Boggo

In this episode of Boggo Jack and Sue discuss an incredible story published in the Courier Mail newspaper on 24 January 1991. Journalist Madonna King reported on an ongoing Criminal Justice Commission investigation into allegations of a call girl racket being run out of Brisbane Women's Correctional Centre by its matron! Boggo Road's former Emergency Squad Chief told the public hearing of a convicted female killer and a female prison officer being photographed together scantily clad in lingerie! It just got worse and worse…

Hear from Jack Sim, Director of Historic Australia about the upcoming temporary closure of Boggo Road Gaol with our last day of tours is the 27th March.

In this episode of Boggo Jack and Sue discuss the shocking revelations of the Truth newspaper in 1962. Photographs smuggled out of the prison revealed a fact denied by authorities – the existence of wire cages to hold dangerous and troublesome prisoners – including notorious Slim Halliday. Even women were caged!

In this episode of Boggo Jack interviews Max who was a prisoner in Brisbane Prison in the late 1950s. He recalls his involvement in a mutiny which saw prisoners scale onto rooftops and barrack themselves in their cells. Those involved were punished severely. A fascinating insight into a serious situation here at Boggo Road 65 years ago from someone who lived it!

In today's episode Gaol Director Jack Sim and Sue Olsen continue the story of John Hobson.  We discover that the time bomb was ready to explode and sadly an officer was to bear the brunt of his rage. 

Psychopath John Hobson should have been in the maximum-security institute for the criminally insane at Sandy Gallop mental asylum near Ipswich, not Brisbane Prison. Officers and Prisoners alike knew thathe was time bomb aggressive and prone to violent episodes. In today'sepisode Gaol Director Jack Sim and Sue Olsentalk about the life of John Hobson and whatbrought him to Brisbane Prison Complex

Jack Sim Gaol Director and Sue Olsen get back behind bars at Boggo Road Gaol. For the first timesince the start of the pandemic we have been able to get back behind bars.   This episode is a welcome back episode and we fill you in on what's been happening behind the irongates of Boggo Road Gaol.

40 years ago, Dean King left Boggo Road Gaol for the last time. Today, he returns to share his story with Gaol Director Jack Sim and to launch his self-published biography ‘King Hit’. Dean was a prisoner in the tumultuous 1980s and witnessed some of the biggest events in Boggo Road Gaol history. However, time spent locked up in Boggo Road Gaol is only part of his remarkable story. WARNING -  Graphic Content – MA15+ -  Prison life is full of hard hitting and sometimes confronting subject matter.  This episode of BOGGO contains material that may be offensive to some listeners. We strongly recommend that it be listened to by MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY.

Tuesday, The 17th of September 2019 marks 60 years since notorious cat-burglar and jail-breaker Arthur Halliday, better known as Slim, made his last major escape attempt. Halliday, already a house-hold name for two successful escapes in the 1940s, was serving life imprisonment in Boggo Road Jail for the dreadful murder of a taxi-driver at Currumbin in 1952. The victim had been killed by blows to the head from the butt of a Colt .45 calibre handgun. In a struggle when arrested in Sydney, where he had fled after learning police discovered he had been living on the Coast, Halliday was shot in the leg by the same model gun that he had in his possession. Detectives swore he admitted to the murder; Halliday claimed senior police framed him.

Cyril James MacIntosh was perhaps one of the most frequent prisoners in gaols all over the eastern side of Australia. His remarkably habitual career as a celebrated bogus doctor graced Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Known by at least seventeen aliases and with at least forty charges to his name, the question remains: was he simply mischievous, malevolent or completely mad?

Three young men; each of them out of work and down on their luck broached the big lights of Brisbane for a change in their fortunes. Three days and a short voyage later their trip to Brisbane would end in salvation for one and for the other two a twelve month stay in a hell hole. “The Reverse Escape” is a thrilling edge of your seat drama from beginning to end.

