100 years ago this week - Koo Wee Rup is overrun by hoodlums

100 years ago this week - this letter about crime in Koo Wee Rup was published in The Argus of December 24, 1918.

The Argus December 24, 1918

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1405287

POLICE PROTECTION WANTED.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE ARGUS
For some time the residents of Koo Wee Rup have had to submit to a large number of robberies, petty thefts without any hope of retracing the stolen property or punishing the offender. Added to that the conduct of a number of hoodlums at public functions had become so unbearable that promoters of public entertainments were fearful of the consequences. The  local  hall is generally  in a state of siege from the onslaughts of these ruffians, who rush the doors and endeavour to break into the supper room, using the most horrible language around the doors, and frequently bombarding the roof with road metal. 
All this was thrashed out at a public meeting some weeks ago and a letter was forwarded  to the Chief Secretary asking for police protection at Koo Wee Rup.  Up to the present time no reply his been received. 
It is no uncommon sight to see a stand up fight in the main street.  On Saturday night a number of men surged for over an hour in the main thoroughfare and into the early hours of Sunday,  while the air was filled with profanity, oaths and curses to which peaceable citizens had to listen. 
On Sunday night another scene took place when the great Australian adjective was heard to advantage as a preface to loud allegations of untruthfulness.  There is a policeman stationed at Lang Lang on the extreme edge of the district who has to patrol or endeavour to keep the peace in a district about 50 square miles in extent. Needless to say his energy must necessarily be somewhat distributed until it reaches vanishing point. 
Yours &c
A VICTIM
Koo Wee Rup December 23.

100 years ago this week - an escaped 'lunatic'

This is an account of the capture of an escaped patient from Mont Park Mental Hospital from the South Bourke and Mornington Journal of April 30, 1914.  The work Lunatic has now gone out of fashion to describe a person who is mentally ill. According to the Oxford Dictionary the word Lunatic comes from the Old French lunatique, from late Latin lunaticus, from Latin luna '‘ moon’ ' (from the belief that changes of the moon caused intermittent insanity).

South Bourke and Mornington Journal of April 30, 1914.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper  http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/66185203

Trooper Maher, is Stephen Maher, listed in the 1914, 1919 and 1924 Electoral Rolls as living at Pakenham. His occupation is listed as Constable. His wife was  Bridget Catherine (nee Ryan).   There is an interesting account, below, of Constable Maher having his horse taken from him, sounds like it was a bureaucratic decision made without any consultation - so no change there in 100 years. 

Dandenong Advertiser of May 7 1914

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper   http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88355315

South Bourke and Mornington Journal of  17 June 17, 1920,

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66198261

Stephen and Catherine had ten children, Rosaline (born 1886), Cathleen (1888), Florence Mary (1890), Olive Veronica (1893), Stephen Raymond (1894), John Thomas (1896), Thomas Francis(1899), Daniel Michael (1901) Leonard Joseph (1903) and Mary Monica (1905). Stephen died in 1931 aged 70 and Bridget died in 1939 aged 77

100 years ago this week - Gay life at Garfield

 100 years ago this week - from the Bunyip Free Press of February 14 2014 , under the headline Gay Life at Garfield there is a report of two men and a woman who were behaving in a disgraceful manner in the Garfield township. The Bunyip Police travelled to Garfield and found that the reports were true, so they arrested John and Elizabeth Fitzgerald and a Mr Moss. The police chartered two vehicles and transported the unsavoury cargo to the Bunyip lock-up.

At a subsequent court appearance, both men were fined £5 or ones month’s imprisonment and the ‘wife’ was fined £2 or a fortnight’s imprisonment.  As the trio were all of the nomad travelling class they couldn’t afford the fine so they were sent to His Majesty’s hominy factory in Melbourne.

 I had never come across the term hominy factory before; it means prison as apparently hominy is a slang word for prison food; hominy being a thin gruel or porridge made from cornmeal.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

100 years ago this week - Bunyip Court

One hundred years ago, this week in January 1914,  the Bunyip Court had to deal with this case of  bicycle theft. A seventeen year old, William Ayres, was found guilty of stealing a bike from Michael Dineen, of Cora Lynn. He was sentenced to three months in gaol, an extraordinary sentence compared to what he would have got today and, of course, today his name would not be published as he is under 18. 

Bunyip Free Press Jan 8, 1914  

trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper

This article  made me wonder when the Bunyip Court first started - I found this article (below)  in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal of March 22, 1905. The Court first sat in Kraft's Hall, I'm not sure where that was, William Kraft  owned the Gippsland Hotel (the Top Pub) so it may have been connected with that.

South Bourke and Mornington Journal March 22, 1905.

The first sitting of the Bunyip Court was held on March 15 1905. The bench consisted of Mr Cresswell, the Presiding magistrate, and two Justices of the Peace, Ramage and A'Beckett. The first case concerned Myrtle Morris who was charged with having no visible means of support. Myrtle was remanded to Prahran for a further hearing.  The second case involved a twelve year old, John Mannix, who was charged with endangering property by setting fire to some scrub, which destroyed gates and fences.  He was released into the care of his father who entered a recognizance for the boy's future good behaviour. Once again, this article shows how the legal system has changed (for better or worse depending on your view point) a 12 year old would never have his name mentioned in relation to a legal trial today.

You can read more about the Bunyip Court here.

100 years ago this week - Bunyip Court case

This appeared in The Argus of September 16, 1913 - 100 years ago.

From Trove  http://trove.nla.gov.au

Victor Little (1892-1939) was the fourth of five children of James Little and Hannah Hughes. James had land at Iona and Little Road was named after the family. Victor and his wife Mareia lived at Iona and his occupation on the Electoral Roll is listed as a Dealer. They are both buried at the Bunyip Cemetery.

There is a Thomas McGuire listed in the Electoral rolls of 1909 at Bunyip South, occupation is farmer. Margaret McGuire is listed at same address. I presume that they are the same couple buried at the Bunyip Cemetery - Thomas, died 1933, aged 82 and Margaret (nee Fitzsimmons) died 1921, aged 67. They have three sons buried at Bunyip as well, Thomas John, died 1922 aged 33; William Patrick, died 1928, aged 38 and Peter James died 1952, aged 58.