Executed Prisoners, Regional Queensland 1864-90

As the new colony of Queensland expanded its frontier throughout the 1860s, new towns could measure their growing status by the presence of courthouses and prisons. Outside of the capital Brisbane, only Rockhampton and Toowoomba actually got to host hangings, as did Maryborough on a one-off occasion in 1877. The expense of sending execution officials around the colony resulted in most hangings still taking place in Brisbane, and after Boggo Road - with its state-of-the-art gallows - opened in 1883 only one execution ever took place outside the capital city again.

Rockhampton Prison, circa 1915 (Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society.)

Name: Alexander Ritchie
Hanged: 1 AUG 1864, Toowoomba Gaol
Crime: Murder, Yandilla
Bio: Scottish, Presbyterian, age 26
(Account of the execution of Ritchie)

Thomas John Griffin
1 JUN 1868, Rockhampton Gaol
Murder, MacKenzie River
Irish, Church of England, age 36
(Account of the execution of Griffith)

Thomas Griffin. (John Oxley Library)

George C.F. Palmer
24 NOV 1869, Rockhampton Gaol
Murder, Eight Mile
New South Wales, Church of England, age 26

George Palmer. (JOL)
John Williams
24 NOV 1869, Rockhampton Gaol
Murder, Eight Mile
New Zealander, Church of England, age 45
(Account of the execution of Palmer and Williams)

Alexander Archibald
22 DEC 1869, Rockhampton Gaol
Accessory to murder, Eight Mile
Scottish, Presbyterian, age 27
(Account of the execution of Archibald)

Gee Lee
7 MAR 1870, Toowoomba Gaol
Murder, Warrego district
Chinese, Pagan, age 37

Jacky Witton/Whitton
7 MAR 1870, Toowoomba Gaol
Rape, Bodumba station
Aboriginal, age 25
(Account of the execution of Lee and Witton)

William Brown/Bertram
29 AUG 1870, Toowoomba Gaol
Robbery under arms, Mangalore
German, Roman Catholic, age 20
(Account of the execution of Brown)

Donald Ross
21 NOV 1870, Rockhampton Gaol
Murder, Springsure
Scottish, Presbyterian, age 26
(Account of the execution of Ross)

George
15 MAY 1871, Rockhampton Gaol
Rape, Gracemere
Aboriginal, Presbyterian
(Account of the execution of George)

Jackey Clayson
14 APR 1875, Rockhampton Gaol
Rape, Palmerville
Aboriginal
(Account of the execution of Clayson)

Tommy Ah Mow
18 MAY 1877, Maryborough
Rape, Maryborough
Vanuatu, Church of England

George
18 MAY 1877, Maryborough
Rape, Maryborough
Vanuatu, Church of England
(Account of the execution of Ah Mow and George)

Michael Barry
2 JUN 1890, Rockhampton Gaol
Murder, Rockhampton
Irish, Roman Catholic, age 46
(Account of the execution of Barry)

Back to Hanging in Queensland
Back to History Vault
Powered by Blogger.