“From Boggo Road to Marry & Back to 10 Year Sentence” A story from the Headlines of the Truth Newspaper on the 10th of December 1939, tells the remarkable story of prisoner John Daniel Robertson who was given the extraordinary permission to marry while under sentence of ten years at HM Prison Mens Brisbane (colloquially known as Boggo Road Gaol).

In number 3 yard, in two division Boggo Road Gaol there is a piece of graffiti on the wall of F wing cell block - Gentleman Joe. Written in paint and about 20cm high, it is certainly unmissable. Just who Gentleman Joe was has long been shrouded in mystery. Join Gaol Director Jack Sim and Research Coordinator Sue Olsen as they uncover the identity of Gentleman Joe.

Young women of poor origins quite frequently found themselves falling afoul of the law. Her Majesty’s Prison for Women Brisbane at Boggo Road was where most of these women ended up. Maria O'Rourke was among the poorest of the poor and she did what she had to do to survive - steal. 

Prisoners often cause themselves harm to escape the confines of gaol, if only for a short time. In the 1970s a new era of prisoners were in Boggo Road Gaol, with them came new methods of injuring themselves and others. Gaol Director Jack Sim and Research Coordinator Sue Olsen discuss an important discovery in a 1974 newspaper.

Gaol Director Jack Sim and Sue Olsen discuss the upcoming launch of the Male Division Prison Players from the 1970s era at Boggo Road Gaol; The important steps being taken in obtaining items to represent prisoners and officers of that time as accurately as possible and some recent acquisitions.

Boggo Road Gaol is hardly a place you could imagine that a State School would be. However, in 1948 that’s exactly where there was one was opened. Under the tutaledge of an experienced Brisbane State High School teacher a school for prisoners was opened inside the walls of Boggo Road Gaol. It schooled all kinds of prisoners… from petty thieves and armed robbers to infamous murderers. Come and visit Our Strangest State School.

Gold Coast bodybuilder Nathan Jones, at 207 centimeters and weighing 128 kilograms, was nicknamed “The Colossus of Boggo Road”. Nathan was convicted in the Brisbane Supreme Court in April 1989 on five counts of attempted robbery and three of the unlawful use of a motor vehicle. In prison, an upset Nathan is said to have torn his cell door off; in reality he was a gentle giant. Having served his sentence Nathan was released and turned his life around eventually becoming a WWE wrestler and later a famous Hollywood movie star.

A century ago this month, one of the most violent political protests, indeed probably the first real protest of its kind - marched its way through the streets of Brisbane City. What would ensue over the coming days would change Brisbane forever. It would also see thirteen men locked up in Boggo Road Gaol for long sentences with hard labour.

In the 1950s conditions at Boggo Road Gaol were at fever pitch. The prison was horribly over-crowded, prisoners and officers were unhappy. There were riots, protests and regular violence. Finally, late one night there was an escape attempt by notorious violent offenders. This attempt and one officers firm stance would be the subject of a secret inquiry held within the walls of Boggo Road Gaol.

Mafia activity has been known to exist in Australia’s southern states for decades. Many however would not know that in the 1920s and 1930s Queensland had its very own Mafia. Known as the Black Hand they were every bit as dangerous as their southern counterparts. This group of migrant Italian cane field workers was full of extortionists, thieves, pimps, rapists and cold-blooded murderers. Four of these men would end up in Boggo Road Gaol.

With the closure of St Helena Island as a prison in Queensland came the shift of long service men to Boggo Road Gaol. What would now be the new number two division, the former prison for females would be moved elsewhere. The workshops for women were converted into the workshops for men. Soon however the need for the transfer of workshops from St Helena would necessitate the construction of an all new workshops at Boggo Road Gaol. 2019 marks the 90th Anniversary of these workshops. Join Gaol Director Jack Sim and Research Coordinator Sue Olsen as they uncover the history of these essential buildings.

In 1959 a new Prisons Act came into force. Sweeping away out of date procedures, clarifying roles and improving prisoner’s rights. The act laid out clearly punishments and the powers of prison officers. Every officer was expected to know the regulations like the back of his hand. Part 12 of the Act – Treatment, Discipline and Conduct of Prisoners would form the crucial foundation that would determine the day to day management in the prison. The rules and regs would decide what prisoners and officers could and couldn’t do. 

