 inmates and was the ‘only regional gaol in the colony where executions were commonplace.’[2] Oatlands Gaol was designed by Colonial Architect, John Lee Archer and was erected between 1834 and 1836.[3]

The gaol held female and male prisoners and was the largest gaol complex outside of Hobart and Launceston.[4] It was the only regional gaol in Tasmania to have its own Supreme Court House attached.[5]

The Oatlands Gaol operated for 26 years, being decommissioned in 1863. It then became a municipal gaol.




18 men were hung at Oatlands Gaol between 1844 and 1860.

• Alexander Reid - 24 April 1844 – Hanged at Oatlands for shooting and wounding Constable Murray.[6]
  
  
•  Thomas Marshall – 24 April 1844 – Hanged at Oatlands for the murder of Ben Smith.[7]
  
  
• Richard Jackson - 1 May 1845 - Hanged at Oatlands for the rape of Elizabeth Davis.[8]
  
  
• John Phillips – 4 February 1846 – Hanged at Oatlands for setting fire to the magistrate's oat stacks following a conviction for sly grog selling.[9]
  
  
•  James Sullivan – 9 May 1848 – Hanged at Oatlands for the attempted murder of Constable James Kelly at Swanston, near Andover.[10]
  
  
• Patrick Shea – 9 May 1848 – Hanged at Oatlands for the attempted murder of Constable James Kelly at Swanston.[11]
  
  
• James McGough – 9 May 1848 – Hanged at Oatlands for the attempted murder of Constable James Kelly at Swanston.[12]
  
  
• John Shale – 9 May 1848 - Hanged at Oatlands for wounding John Connell with intent to murder.[13]
  
  
• Thomas Smith – 4 August 1848 – Hanged at Oatlands for stabbing with intent to murder Constable Clough at Jericho.[14]
  
  
• Jeremiah Maher – 4 August 1848 – Hanged at Oatlands for stabbing with intent to murder Constable Clough at Jericho.[15]
  
  
• William Henry Stevens - 25 April 1851 - Convict. Hanged at Oatlands for Assaulting James Moore, being armed with a gun on the high road between Antill Ponds
• and Tunbridge.[16]
  
  
• George Mackie – 21 July 1851 – Hanged at Oatlands for the murder of Thomas Gilbert at Waters Meeting, near Cranbrook.[17]
  
  
•  John Crisp – 27 October 1851 – Hanged at Oatlands for Wounding with Intent Constable William Donohoo at Swansea.[18]
  
  
• William Henry Stephens – 25 April 1851 – Hanged at Oatlands for the attempted murder of Thomas Moore at Antill Ponds.
  
  
• Patrick McMahon – 28 October 1852 – Hanged at Oatlands for rape of a child.
  
  
• Michael Casey – 5 August 1856 – Hanged at Oatlands for the attempted murder of John Hewitt at Falmouth.
  
  
• Abraham Munday – 27 October 1857 – Hanged at Oatlands for attempted murder by poison of George White at Courland Bay.
  
  
•  Richard "Long Mick" Ennis – 27 October 1857 – Hanged at Oatlands for the murder of George Sturgeon at Kitty's Corner, near Antill Ponds.
  
  
•  John Vigors – 31 January 1860 – Hanged at Oatlands for Shooting with Intent at John Baker at Ellerslie.[19]

For more information on Oatlands please visit Southern Midlands Council's website here: https://www.southernmidlands.tas.gov.au/oatlands-gaol/

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2022

[1] Brad Williams, ‘Oatlands Gaol Historical Study and Archaeological Survey’, Southern Midlands Council, (2004), p. 9, https://www.southernmidlands.tas.gov.au/assets/southernmidlands_williams_arch_survey_2004.pdf.

[2] Ibid., p. 2.

[3] Barry and Eleanor Bjorksten, ‘Oatlands Gaol Remedial Works Report.’, Southern Midlands Council, (2004), p. 11, https://www.southernmidlands.tas.gov.au/assets/southernmidlands_bjorksten_2004.pdf.

[4] Williams, ‘Oatlands Gaol Historical Study and Archaeological Survey’, p. 9.

[5] Brad Williams, ‘Oatlands Gaol Interpretation Plan.’, Southern Midlands Council, (2011), p. 4, https://www.southernmidlands.tas.gov.au/assets/southernmidlands_gaol_interps_plan.pdf.

[6] 'Execution at Oatlands.’, The Courier, (26 April 1844), p. 3., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2951132.

[7] Ibid.

[8] 'Oatlands Assizes.', The Courier, (8 April 1845), p. 3., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2948998.

[9] 'Oatlands Assizes.', The Courier, (17 January 1846), p. 2., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2946459.

[10] 'Domestic Intelligence.', Colonial Times, (12 May 1848), p. 3., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8762811.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Ibid.

