NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Crime in Melbourne

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia has a lower crime rate than Sydney^{[citation needed]}, and it is a reasonably safe city by world standards. It has the lowest per capita rate of violent crime of any Australian capital city^{[citation needed]}. Melbourne has also one of the highest Graffiti rates in the world^{[citation needed]}. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Melbournes CBD has grown to straddle the Yarra River in three major precincts. ... Motto: Peace and Prosperity Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Governor HE Mr John Landy Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Area 237,629 km² (6th) - Land 227,416 km² - Water 10,213 km² (4. ... Insert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text here Crime in Sydney has been part of the city since the earliest days as a prison colony. ... Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head. ...

Early history

The Nelson robbery was one of the major crimes of the Victorian gold rush. It involved the robbery at gunpoint of 8,183 ounces of gold valued at about £30,000 by a party of thieves from the barque Nelson as she lay at anchor in Hobsons Bay off Melbourne on the night of 1-2 April 1852. The Nelson robbery was one of the major crimes of the Victorian gold rush. ... The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria in Australia between approximately 1851 and the early 1860s. ... The City of Hobsons Bay is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. ...

The Depressions of the early twentieth century generated organised crime, as in most western cities. Infamous gangsters of the time included Squizzy Taylor, and were portrayed in Author Frank Hardy’s 1950 novel "Power Without Glory". Joseph Leslie Theodore Taylor, known as Squizzy Taylor, due to a droop in his left eye. ... [1]Frank Hardy (1917â€“1994) was a left-wing novelist and writer from Australia. ... Power Without Glory is a 1950 novel written by left-wing Australian writer Frank Hardy. ...

From the 1950s until the early 1990s the majority of underworld crime figures and major incidents can be traced back to the Painters and Dockers Union that existed on Melbourne's waterfront. Similar in structure to Italian crime gangs, the 'dockies' followed an unwritten set of rules which included assistance to members, rejection of conventional justice and a code of silence. The Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union was an Australian trade union which was deregistered in 1993. ... The Melbourne Docklands is a new inner city suburb and Urban renewal project in Melbourne, Australia. ...

Activity was centered around control of the Union, and the cut associated with the drugs that passed through the port. In the early 1970s the amount of drugs increased, and so did the violence associated with it. This was later the subject of a Royal Commission The Royal Commission on the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union (The Costigan Commission) was established by the Australian government in 1980 to investigate criminal activities associated with the union. ...

Timeline of major incidents

1970s

Eloise Worledge kidnapping

1976: Eloise Worledge kidnapped from her suburban home and presumed killed although her body was never found. Eloise Worledge is a missing person, who as an eight year old girl was abducted from her home in Beaumaris, Australia in the early hours of January 12, 1976. ...

Great Bookie Robbery

1976: A well-organized gang of six stole between $6 million and $12 million from the Victoria Club in Queen Street; the crime remained unsolved and was known as the Great Bookie Robbery. Queen Street is a street in the Melbourne central business district. ... The Great Bookie Robbery was a crime committed in Melbourne, Australia on 21 April 1976. ...

Easey Street murders

1977: Easey Street murders two women were viciously stabbed in their home in Easey Street, Collingwood. The Easey Street murders refer to the killing of Suzanne Armstrong and Susan Bartlett, who were stabbed to death on 10 January 1977 in their home at 147 Easey Street in the inner Melbourne suburb of Collingwood. ... Collingwood is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ...

1980s

Russell Street Bombing

On March 27, 1986 a car bomb exploded outside the Russell Street Police Headquarters, killing 21 year old Constable Angela Taylor. The bomb caused extensive damage around the area. Image File history File links Photo taken by user on 11 July 2005. ... Image File history File links Photo taken by user on 11 July 2005. ... The Russell Street Bombing is the name given to a tragedy that occurred at 1pm on March 27, 1986 when a stolen 1979 Holden Commodore left parked outside the Russell Street Police Headquarters complex in Russell Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, exploded. ... March 27 is the 86th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (87th in leap years). ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Car bomb in Iraq, made from a number of concealed artillery shells in the back of a pickup truck. ... Russell Street Police Headquarters was for many years the headquarters of the Victoria Police before they were moved to St Kilda Road in about 1990. ... A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. ...

