1984: The Fine Cotton Ring-In That Shook Australian Racing

On 18 August 1984, a carefully orchestrated betting scam unfolded at Eagle Farm Racecourse in Brisbane. A syndicate headed by former bloodstock agent John Gillespie entered a horse under the name Fine Cotton, a poor performer racing at 33-1, then sent out Bold Personality, an open-class horse several grades above, crudely disguised with Clairol hair dye and white paint to mimic the brown gelding’s markings. The plunge was unmistakable: Fine Cotton’s odds crashed to 7-2 as money flooded in at tracks and TABs across the country.

Stewards grew suspicious at the dramatic form reversal and disqualified the horse. The botched disguise, paint flaking, colouring mismatched, made the fraud obvious. Trainer Hayden Haitana was disqualified and prominent Sydney bookmaker Robbie Waterhouse lost his licence for 17 years. The Fine Cotton scandal remains one of the most shambolic and notorious frauds in the history of Australian thoroughbred racing.

Horse racing
Horse racing

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1991: Sir Terence Lewis, Queensland Police Commissioner, Convicted of Corruption

Sir Terence Lewis, Commissioner of the Queensland Police Service from 1976 to 1987, was found guilty on 5 August 1991 of 15 counts of corruption and one of forgery, following the explosive Fitzgerald Inquiry into police misconduct. A District Court jury determined that Lewis had accepted bribes totalling $700,000 to protect brothels, SP bookmakers, illegal casinos, and gaming machine operators. He had been handpicked for the commissioner’s role in 1976 by Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen, bypassing 122 more senior officers.

Judge Healy sentenced Lewis to the maximum term available: 14 years for corruption and 10 years for forgery, to be served concurrently. Lewis was stripped of his knighthood and two other awards. He continued to protest his innocence and pursued appeals until the last one failed in August 2005.

Terence Murray Lewis, Queensland Police Commissioner. © State of Queensland (Queensland Police Service); original photographer unknown. Retouched by Georgfotoart. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
Terence Murray Lewis, Queensland Police Commissioner. © State of Queensland (Queensland Police Service); original photographer unknown. Retouched by Georgfotoart. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.

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Queensland’s Sliding Doors Moment: Wiretap City

In the 1970s, a gripping arm wrestle was unfolding behind closed doors. Would corruption prevail, or could the anti-corruption forces reclaim the heart and soul of Queensland policing?

The fightback took shape in the early 1970s with the formation of the Whitrod-led CIU (Criminal Intelligence Unit). Their weapon of choice: the wiretap.

The years that followed would prove to be an incredible lost opportunity—what we might now call a sliding doors era. For a time, the anti-corruption forces had successfully neutralised key members of the infamous Rat Pack who were running the Vice Squad’s corruption rackets—either forcing them into retirement or banishing them to remote Queensland country outposts where they could do no harm.

Wiretapping had proven to be a valuable weapon. But despite having what seemed like unlosable, ironclad, open-and-shut cases—backed by wiretap evidence—several high-profile prosecutions were lost.

Wiretapping in Vice City Fortitude Valley

By 1976, the relationship between Commissioner Whitrod and Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen had completely broken down. The Premier was increasingly interfering in police affairs, demanding the use of the police force as a bulwark against critics and political opponents. Then came the tipping point: Joh recalled one of the rats from the wilderness of country QLD and appointed him Assistant Police Commissioner—directly under Whitrod.

It was intolerable. Whitrod resigned in protest. The end result? The Premier promoted head rat Terry Lewis one more rung to take on the newly vacated top policing job in the state—appointing Terry Lewis as the new Police Commissioner. Like a pied piper, Lewis played his tune—and the rats returned en masse.

The sliding doors moment wasn’t just missed; it was slammed shut. Political corruption was now entrenched at every level, fusing police, underworld, and cabinet interests to a scale never before achieved. Fortitude Valley became further entrenched as the vice capital of Queensland.

But as history would record, the corruption of this era would eventually come crashing down—almost by accident—a decade later. It wouldn’t fall in a single blow—but once the first domino tipped, the downfall of Vice City was unstoppable.

Discuss On Substack

To uncover more Brisbane Crime History, please consider booking tickets to Vice City Fortitude Valley’s True Crime Tour here @ https://darkstories.com.au/vice-city-fortitude-valley-true-crime-tour/.

