ISSUE 38 — MAY 2010 Cemetery Conversations THE NEWSLETTER OF THE FRIENDS OF ST. KILDA CEMETERY I N C . CORONERS, CONSTABULARY AND CRIMECRIME————A T O U R THROUGH THE CEMETERY a permanent morgue “in coroner” by the noted he history of the connection with the office of pathologist and coroner’s establishment of a the coroner”. By the late surgeon Crawford Henry T permanent morgue in 1850s a temporary morgue Mollison -Bap 9B: 5740. Melbourne and the role of those was in use in the western end Magistrates then took on who assist the coroner is integral INSIDE THIS ISSUE: of the town near the whar es coronial duties, with the last to a discussion of unusual deaths -supposedly in .linders Street0, Melbourne City Coroner being in the city. C O R O N E R S , 2 but by 1812 ,oul, as Coroner Hal Hallenstein who also CONSTABULARY was again deploring the state became the first State Coroner AND CRIME—A Inquests were first held in TOUR THROUGH Melbourne in 1840. At that stage of the temporary structure to under the Coroners Act 1985 THE CEMETERY… C O N T I N U E D Melbourne did not ha e a no a ail. No go ernment -Vic0. permanent morgue and early department wished to bear the The role of the Coroner, inquests often took place at the responsibility. SIX DEGREES OF 2 coroner’s surgeon and police in S T K I L D A … site of death or in hotels with the After years of debate as to its establishing cause of deaths body in full iew. This was the location, the first permanent occurring in unusual common and accepted practice of morgue was erected in circumstances is highlighted in the time as inquests were not a LIFE AND DEATH 3 Melbourne in 1888 at Bateman e8amples of burials in St Kilda IN CONTRAST – predominantly medical e ent. By A enue and pro ided a central cemetery. THE PHILLIPS 1852 there was growing BROTHERS LEON, point for the identification of HERMAN AND complaint about the large H A R O L D the deceased and an Take for instance the coroner’s numbers of unidentified corpses appropriate place for the reports into the death of Violet FORTHCOMING 4 lying about the town, often in conduct of coronial inquests. Edwards -CofE 9D: 01520 who T O U R S houses of public accommodation died on 1 August 1700 aged awhile awaiting a coroner’s Melbourne City Coroners ha e 23 of the effects of chloroform BRICE FREDRICK 4 inquest. After a corpse was B U N N Y always attracted notoriety and whilst ha ing teeth remo ed in carried from house to house public comment. The first the dentist’s surgery. The role before a place could be found to coroner appointed to the City of of the forensic pathologist lea e it, the question of a Melbourne was William Byman Crawford Mollison is ) permanent morgue was brought Wilmot in 1840. Accused of highlighted in the tragic murder under the notice of the Mayor at being la5y and incompetent of Audrie Ellen .enton -CofE the police court by Mr Hull (P, who Wilmot nonetheless continued 9D: 1830, aged 17, a dancer www.psrs.biz hoped the proper authorities to act as Coroner until 1852 with ( C Williamson, who was would in estigate the matter. The tion ( tion when he was replaced by Dr. killed by her husband in a FRIENDS OF ST. KILDA Bench agreed that some great Richard ,oul who ser ed as murder/suicide on 12 May CEMETERY INC. “dereliction of duty” had occurred REG NO. A0038728$ Coroner for 40 years until his 1722. The details of the somewhere which demanded an ABN 69 718 923 799) death in 1872. ,oul was murder of Thomas William inquiry into how a dead body replaced by Samuel Curtis Brady -CofE 9C: 1103A0 on 12 should be allowed to remain from Candler -retired 17080. The (anuary 1872 aged 31, are PO Box 261 Monday until Wednesday before ne8t coroner, Dr. Robert unusual, tragic and intriguing ST. KILDA VIC 3182 an inquest could be held, and in a AUSTRALIA Hodgson Cole, brought a and thoroughly highlight the house crowded with lodgers. combination of medicine and roles of Detecti e Henry Phone: (03) 9 31 6832 law to the role and was By 1855 Dr. ,oul had taken up the (Continued on page 2 described as an “excellent email: info&fos(c.org cry for the complete necessity for ,ebsite: ,,,.fos(c.org A Publishing Solutions and Research Services produc Services Research and A PublishingSolutions Cemetery Conversations Page 2 CORONERS, CONSTABULARY AND CRIME—A TOUR THROUGH THE CEMETERY...CONTINUED (Continued from page 1 course of conducting his duty. Hear about the inquiries into Upon hearing of an attempted these deaths