The nation’s most iconic building, considered the gateway to Australia, hides a dark secret rarely discussed in polite society.
You may know the official story – the bare facts that construction began in 1959 – but the creation of a national icon proved to be an expensive and deadly business.
By 1960, the Sydney Opera House had become so costly that the New South Wales government introduced a series of public lotteries to raise the funds needed to continue construction.
On 1st June 1960, travelling salesman Bazil Thorne – almost as an afterthought – was one of the last people to buy a ticket. Against all odds, he won first prize: £100,000, the equivalent of $3 million today.
Bazil and his family’s financial fortunes were solved overnight, and his face was splashed across the front pages of newspapers. Back then, lottery winners had no right to privacy. Transparency came first; secrecy was not an option.
The newspapers also revealed the prize would be paid out five weeks later – Thursday, 7 July 1960. A detail that created an unfortunate date with destiny for the Thorne family.
Exactly five weeks later, Bazil’s son made history for all the wrong reasons. His 8-year-old boy became the first person in Australia to be kidnapped for ransom. On the 7th of July – the very day the prize money was due – he vanished on his way to school.
His disappearance was quickly noticed, and it wasn’t long before the kidnapper rang the household and demanded £25,000, stating, “I have your son. If you don’t get the money, I’ll feed the boy to the sharks.”
A policeman, unaware of the family’s lottery win and posing as Bazil, took the call. He expressed doubt that such a large sum could be gathered. The kidnapper promised to call back before 5 pm with further instructions.
The police responded immediately, holding a press conference that same day. By afternoon, the kidnapping was front-page news across the country.
The kidnapper rang back in the evening and demanded two paper bags full of cash, but gave no instructions and hung up. That would be the final call with this story not destined for a happy ending.
Over a month later, the boy’s body was found. Forensic analysis indicated he had died on the day of the kidnapping – the 7th of July. With the help of cutting-edge forensics and a crucial tip-off, police traced the crime to a man named Stephen Bradley. But by the time they reached his home on 3rd October, he had already made his escape, sailing for England.
His getaway was short-lived. When his ship reached Sri Lanka (then Ceylon), Bradley was arrested and extradited to Sydney to stand trial. The jury pronounced him guilty, prompting wild excitement, with one woman shouting, “Feed him to the sharks!”
New South Wales had abolished the death penalty for murder in 1955, so Bradley’s sentence of life imprisonment was expected to last just 14 years, but he died in jail seven years later of natural causes, likely to everyone’s relief.
At the time, Australia had no legislation covering abduction or kidnapping for ransom, and the case prompted a complete overhaul of the law.
The Sydney Opera House undoubtedly remains a striking icon on Sydney Harbour. But like many of the city’s most admired landmarks, much of what you see is a beautiful facade that conceals all manner of dark stories that lie buried deep in the core of Sydney’s foundations.
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To uncover more Sydney Crime History, consider booking tickets to Sydney’s True Crime Tour here @ https://darkstories.com.au/sydney-true-crime-tour/.
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