warrnambool court

WHISKEY CREEK CHARACTERS

The adventures of Tom Delaney and the wild Nirranda lads

in their Illicit Whiskey Distilling - Manufacture of MOUNTAIN DEW including the illegal Crown stamp on the label.

Christie the governor and local police pose - Photo J.B. Castieau

Photograph by J B Castieau
Back row 2 Police officers, Mr.Christie, Police officer. Front row, 2 Police officers, Lord Hopetoun - Governor of Victoria, H.W. Osborne (reporter) Copy - "Damm You John Christie" by John Lahey, State Library Victoria Australia

The following table lists dates of prosecution of characters involved in illicit whiskey making, prosecuting officers, location of the stills, bondsmen if appropriate and details of fines/gaol terms.

DATE		STILL LOCATION	PROSECUTION	BONDSMEN	FINES
Mar 1881	John Delaney, Denis Dinan	Farrell's paddock	Mr W. H. Willock - Customs	under research	£50ea/3mths gaol- Portland prison
Sept 1887	John Casey	Nirranda	under research	under research	£ under research
Jan 5,1894	John Sparks, (James Hopkins) not convicted	property rented by Sparks.	Det. J. Christie	J. Delaney, T. Delaney, R Brumby	£200
1894	Wilson	Wilson	under research	under research	£ under research
May 8, 1894	James Love	Whiskey Creek	Det.J. Christie, Constables Arthur, Snowden and Jones.	none	£200/12 mths gaol
May 28,1894	Tom Delaney	Whiskey Creek	Det.J.Christie, Con's. Arthur, Snowden, Jones	none	18 mths gaol -Geelong prison

The following table lists an incident involving characters caught smuggling goods from the wreck of "Fiji" at Moonlight Head near Port Campbell, Victoria Australia, 1891. The British barque built in Belfast, Northern Ireland, was voyaging from Hamburg to Melbourne when nearing Cape Otway along south coast of Victoria Australia. It grounded early on Sunday morning September 6, 1891. It's cargo included 200 cases of dynamite, a large quantity of Indian rubber balls, a piano, coloured rocking horses and "Borass" twist tobacco. An inquiry was held resulting in Captain William Vickers being charged with gross misconduct on Sep 25, 1891. It was stated that he did not have the means by which to pay any money as he had lost everything with the wreck.

Incidently the webmaster recalls as a child, playing with a coloured Indian rubber balls , one of the many items that floated ashore from the wreck and somehow managed to bounce into the toybox.

Sep 30 1891

20 names including Tom Delaney

smuggling, assaulting a customs officer, Mr A Christie (assaulted and thrown over the steep cliff managed to land in a bush)

Det Christie, Customs, Arthur, Snowden, Jones, Sergeant Graham

What were the fines?

Who threw Mr A Christie over the cliff? Who is Mr.A Christie? Could he be the excise officer stationed in Warrnambool, and relative of Detective John Christie?

Tom Delaney fined £25 for taking spirits from wreck of Fiji.