Hoddle Street massacre

In the afternoon of August 9, 1987, former army cadet Julian Knight went on a 30 minute shooting spree in Clifton Hill, killing 7 and wounding 19 before being arrested. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. The Hoddle Street massacre is the name given to a tragedy that occurred on the evening of Sunday, August 9, 1987 in Hoddle Street, Clifton Hill, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. ... August 9 is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Julian Knight (born March 4, 1968) is the mass murderer who on August 9, 1987, shot dead 7 people and injured 17 during a shooting spree in Clifton Hill, Victoria, in what became known in Australian history as the Hoddle Street Massacre. ... Clifton Hill is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime, nominally for the entire remaining life of the prisoner, but in fact for a period which varies between jurisdictions: many countries have a maximum possible period of time (usually seven years) a prisoner may be incarcerated, or require the...

Queen Street massacre

On December 8, 1987, around 4:00pm, 22 year old Frank Vitkovic walked into the offices of Australia Post on Queen St. Over a period of four hours, he killed eight staff, wounded five, and seriously traumatised many others, before jumping out of a window and killing himself. It is speculated that he may have been pushed. Queen Street, facing north from Flinders St The Queen Street massacre was a tragedy that resulted in the deaths of 8 people, and serious injury to 5 more, as well as severely traumatising many many more individuals, on the afternoon of December 8, 1987. ... December 8 is the 342nd day of the year (343rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Walsh Street police shootings

On October 12, 1988, two police officers were ambushed and killed in Walsh Street, South Yarra. Victor Peirce and Trevor Pettingill, Anthony Farrell and Peter McEvoy were charged, though later acquitted at trial by jury. In 2005, the wife of Peirce gave an interview detailed how her husband planned the murders. The Walsh Street police shootings was the execution style murder of Victoria Police Officers Steven Tynan and Damian Eyre who were gunned down in suburban Walsh Street, South Yarra, Australia on October 12, 1988. ... October 12 is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... South Yarra is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... Victor George Peirce (November 11, 1958 - May 1, 2002) was an infamous Australian criminal from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... Trial by Jury is a comic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta in one act (the only single-act Savoy Opera). ...

1990s

Karmein Chan murder

Silk-Miller police murders

On August 16, 1998 Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rodney Miller were staking out a restaurant when they were shot at close range. Bandali Michael Debs, and Jason Roberts were sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders as well as 13 other charges of armed robbery. Image File history File links Silkandmiller. ... Image File history File links Silkandmiller. ... Gary Silk and Rodney Miller The Silk-Miller murders (also known as the Moorabbin Police murders) were the name given to the murder of Australian Victoria Police officers Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rodney Miller in Cochranes Road, Moorabbin, Victoria, Australia on August 16, 1998. ... August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime, nominally for the entire remaining life of the prisoner, but in fact for a period which varies between jurisdictions: many countries have a maximum possible period of time (usually seven years) a prisoner may be incarcerated, or require the...

Melbourne gangland killings

Between January 16 1998 and March 7 2006 at least 29 underworld figures were killed in Melbourne, in a series of tit-for-tat killings between various groups, starting with the murder of Alphonse Gangitano and culmunating in the arrest of Carl Williams and the killing of suspected hitman Andrew Veniamin The Melbourne gangland killings refer to 29 criminal figures who were murdered in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in a series of retributional killings involving various underworld groups between January 16, 1998 and February 7, 2006. ... January 16 is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... March 7 is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Alphonse John Gangitano (March 24, 1957 - January 16, 1998) was an Australian criminal from Templestowe, Victoria, Australia, a suburb of Melbourne. ... Carl Anthony Williams a. ... Andrew Benji Veniamin was a suspected hitman involved in the Melbourne underworld killings. ...