and much more Cawsey -OD 9E: 0420 and the assault upon his neighbour’s on the .riends’ 9Coroners, coroner Dr. Richard ,oul. daughter, (ohnston took his Constabulary and Crime: tour bicycle and set off in pursuit on Sunday 23 May 2010 at We then ha e the unfortunate whereupon he found his man 2A00pm. circumstances of Custa Beyer in the streets of Elwood. The -Ind 9D: 1440 who died 12 offender took a re ol er from -Source: The Argus: 11 Nov 1852, 20 Sep 1884, 13 Jan 1897 to 18 September 1884. Beyer was his pocket and shot (ohnston. ,ar 1897, 7 - 8 Aug 1900, 25 infatuated with Margaret (ane The police in estigation into .ct 1902, 19 - 20 ,ay 1922/ Irwin and in a passion of this case was ast and aried 0rown1,ay and Coo2e, 3eath, intense Dealousy and rage, shot as they attempted to establish 3ecency and the 3ead1house: The her and then himself. the identity of the murderer. city ,orgue in Colonial Margaret sur i ed the initial ,elbourne, 5rovenance, Nov shooting but subsequently died In all these cases there were 2004, No 3, Coo2e, Simon, from her wounds on 25 coronial inquests and police In8uests, http:99 September. in estigations, with the general www.emelbourne.net.au9biogs9 E,00756b.htm, Coo2e, Simon, public relying on the daily -abo e0 Cra e of Detecti e Henry Constable Richard (ohnston newspapers of the time for Coroners, http:99 Cawsey and familyHOD 9E: 042 -Bap 9A: 180A0, a 31EyearEold their reportage. In that regard, www.emelbourne.net.au9biogs9 member of the St. Kilda Police the Argus did not let them E,00406b.htm/ 5R.V, Coronial In8uests, Criminal Trial 0riefs, met with his death on 12 down. October 1702 whilst in the Capital Cases SIX DEGREES OF ST KILDA… Morit5 Michaelis -(ewish 9B: Phillips Bros. Luna Park, Palais t is said that e eryone on 01050 rented two of those Theatre and the now the planet is linked by si8 terraced houses from Mr demolished Palais De Danse led I degrees of separation. This (ohnston and had them him to create a wonderfully theory is borne out when con erted to suit his growing e ocati e series of works about studying the history of arious family. He li ed at ,arli until he St. Kilda. people and places. was able to mo e in to the And as if to pro e the si8 .or e8ample, what do (ames impressi e home he called degrees theoryHthe Phillips Stuart (ohnston -coEowner of Linden, which we would come to brothers too rest within St. Kilda The Argus newspaper0, Morit5 know as Linden Callery. Cemetery -(ewish 9B: 222A, Michaelis -of Linden fame0 and Mr (ohnston was to mo e back 223A, 224A0 half way between prominent artist Sidney Nolan to ,arli late in his life and the tombstones of (ames Stuart -buried at Highgate Cemetery in ha ing been confined to his (ohnston and Morit5 Michaelis. England0 all ha e in commonF rooms there following an (ames Stuart (ohnston -Ind 9A: inDurious fall he passed away at If you would like to know 830 built three terrace houses at ,arli on 10 August 1871. more about these 3E2 The Esplanade, St. Kilda, prominent St. Kilda After his death ,arli 5lace was and named it ,arli 5lace. This residents, Doin us for our 9St. sold and con erted into a series stunning black accented, white Kilda Through the Eyes of of flats. One of these flats was Kilda Through the Eyes of building will be familiar to many rented by Sidney Nolan in 1741. the Dead: tour on 20 (une of you. Nolan’s fascination with St. 2010 2A00pm. Kilda and particularly the Issue 38 — May 2010 Page 3 LIFE AND DEATH IN CONTRAST – THE PHILLIPS BROTHERS LEON, HERMAN AND HAROLD 0y Tina 5hillips. illuminating the night sky. In 1715, The Phillips Bros. On opening night o er con erted the Palais De n a stark but striking 22,000 people walked Danse into Palais Pictures. black granite gra e through the gaping mouth of But the magic of the Palais I tucked away in the south the now iconic Mr Moon with De Danse would not be west corner of St. Kilda his rolling illuminated eyes quenched. Some years later Cemetery lie three brothers, peering down upon them. they built a steel aulted side by side. Completely More than 437,000 people ceiling o er the entire unadorned, the large isited Luna Park in its first building and dismantled the headstone simply states year. original Palais De Danse, reE 9Phillips: and on each of the erecting it ne8t door. They But Luna Park was not the grave stones the names, turned to a friend from Phillips’ Brothers only Herman, Leon, and Harold Chicago to redesign the two contribution to St.