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Meet the Actor – A Night With The Villains

This Halloween, Mira Ball Productions, in association with Our Yakka and the Salad Bowl Collective, brings you a sinister night of villainous melodies through their concert A Night With The Villains.

But only for two unforgettable nights – Tuesday 31st Oct and Wednesday 1st Nov. Here we meet one of the concert’s principal performers – Georgia Leigh – whom we chatted to for the insider’s view of A Night With The Villains.

About Georgia Leigh

A Night With the Villains

 

What do you enjoy most about acting?

I love the way being an actor can transport you to so many different places and be a completely different person to yourself. It’s so fun being able to play different characters. I personally love going out after the show and meeting the audience, hearing what they think and interacting with them as myself.

What productions have you acted in before?

I have worked mainly in Musical Theatre, with most of my professional experience in Children’s Theatre, starring in roles such as Sophie in Mamma Mia and Nancy in Oliver! And Rosalie Mullins in the QLD Amateur Premier of School of Rock. I have performed at the Adelaide Fringe Festival with JALLY Entertainment, performing as Snowy in Snowy and the 7 Cool Dudes by A.J. Bailey and have performed this show in 6 states and territories.

What has been your favourite role so far in your career?

I met my husband playing Sophie in Mamma Mia, so I am probably slightly biased in thinking that’s my favourite role. In terms of the most challenging, I think that would have been Rosalie Mullins from School of Rock, she is very different to who I am, so it was hard being a tight arse, but that’s what made it so enjoyable.

What do you think makes a performance most believable?

I think that a believable performance has heart. I find performances most believable when I can sense the deep connection to the character and can feel and see myself in those moments.

Are there any particular genres or types of roles that you prefer or feel most comfortable in?

I love working in the Children’s Theatre. Although physically demanding, it brings me joy knowing that I could potentially influence future young actors. I remember watching shows at my school and thinking how amazing it was, and I hope I am bringing that same feeling to others.

 

About A Night With The Villains

A Night With the Villains

 

What is this Production about?

A Night With The Villians is the amazing brainchild of Elodie Boal and Trent Sellars, with help from Jennifer B Ashley and Jackie Fredericksen along the way. Imagine having all the best villains in the world returning for just one night (in our case, 2!) and tormenting you with fabulous song and dance. Truly, it is a match made in Halloween heaven, but you can’t just take my word for it!

What character are you playing, and what can you share with us about them?

I am playing the Wicked Witch character. As soon as I was posited with going green for this show, I was all in! Some of the best roles are painted green, so I am actually honoured to be doing it for this one! Everyone in this show has a unique character, and it is so wicked and fun to see them transform at rehearsals.

Why did you want to be involved in this production?

I spent a year in America in 2019, and the difference between American Halloween and ours cannot be understated! When Elodie approached me about being a part of a Halloween show, you bet I was ready brooms-a-blazing. Being a part of a supportive cast and crew was also a major draw card. These guys have been the BEST to work with.

What sort of person is going to love this show?

Everyone who loves a bit of a spook and something quirky will love this show—bringing a little bit of Musical Theatre, Film and Television together in one jam-packed 2-hour thrill. Everyone has their moment to shine and tell their own unique story with iconic songs and amazing dancing.

What’s going to surprise people about this show?

How amazing the talent is in Brisbane (though we already knew it!), the cast is so solid in their performances and deliveries I think that people will be amazed.

Georgia can be seen in A Night With The Villains from 31st Oct to 1st November in the Ron Hurley Theatre in the spooky Seven Hills Hub.

Other interviews can be viewed in Our Meet The Actor Series, or check here for the latest Dark Stories True Crime Tours.

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On This Day in True Crime History
1794·The First Free Settler Murdered in the Colony: Hanged at Sydney for a Parramatta Stabbing
1826·The Gun That Misfired Twice: Three Bushrangers Hanged Outside Sydney
1873·A Tearful Confession in Custody Cracked the Case: Two Men Hanged at Perth Gaol for Eating their Victim
1889·He Called It an Accident. The Jury Called It Murder: Robert Landells Hanged at Melbourne Gaol
1907·A Doctor Fooled Twice: Martha Rendell and the Second Child to Die of Diphtheria
2002·Shot Dead in His Own Bed: A Melbourne Gangland Killing Blamed on a Friend
More Crime On This Day →

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