2000s

Monash University shooting

At 11:20am on October 21, 2002, Huan Xiang, a student at Monash University went into a tutorial room at the Clayton campus with 5 guns and shot and killed 2 students. He was tackled and restrained by a lecturer until police arrived. He was found not guilty of murder due to mental illness The Monash University shooting was a school massacre that took place at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia on October 21, 2002. ... October 21 is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 71 days remaining. ... Robert Menzies Building at the Clayton Campus Monash University is Australias largest university with about 55,000 students. ...

The Korp Tragedy

In early 2005, a public appeal was held by Joe Korp, whose wife Maria had disappeared days earlier. Maria was found in the boot of a car, barely alive, and later dying in hospital, and Joe Korp's mistress, Tania Hermann, was convicted of her murder. Joe Korp was also charged, but committed suicide while on bail. The family's luxurious mansion in Greenvale was later sold for $860,000. Maria Korp (b 1955?, d. ...

The Flinders Lane Shooting

On the 18th of June, 2007, a man fired 6 shots, killing one man, and critically wounding a woman and another male. The man was seen dragging a woman out of a taxi on a busy Melbourne street when two male bystanders attempted to help her. The man pulled out a hand gun and shot the two men and woman at point blank range. This incident occured at 8:15am, during one of Melbourne's busiest times. Victims were rushed to the Alfred and Royal Melbourne Hospitals for emergency surgery. The gun man left the scene almost immediately, later dumping his jacket and gun at a nearby buiding site. He still remains at large. The 2007 Melbourne CBD Shooting refers to a fatal shooting which occured in the Central Business District of Melbourne, Victoria on June 18, 2007. ...

Major figures

Billy "The Texan" Longley was a leader of a union faction within the Painters and Dockers. He was known as "The Texan" either because he wore a Stetson and carried a Colt .45. or because the character played by Rory Calhoun in the film The Texan was Bill Longley. A biography, In Your Face has been written of his life by Rochelle Jackson, published by ABC books.

Mark "Chopper" Read, as a figure, has been immortalised in film Chopper, played by actor Eric Bana. Due to a high profile through his books, he is perhaps the best known figure to have emerged from Melbourne's criminal underworld. His deeds as reported in his books are considered to be a mix of fiction and non-fiction, however he has only spent 18 months of his adult life out of prison. He was a standover man in prison and most of his convictions are for jail violence against weaker prisoners. Mark Brandon Read, also known as Chopper Read and Chopper, is an Australian criminal and published author. ... Chopper is an Australian 2000 drama-crime thriller-black comedy film written and directed by Andrew Dominik based on the semi-autobiographical books by Mark Brandon Chopper Read. ... Eric Bana (born Eric Banadinovich on August 9, 1968) is an Australian film and television actor. ...

Contents

Early history

Timeline of major incidents

1970s

Eloise Worledge kidnapping

Great Bookie Robbery

Easey Street murders

1980s

Russell Street Bombing

Hoddle Street massacre

Queen Street massacre

Walsh Street police shootings

1990s

Karmein Chan murder

Silk-Miller police murders

Melbourne gangland killings

2000s

Monash University shooting

The Korp Tragedy

The Flinders Lane Shooting

Major figures

See also

External links

Contents

Early history GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Timeline of major incidents

1970s

Eloise Worledge kidnapping

Great Bookie Robbery

Easey Street murders

1980s

Russell Street Bombing

Hoddle Street massacre

Queen Street massacre

Walsh Street police shootings

1990s

Karmein Chan murder

Silk-Miller police murders

Melbourne gangland killings

2000s

Monash University shooting

The Korp Tragedy

The Flinders Lane Shooting

Major figures

See also

External links

Early history