Australian History

[Rockhunter62]

Hi goldtruck59,

The main thing is that you are still with us, I hope that you have recovered from your ailment. Feel free to beat us to the answer.

Cheers

Doug

 

[reefer]

haha! great to hear from you GT!..sorry to hear you were so sick.As Doug said..your still with us and thats great.Welcome back mate.

 

[Balmain Bob]

Good to hear that you are Ok GT.

If you wish to post a question please do, I will save this one for latter

 

[goldtruck59]

Hi goldtruck59,

The main thing is that you are still with us, I hope that you have recovered from your ailment. Feel free to beat us to the answer.

Cheers

Doug

Thanks Doug !!

GT

 

[goldtruck59]

haha! great to hear from you GT!..sorry to hear you were so sick.As Doug said..your still with us and thats great.Welcome back mate.

Cheers mate !!

GT

 

[goldtruck59]

Good to hear that you are Ok GT.

If you wish to post a question please do, I will save this one for latter

Nah Bob,

Your question is great. Spent a bit on it this morning... still looking....

Cheers and thanks

GT

 

[Balmain Bob]

Clue:

I am female and what I did was well reported in the media at the time

 

[reefer]

aaah...your a master of the art of cryptic rhetoric BB. :lol: Soo...its a process of elimination then..or in other words..lucky guesses I will say...Jessica Watson..eh,eh

 

[Rockhunter62]

How about LOTTIE LYELL born Charlotte Edith Cox, born 1890 Balmain . Regarded as Australia's first film star.

Been going round in circles all day Bob.

Cheers

Doug

 

[wayne1]

hand of faith?

 

[casper]

Lola Montez

casper

 

[Balmain Bob]

Sorry everyone you are all wrong.

I was a lovely grandmother figure until my evil side was discovered.

 

[DrDuck]

Casper, we have had a question about the notorious Lola Montez and her spider dance a few years ago!

""In September 1855 she performed her erotic Spider Dance at the Theatre Royal in Melbourne, raising her skirts so high that the audience could see she wore no underclothing at all. Next day, the Argus thundered that her performance was 'utterly subversive to all ideas of public morality'. Respectable families ceased to attend the theatre, which began to show heavy losses."[19] At Castlemaine in April 1856, she was "rapturously encored" after her Spider Dance in front of 400 diggers (including members of the Municipal Council who had adjourned their meeting early to attend the performance)

I've got nothin, but will think about it!

 

[casper]

Casper, we have had a question about the notorious Lola Montez and her spider dance a few years ago!

""In September 1855 she performed her erotic Spider Dance at the Theatre Royal in Melbourne, raising her skirts so high that the audience could see she wore no underclothing at all. Next day, the Argus thundered that her performance was 'utterly subversive to all ideas of public morality'. Respectable families ceased to attend the theatre, which began to show heavy losses."[19] At Castlemaine in April 1856, she was "rapturously encored" after her Spider Dance in front of 400 diggers (including members of the Municipal Council who had adjourned their meeting early to attend the performance)

I've got nothin, but will think about it!

haha! the picture painted in your mind by the reading sorta grabs your imagination does it not....

 

[DrDuck]

Bob, I reckon you have in mind Caroline Grills, poisoner., who was born in Balmain in 1888, and certainly became famous in the 1950's.

"On 11 May 1953 Grills was arrested and charged with the attempted murder of her sister-in-law Mrs Eveline Lundberg and Lundberg's daughter Mrs Christine Downey, both of Redfern; the attempt had been made with thallium, a poison commonly found in rat bait. The symptoms of thallium poisoning included loss of hair, nervous disorders, progressive blindness, loss of speech and eventual death. Both Downey and Lundberg suffered these symptoms for some time, recovering only when Mrs Grills did not visit. They were not alone. In 1953 Sydney was in the grip of thallium panic. From March 1952 until the arrest of Grills there had been forty-six cases of reported thallium poisoning, involving ten deaths. In the few months after her arrest there were further reported cases of thallium poisoning, among them one of a prominent footballer.

Further investigation led police to charge Grills with four murders and one attempted murder. All of the victims, with the exception of a friend of her mother, were in-laws. Police speculated that her poisoning spree had begun in 1947 with the murder of her stepmother. Exhumation of the bodies of two victims revealed traces of thallium. While the police believed that a strong circumstantial case existed to substantiate murder, they only proceeded with the original charge of attempting to murder Mrs Lundberg."

 

[Balmain Bob]

Well done DrDuck,
Yes it was Caroline Grills. A sweet little old lady but you wouldn't want to have afternoon tea with her.

http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/grills-caroline-10371

Over to you DrDuck

 

[DrDuck]

Thanks, Bob

Lets stay in the 1880's and Balmain. I was also born in Balmain in the 1880's and was a notable all round sportsman. In later life I had a leading role in children's physical fitness.

 

[DrDuck]

Time for a hint: sports I excelled in included swimming, Rugby Union and the pugilistic arts!

 

[DrDuck]

Another Hint, I was a very good boxer, excelling at that sport while a serviceman during WW1. Just before the war I had one of my few losses when I was knocked out by Les Darcy, but broke two of his teeth in the process.

 

[PabloP]

I am afraid that you clue was a giveaway for Google use.

Answer is Harold Hardwick.

Best that I don't put up a question as I am travelling for several days.

Rob