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| First courthouse in Maryborough on the corner of Kent and Adelaide Streets, ca. 1872 |
Little known history about the Fraser Coast is the reason why Maryborough lockup became a prison for under 30 days in May, 1877. Two Islander Labourers, Tommy and George, were accused of rape and attempted murder with a tomahawk of Mrs McBryde of Iindah Road, Maryborough as detailed in the Maryborough Chronicle
The Queensland Heritage Register details "In about 1856 a permanent court house and lockup for Maryborough were designed by Alexander Dawson, Colonial Architect of New South Wales. By 1857 the New South Wales Government voted that the sum of £1000 be spent on the erection of a court house and lockup" The buildings were apparently the first brick structures in Maryborough Queensland Heritage Register
According to the Maryborough Chronicle "The Law provided that an execution should take place in the prison of the district in which the offence was committed, or some other prison named by the Governor in Council, and the lock-up at Maryborough had been made a prison for that purpose, because it was on every ground desirable that the execution should take place there ; and so far from it being a public execution, instructions had been given to have the place enclosed, so that it would be as private as if it took place within the walls of the gaol in Brisbane. One reason why it was desirable that the execution should take place in Maryborough was, that Polynesians had, on several occasions, been sentenced to death in different parts of the colony, though in no case had the sentence been carried into effect ; and he had been informed — but he could not say the information was accurate — that the Polynesians did not believe any such sentence was carried out, having heard that the men were still living. It must be admitted that if a sentence of that kind was to be carried out at all, it must be with the object of having a good effect upon others, as it certainly could not have any after effect upon the culprits themselves".
George was considered the innocent one and "Tommy was known as a notoriously bad character by his fellow islanders, and they state that he was expelled from Sandwich for crimes which he committed there " Maryborough Chronicle
The men were held in the prison in until execution. Soon after the prison reverted back to a lockup and the new Maryborough Court House was constructed and partially occupied by August 1877.
References:
Maryborough Chronicle 17th May, 1877 retrieved on 14.11.2018 from Trove
Maryborough Chronicle 19th May, 1877 retrieved on the 30.11.2018 from Trove
Queensland Heritage Register retrieved on the 30.11.2018 from https://environment.ehp.qld.gov.au/heritage-register/detail/?id=600714
Tags #lockup #prison #maryborough #Islanders #courhouse
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