CRIME and punishment: a history of Bendigo’s law and order is currently on display at Post Office Gallery.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The exhibition broadly talks about crime on the goldfields and legal reform in Bendigo.
Some of the big issues faced by police in the 1850s were trying to control the opium smoking and sly grogging.
The lure of gold in Bendigo attracted throngs of hopefuls from around the world, including the United States, Africa, New Zealand, Malaysia and China.
The biggest influx of Chinese to the goldfields occurred in the mid-1850s.
Finding gold was becoming increasingly rare, and with this new wave of diggers, tensions were heightened.
A forcible expulsion of all Chinese was called for but a strong police presence helped calm the attitudes and settled the strained relationships for a time.
Inevitably, the migration of Chinese to Bendigo ensured their customs arrived as well – one of the most notorious being opium smoking. By 1868 reports indicated that there were approximately 10 opium shops in the Bendigo area.
While opium was viewed as a criminal activity largely undertaken within the Chinese community, it was nevertheless a popular pastime among the wider Bendigo population.
At the time opium was one of the world’s most used and abused substances.
Opium dens were scattered throughout the goldfields.
Police raids were common and one such documented raid occurred in Bridge Street in April 1914.
According to The Bendigonian and The Advertiser newspapers, the raid secured £200 worth of opium, £50 worth of opium smokers’ outfit and some tickets consistent with Chinese gambling games.
The men were each fined £10.
Addiction was certainly not limited to the Chinese population. European diggers also succumbed to intoxication generally in the form of alcohol.
“Sly grogging” was a huge problem on the diggings and it was therefore declared illegal for any alcohol at all to be taken into the camps. Any grog found was confiscated by the police.
According to court records, in 1852 in one month alone 106 men and women were fined £50 each for sly grogging.
Illegal liquor was sold from shanties by dubious characters; women would strap tin flasks to their body under clothing; milk cans camouflaged alcohol.
Sometimes tobacco was soaked in spirits, causing a very potent mix.
The drunks were moved on and dragged away from the shanty to detract attention.
Alcoholic mixtures in various forms were prevalent, although they all were considered much like “rank poison”.
“Refreshment tents” were eventually introduced and licensed, adding to the already long list of drunk and disorderly fronting up in court.
It was not until 1860 that public houses (pubs) opened on Sundays under supervision of hours to try and ease the situation.
Crime and punishment: a history of Bendigo’s law and order is on display until November 30.
For more information, visit Post Office Gallery’s website, www.bendigoartgallery.com.au/Post_Office_Gallery
The catalogue is also available at Bendigo Art Gallery for $9.95.