Francis Adams “NSW Corrupt”
1883 Flogging reintroduced
Flogging was abolished in New South Wales, Australia in 1877 and was reintroduced in 1883 – the first priority of the courts was the protection of a man’s property, 1 and thus continued the tradition of the law, in favoring the rich and punishing the poor.
“Something of convictism and the convict still shows itself in Sydney”, wrote Francis Adams after he had first seen the “sprawling seaport” of Sydney in 1884 with its “288,000 people and 3,167 pubs”. 2
Blasphemy a crime
Adames said, with “the brutality of the old slaving families administering hideous and unrepealed statutes” and the “rule of the squattocracy (sic) as voiced in a hopelessly subservient and corrupt legislature”. 3
A boy of ten could be sentenced by two magistrates to 18 lashes for picking a flower or writing a naughty word on a wall, or uttering a blasphemy or an obscenity in public but if he were over 18 the penalty could be increased to 30 lashes. 4
Crimes against a person were of lesser importance than property, especially if the person was a working-man, a china-man, a wife or a child. 5
One man was sentenced to 10 years hard labour for stealing a horse whilst another man who nearly scalped his wife was only sentenced to six months. 6
Larrikins all
Sir Henry Parkes and Sir George Dibbs both “scattered promissory notes” and saw nothing improper in a Premier borrowing large sums that he could never repay and rewarding his creditors with a Cabinet appointment, or a comfortable seat in the Upper House. 7
In Parliament “violent behaviour and violent language were condoned or scarcely rebuked. 8
Fights between members were not uncommon and the sight of a drunken statesman falling off his bench during a debate excited amusement rather than indignation”, wrote author Cyril Pearl. 9
Larrikin examples of the 1890s and at various times Honourable members in the NSW Parliament, the three rouges depicted in the book Wild Men of Sydney, John Norton, William Patrick Crick and William Nicholas Willis were associates for nearly 20 years. 10
The “frequent exposure of their villainies only served to consolidate their position as public heroes”, wrote Pearl. 11
Closer to home
The Queanbeyan Age reported that JJ Wright, Queanbeyan’s first Mayor, had demanded Sir Henry Parkes repay money he had borrowed. 12
Trooper Martin Brennan, who was at the gold mining town of Lambing Flat (near Young NSW) during the Chinese riots, later served in Queanbeyan. 13
Brenna said the “indescribable Saturnalia of Saturday nights” in Braidwood in the 1860s (gold-field population of 30,000 with 110 pubs) “equalled the orgies of the ancient Greeks and Romans” and lasted till 5am. 14
In response to a protest about immorality in the Sydney Domain Sir John Robertson had replied that “clean grass is better than dirty sheets”. 15
CWild Men of Sydney
Originally costing twenty shillings the book, Wild Men of Sydney, by Cyril Pearl, first published in London in 1958 by WH Allen, was part of the Queanbeyan Municipal Library collection until it was cancelled and sold for three dollars.
Because the book lacked an index and references it sat for many years on a bookshelf gathering dust on its torn and faded red cover, its true value undiscovered until recent rain on the roof was an invitation to relax and read about NSW in the late 1800s. 16
This book is an excellent read and can still be found in secondhand book shops.
But the most annoying thing about this book is the lack of an index and references so information can be checked.
Although on reflection it appears that information comes from newspaper research and coupled with the three appendix at the back, which give excellent information, imply that the research is valid as the dates quoted throughout the book give an indication of dates for newspaper research if you want to authenticate anything.17
END
Footnotes:
1. Cyril Pearl. The Wild Men of Sydney. WH Allen, London. 1958. p11.
2. Ibid. p 11.
3. Ibid. p 11.
4. Ibid. p 12.
5. Ibid. pp 11-12.
6. Ibid. p 12.
7. Ibid. pp 14-15.
8. Ibid. p 15.
9. Ibid. p 15.
10. Ibid. p 7.
11. Ibid. p 7.
12. The Queanbeyan Age.
13. Cyril Pearl. 1958. p 54.
14. Ibid. p 53.
15. Ibid. p 15.
16. Connee-Colleen. Queanbeyan Outlook with Connee-Colleen “Gathering dust” © 2008. The Queanbeyan Age, 15th February, 2008, p 26. [OL.127]
17. Cyril Pearl. 1958. Appendix I: Details of John Norton’s will. p 245. Appendix II: Text of a letter from John Norton to historian JM Forde. p246-252. Appendix III: List of Napoleonic pieces (mainly sculptures) owned by John Norton and auctioned after his death. pp 253-255.
Copyright:
All content on “Before Canberra” Copyright © Connee-Colleen unless otherwise noted; Apologies extended if inadvertently a copyright has not been acknowledged please inform me so this can be rectified.
NB: (i) CLICK on REFERENCE (at top of page) for more details on footnotes, and (ii) CLICK on GLOSSARY (at top of page) for meaning of words.