Locked Up With History

In December 1873, 25-year-old Elizabeth Woolcock walked to the portable gallows in the laneway of the Adelaide Gaol wearing a simple white frock and carrying a posy of flowers.

She was to be judicially executed for the supposed murder of her husband Thomas Woolcock in the mining area of Moonta, South Australia. But was she actually guilty?

Elizabeth's life was one of lifelong trauma, her life touching on the Eureka Stockade, sexual assault and drug use. But did she deserve to die for her alleged crime in a time when she was unable to speak in her own defence.

This is the story of Elizabeth Woolcock

At the height of the Victorian Gold Rush, a bold plan was made by a group of bushrangers to hold up the Private Gold Escort carrying its bounty to the Melbourne Treasury from the McIvor goldfields in 1853.

The robbery and subsequent trial ended in the sentence of death for three men and caused another man to suicide. One man ended up in the window of his wife's shop!

The body of bushranger George Melville in the front window of a Little Bourke Street Oyster Shop in October 1853 caused a tremendous stir in colonial Melbourne! This act also led to a change in the Victorian law on how the bodies of the executed men were treated in the future!

Angus Murray was the last man to be executed on the gallows of Old Melbourne Goal in 1924.

His life began in Adelaide and would see him incarcerated in 4 states - South Australia, Western Australia NSW and Victoria.

He became a master thief, a conman and a bigamist.  

Murray's last job after his audacious escape from the Geelong Gaol would see him at the end of a noose for the murder of bank manager Thomas Berriman, despite the fact he had not pulled the trigger.

This episode is about the life, criminal career and execution of Angus Murray.

Locked up with History - www.lockedupwithhistory.com.au

Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/lockedupwithhistory

Geelong Gaol Museum - www.geelonggaol.com.au

Twisted History - www.twistedhistory.net.au

Christmas is supposed to be the season of giving and family and presents.

But it is not everyone's favourite time of year.

A quick look through the newspapers of the day revealed no less than 16 murders and 2 attempted murders here in Victoria, Australia.  And I am sure there are many more interstate and overseas.

This episode is a brief overview of some of those stories.

Locked up with History - www.lockedupwithhistory.com.au

Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/lockedupwithhistory

Geelong Gaol Museum - www.geelonggaol.com.au

Twisted History - www.twistedhistory.net.au  

The Hassett family have their origins in Birdhill, Ireland and is just one of the families with links to the Geelong Gaol.  Over a period of 40 years, at least 4 members of the family have been prisoners of the Geelong Gaol.

It was initially thought this story was of one prisoner who took his own life. But further research showed a family story that linked back to the Geelong Gaol over consecutive generations.

This is a story of a family who arrived in Australia as convicts with branches that are still in existence today. 

Join Deb from the Geelong Gaol Museum and Twisted History to hear the story of the Hassett's just one of the families who graced the inside of the Geelong Gaol!

For more information on the Hassett family, please visit Facebook and the descendant's group at  https://www.facebook.com/groups/330506604582500

Locked up with History – https://www.lockedupwithhistory.com.au

Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/lockedupwithhistory

Geelong Gaol Museum – https://www.geelonggaol.com.au

Twisted History – https://www.twistedhistory.net.au

In 1889, two wily old convicts named Frederick Clarke and Christopher Farrell made the most infamous escape in Geelong Gaol history.  Overpowering a warder in the middle of the night they used a skeleton key to make good their escape over the wall.

Join Deb from the Geelong Gaol Museum and Twisted History to hear the full story of this great escape!

Locked up with History - https://www.lockedupwithhistory.com.au

Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/lockedupwithhistory

Geelong Gaol Museum - https://www.geelonggaol.com.au

Twisted History - https://www.twistedhistory.net.au

In this episode we head back to earlier and perhaps simpler times to 1854 and Little Bourke street in Melbourne.  Luke and Mary Lucas had immigrated to Australia in 1849 with hopes of a better life.  

But by November 1854, both Mary and Luke would be dead leaving three children as orphans.

What happened to cause Luke to take up an iron bar against his wife resulting in Mary's murder and Luke's execution.

Was it the debauched life they both led in keeping a brothel or the intemperance pointed out by Judge Redmond Barry.

Join Deb from the Geelong Gaol Museum and Twisted History as we explore the story of Luke and Mary Lucas.

Locked up with History - www.lockedupwithhistory.com.au

Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/lockedupwithhistory

Geelong Gaol Museum - www.geelonggaol.com.au

Twisted History - www.twistedhistory.net.au

What drove a man to murder his neighbours wife and his very own son and leave his wife in a pool of blood clinging to life.

James Ross would be executed for his crimes at the Geelong Gaol, becoming the first regional execution following the passing of the Private Executions Bill, taking executions from the public streets to behind the Gaol walls.

Join Deb from the Geelong Gaol Museum and Twisted History on this episode to hear the full details of the murder of Elizabeth Sayer and the execution of James Ross.

Locked up with History - www.lockedupwithhistory.com.au

Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/lockedupwithhistory

Geelong Gaol Museum - www.geelonggaol.com.au

Twisted History - www.twistedhistory.net.au

The story of Edward Fuller and his sister in law Ellen is one of jealousy, infedility and murder.  

The events of May 1869 in a small house in Noble Street, Chilwell led to the death of one man and set in play a series of events that led to the entire Fuller family ending up behind the walls of the Geelong Gaol, some as prisoners and some as inmates of the Myers Street Industrial School.

What was it about these events that still echo through the cells and halls of the Geelong Gaol today

Join Deb from Geelong Gaol Museum and Twisted History to hear the full story of her favourite ghost, Edward Fuller!

Locked up with History - www.lockedupwithhistory.com.au

Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/lockedupwithhistory

Geelong Gaol Museum - www.geelonggaol.com.au

Twisted History - www.twistedhistory.net.au