The 1980s were the most turbulent decade in the history of Boggo Road Gaol. Riots, roof-top protests and hunger-strikes by prisoners became the norm. On Saturday 11 March 1989 the biggest mass-breakout ever took place when eight prisoners managed to escape Brisbane Prison.  Officers remember it as the "Laundry Truck Escape". Journalists called it the "Great Escape". Prisoners called it the "Boggo Road Fun Run".  

In this episode Gaol Director Jack Sim and Research Coordinator discuss Queensland Women’s Week 2019. How it is being celebrated with special events in Boggo Road Gaol and Sue makes a very special announcement!  

In celebrating Queensland Women’s week with this year’s theme “financial security and literacy”; we have chosen to highlight how the lives of women of Boggo Road Gaol were directly affected with financial insecurity and circumstance. In today’s episode we are sharing the tragic story of Margaret Dove Fraser a woman of her time and a direct victim of circumstance. We interview Margaret’s granddaughter Sandra for her story.

Research Co-ordinator Sue Olsen speaks with Director Kate Jorgensen about the short documentary SLIM that has been made at Boggo Road Gaol documenting the life of the notorious Arthur Ernest Halliday, otherwise known as Slim. Kate shares the process of developing the documentary and the upcoming launch date for SLIM.

In this Episode Gaol Director Jack Sim and Research Coordinator Sue Olsen are joined inside by Tiana Adair, Museum Assistant from the Queensland Police Museum - our partners in crime. Tiana is here to promote our new Crime, Law and Justice Trail and to discuss a fascinating exhibition at the museum on Arthur Ernest “Slim” Halliday and reveals how one piece of evidence was crucial in the conviction of Halliday for wilful murder - “Peter the Dog.”

In this episode of Boggo Gaol Director Jack Sim and research Co-ordinator Sue Olsen discuss the early years of Arthur Ernest Halliday otherwise known as Slim Halliday. 2019 marks 80 years since Slim came to Boggo Road Gaol for his first decent stretch of time. This sentence is a dramatic turning point in the life of Halliday.

Gaol Director Jack Sim and Research Co-ordinator Sue Olsen talk about this year’s special anniversaries and important dates. They also reveal some of the stories that will be covered in this season of BOGGO and for the first time, you the listeners get to influence what we discuss, and let us know what you want to hear more about!

The story continues in Part 2 of The Cummings Murder Mystery. On Christmas Eve 1926, the bodies of Acting Sergeant of Police Marquis Cummings and Eileen Gladys Walsh were found at the rear of the notorious Boggo Road Gaol.  The crime, infamous in its day is still one of the greatest unsolved murder mysteries in Queensland history.  In this episode, Gaol Director Jack Sim continues the conversation with the descendants of Acting Sergeant Cummings and for the first time the family share who they think committed the crime.

On Christmas Eve 1926, the bodies of Acting Sergeant of Police Marquis Cumming and Eileen Gladys Walsh were found at the rear of the notorious Boggo Road Gaol. The crime, infamous in its day is still one of the greatest unsolved murder mysteries in Queensland history.  In this episode Gaol Director Jack Sim interviews descendants of Acting Sergeant Cummings and gets the story from the family’s perspective.

Christmas is a magical time of year. Just as it is on the outside, the prisoners in Boggo Road Gaol, received special gifts as part of the celebration of Christmas. In this episode Gaol Director Jack Sim and Research Co-ordinator Sue Olsen discuss what life was like for the Prisoners of Boggo Road at Christmas and how they were permitted rare privileges reserved for special occasions.

Frank Hills known as ‘Trooper’ was an officer and a gentleman in the truest sense of the word. A Boer War and World War One veteran twice wounded at Gallipoli and again in the Somme in France. Trooper rose through the military ranks to Regimental Sergeant Major, the highest ranked non- commissioned officer in the Australian Army. Trooper survived the war to become a prison officer and eventually would become involved in one of the greatest conspiracies to kill in Boggo Road Gaol History. The infamous Cyanide Plot.

