1792: Sydney’s First Grave: The Convict Buried Beneath What Is Now the Town Hall
When Governor Phillip and the Reverend Richard Johnson chose a quiet spot on the outskirts of town for a burial ground in September 1792, the first person laid to rest there is believed to have been a convict named Michael Dunn. Read more →
1863: An Escaped Convict Asked for Directions After a Fatal Attack, Then Was Hanged at Perth Gaol
John Thomas, a convict known as prisoner number 7279, escaped from a work party at Sutherland’s Bay in June 1863, taking a blanket, a carpenter’s axe and other items. Read more →
1888: Jack the Ripper Claims His Second Victim: the Mutilation of Annie Chapman
Annie Chapman was a heavy drinker who had turned to prostitution in London’s Whitechapel after her marriage collapsed and her daughter died, using the earnings to pay for drink and a bed for the night. Read more →
1904: “She Was Always Kind and Good to Me”: Employee Hanged at Melbourne Gaol for Murdering His Employer’s Wife
On the morning of 10 July 1904, Mrs Veitch, wife of baker A. Read more →
1974: Gerald Ford Pardons Richard Nixon for Any Crimes Committed in the Watergate Scandal
On September 8, 1974, President Gerald Ford granted former President Richard M. Read more →
2025: Mushroom Murderer Erin Patterson Sentenced to Life, Could Walk Free at 82
Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale handed Erin Patterson three life sentences for murder and 25 years for attempted murder, setting a non-parole period of 33 years. Read more →