[14] 'Domestic Intelligence.', Colonial Times, (8 August 1848), p. 3., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8763241.

[15] Ibid.

[16] 'Oatlands.', The Courier, (30 April 1851), p. 2., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article296097.

[17] 'Execution at Oatlands.', The Cornwall Chronicle, (26 July 1851), p. 468., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article65574090.

[18] 'Executions.', The Tasmanian Colonist, (27 October 1851), p. 2., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226525096.

[19] 'Execution and Confession of Vigors at Oatlands.', Launceston Examiner, (2 February 1860), p. 3. (AFTERNOON), http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38999069.

Old Geelong Gaol (part 5): Owen McQueeney – Murderer

Old Geelong Gaol (part 5): Owen McQueeney – Murderer

  In 1858 Owen McQueeney (sometimes spelled McQueeny or Queeny) was accused of killing Elizabeth Lowe at “Green Tent” near Ballarat. Green Tent, where ‘Green Tent Road’ near Meredith in Victoria gets its name, was a small structure that served as a shop and tavern to local gold fields.
  The Green Tent was owned by Mrs Elizabeth Lowe (nee Matheson), who with her husband had established a travelling shop. Her husband had left one day to buy a horse and cart and never returned. Mrs Lowe decided to stay where she was and set up the Green Tent as her shop. She made a lot of money very quickly and was able to purchase a pair of jade earrings that she wore daily which proclaimed her success in business.

  McQueeney was an Irish man, with an imposing disposition and a cataract in one eye, giving him a fearsome look. McQueeney had spent two years in prison for stealing horses and claimed he had come to the gold fields to find some missing bullocks. He leered at the shop owner, Mrs Lowe as he explained his fake story of seeking lost bullocks. The following day he returned and spent the entire day at Green Tent drinking. McQueeney began to visit the Green Tent daily, with locals noting Mrs Lowe’s fear of the man.


  One day, local Revenue Officer, Joseph Smith arrived at the tent, and noticed swirling smoke from the chimney, went inside expecting to be greeted by staff or other visitors, only to find no one inside. Smith decided to wait for Mrs Lowe, thinking she had gone running an errand. He became suspicious when a strange smell came from the chimneys. He went to check and found Mrs Lowe sprawled across the floor, her hair lying in the fire. Smith noticed a gunshot wound, where a bullet had penetrated her eye, and instantly called for help. He rolled Mrs Lowe over and found underneath her body her 2-month-old son, uninjured. He ordered a man nearby to get to the telegraph station and report to the Geelong and Ballarat police that a murder had occurred.


 A local aboriginal tracker came to Smith and showed him tracks leaving the hut. McQueeney had very large feet, which made him easily tracked. A witness spotted him near Meredith, carrying a very large swag. McQueeney was next reported by a local salesperson named Gallagher, near Geelong who he had sold all his tea too. Gallagher stated that McQueeney had sold him the teas because his mother had; “sickened him of it when he was a youngster in England”. This fact would eventually be his undoing.

Trooper McIntyre visited Mrs Adam's boarding house in Geelong. He asked Mrs Adams; “Have you in your establishment a man with one eye that does not like tea?”
Mrs Adams, suspicious of the policeman asked why he needed to know, to which he replied “ murder!”.
Mrs Adams, taken aback by the claim stated: “There’s a cove at my place with a shield over one eye, and only this morning Nellie remarked that he never drank tea.”
Trooper McIntyre arrested McQueeney, earning himself a promotion.


 The police, despite all the evidence they had collected against McQueeney, seemed non-plussed about prosecuting him, putting him in gaol while waiting for more evidence to be procured. McQueeney himself provided the last bit of evidence needed to place him squarely as the murderer.
While in gaol, McQueeney confided in another prisoner who was soon to be released and offered him a pair of jade earrings, telling him to sell them for tobacco, and to get it into the gaol. Instead of following McQueeney’s orders, the prisoner reported the earrings to the Gaoler.

During the trial inquest, Mrs Lowe’s body was exhumed from her grave at Meredith, where it was shown her well-known earrings had been torn from her ears. During his trial on October 9 1858, McQueeney was called to the stand, where he verbally abused all the witnesses, the judge and everyone else in earshot and asked ridiculous questions in what appeared to be a plight to be declared insane.

The sentencing Judge, Mr Justice Williams led proceedings. After all the evidence was submitted, it took the jury just ten minutes to reach their guilty verdict. McQueeney was sentenced to death by hanging.


