Tucked away in the heart of Christie Park, at the corner of King Street and Christie Street in Newcastle, stands an ornate relic of the city’s colonial past — the Shortland Centenary Fountain.
Originally unveiled in 1897 to commemorate Lieutenant John Shortland’s 1797 exploration of the Hunter River, the fountain first graced the promenade at Newcastle Beach. In 1937, it was carefully dismantled during the construction of Shortland Esplanade and relocated to the outskirts of Fletcher Park, near the intersection of Church Street and Pacific Street (now connected via a pedestrian walkway), standing close to the shoreline.
On a cold July night in 1946, Beryl and her 20-year-old companion, John, had spent the evening visiting two picture theatres. Later, they wandered through Fletcher Park and eventually sat near the memorial fountain.
There, Beryl consumed a piece of chocolate laced with cyanide, given to her by John. This historic fountain would deliver its most tragic legacy when Beryl, no doubt feeling the first effects of cyanide poisoning, took what would be her final sip of water. She collapsed shortly afterward being rushed to Newcastle Hospital by a passing motorist, but died within ten minutes of arriving.
Police charged John with murder. But as the case unfolded, a more complicated picture emerged. John claimed Beryl had persuaded him to purchase the chocolate and the cyanide as part of a suicide pact. He said he had also intended to consume the poison — but spat his piece out before swallowing.
Freinds spoke of Beryl’s despair and recalled her saying she wanted to die — but never alone. At the time, Beryl was an unmarried pregnant woman — a source of deep shame and societal pressure in the 1940s and didn’t want to disgrace her family. John, it was said, had offered to marry her, but she declined, believing she was too young.
At the inquest, the coroner found that Beryl had willfully poisoned herself — but that John had encouraged her, having sourced the cyanide and helped plan the act. Still, the court could not definitively confirm the existence of a mutual pact.
John ultimately pleaded guilty to manslaughter. The court acknowledged his claims that he had tried to dissuade Beryl — but these were undermined by his encouragement and failure to prevent her death. He was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, with a recommendation for release after just six months for good behavior.
Today, the fountain — silent witness to Beryl’s final moments — now nestled in Christie Park, stands today as a quiet relic of Newcastle’s layered history and a subtle monument to a tragedy long forgotten.
What do you think? Did John truly intend to die? Or did he handle the poison with care, knowing exactly what it would do? Was this a tragic suicide, a mutual death pact, an act of manslaughter — or did John get away with murder?
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Postscript 1:
Five years later, now living in Islington, John Byrnes made the news again — this time for accidentally shooting himself in the abdomen with a .22 calibre rifle. He claimed he had been cleaning the gun in a shed when a cartridge exploded, with the bullet entering his stomach and exiting near the backbone. His condition at the Royal Newcastle Hospital was serious for a time — but once again, he survived. John eventually passed away in 1965.
Postscript 2:
During the fountain’s relocation in 1937, a time capsule was discovered — a glass jar filled with coins was found hidden within a concrete enclosure at its base. This was a popular practice in memorial installations throughout the 19th and 20th centuries — a practice which continues to this day.
To uncover more Newcastle Crime History, consider booking tickets to Newcastle’s True Crime Tour here @ https://darkstories.com.au/newcastle-true-crime-tour/.