From its opening in 1883 to its official closure in 1992 more than 25 years ago, Boggo Road Gaol created drama. In the 1980s it was the scene of escapes, riots, hunger-strikes and rooftop protests. While the last years of Boggo Road resulted in nationwide notoriety, its past has been lost in time. Join gaol Director and Author Jack Sim and Research Coordinator Sue Olsen talking about the new book History of Boggo Road Gaol.

In this episode, Research Co-ordinator Sue, and Researcher and Prison Player Anique discuss a research project currently being undertaken on the female division and will share with you the tragic tale of the Juett sisters – The Victims of Vice. “Young women in this time were commonly on the streets when orphaned or unable to live at home for whatever reason. Those who exploited these women are often given little more than a fine and a slap on the wrist. The women were not so lucky and found themselves in front of the Court. Lily and Minnie worked hard and saved their money, occasionally pinching an extra bit from their drunken clientele. After some time had passed, they managed to pay their fare on a coastal ship to Brisbane. Hoping to change their futures for the better… “

Research Co-ordinator Sue, and former officer Kevin, discuss Kevin’s career in the prisons service and what life was like for an officer on the inside of Boggo Road Gaol during the infamous eighties full of riots, protests and violence. “My first impression of Boggo Road Gaol was it was an absolute nightmare! There were rats as big as cats and it was just putrid.” The trouble there all came to a head in 1988 when a series of riots took place. 

William Thompson, known in every state in Australia as Burglar Bill; has been an associate with some of the country’s most notorious criminals. Some of them cold blooded killers who have ended their days on the gallows. When first entering a life of crime he thought he could beat the law. But after twenty-seven years in and out of gaol, he finally realised that crime does not pay.

WARNING: Strong content and language. The 1st November 2018 marks the 30th Anniversary of James Finch confessing his guilt in relation to the firebombing the Whiskey Au Go Go - to A Current Affair journalist Jana Wendt – live via satellite from London. It remains the greatest true crime confession in Australian history. Or was it? In this episode, Gaol Director Jack Sim, author of “History of Boggo Road Gaol”, and former prison officer John, talk about James Finch, his character and personality in Brisbane Prison – Part 2 of a two-part story. 

WARNING: Strong content and language. 31st October 2018 marks the 30th Anniversary of James Finch confessing to firebombing the Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub in Fortitude Valley. Fifteen people died in the fire on Thursday, 8th March, 1973, at the time it was Australia's worst mass murder. John Stuart and James Finch were convicted of murder however they claimed innocence. Stuart was found dead in his prison cell on New Years Day, 1979; Finch was paroled in 1988 and deported to England. In this episode, Gaol Director Jack Sim, author of “History of Boggo Road Gaol”, and former prison officer John, talk about Stuart. 

Former prison officers and prisoners believed that Boggo Road Gaol was haunted; there are ghost stories dating back to the 1930s. Many people died within the walls of the prison during its long history. In this episode, Gaol Director Jack Sim, author of “The Ghosts of Boggo Road Gaol”, and founder of Brisbane Ghost Tours, talks about the origins of the ghosts, and explores the history behind them, and whether visitors to the historic gaol today have experiences.

For more than 100 years women were locked up at Boggo Road Gaol. Their stories are often overlooked. Research Coordinator Sue and performer Karen, an actor with the Female Division, a branch of Boggo Road Gaol's live theatre troupe The Prison Players, talk about this forgotten history. 

Between 1883 and 1913, forty-two criminals comprised of thirty-nine men, one woman and two teenagers, were executed at Boggo Road Gaol. All were hanged, the last in 1913. In this episode, Gaol Director Jack Sim and Research Coordinator Sue talk about a new exhibition - "The Gallows" - which explores the history of capital punishment, behind the walls of Boggo Road Gaol.

The distinctive name of Australia's most notorious prison has a fascinating origin. In this episode Director Jack Sim and Research Coordinator Sue explain where the word "Boggo" came from and how Boggo Road Gaol was never its official name.