At 7:30 am on 20 October 1858, McQueeney was taken from his cell by the Governor and hangman. His shackles were removed, and his arms pinioned. Catholic Priest, Father O’Brien read McQueeney his last rites. At 8am, the Sherriff demanded the body of McQueeney and then led the procession to the gallows. McQueeney proclaimed his innocence with every step. Once at the gallows, he claimed he was been manhandled excessively, and ironically, claimed the noose was too tight.
At 8:05am, the pin was pulled, and McQueeney was hung at Gallow’s Flat.[1]

There are claims that after the death of McQueeney, an unusual request was received by the Sherriff. About an hour or so after the execution, a crippled woman sought permission to have her hands “streaked over” by the hands of the dead murderer in the hope of curing her disease!

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2019

Sources:

'GEELONG.', The Argus, (21 October 1858), p. 5.

'GEELONG.', Bendigo Advertiser, (26 July 1858), p. 3.

1858: Owen McQueeney, Green Tent Murderer, ExecutedToday.com (2014), http://www.executedtoday.com/2014/10/20/1858-owen-mcqueeney-green-tent-murderer/

'The Case of the Man Who was Hanged by an Eye', The World's News, (13 October 1937), p. 10.

1858 'THE GREEN TENT MURDER.', The Age, (7 August 1858), p. 5.

'SOCIAL.', The Age, (16 October 1858), p. 5.

Mitchell, Jo, ‘Making tracks - all roads lead to the Green Tent’, Barwon Blog, (29 October 2015), http://barwonblogger.blogspot.com/2015/10/

'THE MURDER AT THE GREEN TENT.', The Argus, (27 July 1858), p. 6.

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[1] 'GEELONG.', The Argus, (21 October 1858), p. 5.

Old Geelong Gaol (part 2): John ‘Crankie’ Gunn – Murderer

Old Geelong Gaol (part 2): John ‘Crankie’ Gunn – Murder

George Roberts and John Gunn were the first two convicted murderers executed at Geelong. They faced their execution on 9 November 1854. The men were executed on portable gallows at Gallow’s Flat in a public execution that drew a crowd of around 2000 people.[1]

John Gunn was from Inverness shire, Scotland, and before coming to Australia was a convicted criminal, who escaped gaol during a Church service. In 1814, he had been brought before the courts for shooting a man in Melbourne but was acquitted upon insufficient evidence.

 John Gunn was thought by friends to be an impolite, reckless or insane man, which earned him the nickname “Crankie Gunn”.

At 1pm on 11 August 1854, Gunn went to the house of Charlotte Newman to ask about some washing. At around 4pm the same day, Gunn returned with a man named Nolan, both appeared to have been drinking. The men entered the house, followed by Samuel Harris. Gunn started an argument with Newman, then slapped her. He went outside and Nolan followed, trying to calm him down. Gunn started smashing Newman’s windows, so Harris tried to stop him. Gunn, drunk and angry left the house stating he would be back with something to end the argument and anyone that interfered with him.

 Gunn returned a little later with a 6-shot revolver and a cane with a hidden sword inside. Gunn beat on Newman’s door, so Harris went outside to settle him down. The two men got into a scuffle. Newman heard Harris scream “Murder!” and ran outside to see what was happening.
 Gunn was leaning over Harris who was on his knees. Newman ran over to him, only to have Gunn throw her onto the ground and try and stab her with the cane-sword. Nolan rescued Newman, as Gunn left to go back to his own house, just metres down the road.
 Harris was dead.

An inquest into the death of Harris revealed that Gunn’s sword had gone through Harris’ left side, through his stomach, pancreas and then into his heart. A coroner stated Harris could not have lived more than 10 minutes after his wounds.

  Gunn, a 60-year-old Scottish-man, who had lived in Victoria for around 15 years, stated he would like his farm spilt equally amongst his heirs after his death. The night before the execution, he prayed alongside a Scottish Presbyterian Minister and a Gaelic Minister in his cell.

 Gunn walked to the gallows, and wanted to speak before his execution, proclaiming his innocence, but was not allowed. The bolt was pulled at 8am, and Gunn fell through the trap door to his death.

I’ll be hosting two paranormal investigation nights at Old Geelong Gaol in late August 2019. Find the details here: https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=509130&

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2019

Other Sources:

'DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE.', The Argus, (28 August 1854), p. 5.

Executed – Victoria, Geni.com, (2019), https://www.geni.com/projects/Executed-Victoria/49212

'GEELONG CIRCUIT COURT.', Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer, (30 October 1854), p. 7.

'GEELONG CIRCUIT COURT.', The Argus, (30 October 1854), p. 5.

'GEELONG CRIMINAL COURT.', The Sydney Morning Herald, (7 November 1854), p. 3.

'THE NEW CONVICT BILL.', Mount Alexander Mail, (3 November 1854), p. 3.

'CROWDED OUT.', Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer, (10 November 1854), p. 4.

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[1] 'GEELONG.', The Age (13 November 1854), p. 5.