Some of Australia’s most notorious women.
Murderers, bigamists, cocaine traffickers, and back-alley abortionists; a variety of vampy villains and fallen women were captured from the streets and photographed for police documentation. Their vacant stares concealed a history of shocking offenses.
The remarkable photographs—part of a collection comprising 2500 mugshots taken by photographers from the New South Wales Police Department between 1910 and 1930—offer a captivating insight into the lives of women involved in the sordid underworld of early 20th-century Australia.
Meet 32-year-old Dorothy Mort.
Although she may appear benign, there is a chilling femme fatale behind that seemingly innocent face who resorted to murder when her younger lover, facing her alluring gaze, declared their relationship over.
On December 21, 1920, the 32-year-old fatally shot the charming Dr. Claude Tozer when he visited her to terminate their affair—before attempting to take her own life.
Her mugshot, taken four months later at the Long Bay State Reformatory for Women in New South Wales, Australia, is only one tale among thousands that emerge from this captivating collection.
Then there is Harry Crawford, born Eugenia Falleni, a cunning and lethal individual who spent a majority of her life pretending to be a man.
She wed widow Annie Birkett in 1913 and was later found guilty of her murder. The sensational case stirred the public into a frenzy as they sought information about the ‘man-woman’ murderer.
Next are the mother-daughter duo, cocaine dealers Ada and Hazel McGuinness.
A police witness labeled Ada as the ‘most evil woman in Sydney’ during her court appearance regarding possession charges. A judge was informed that, as one of the city’s most prominent cocaine suppliers, she operated a drug enterprise from a modest terrace house on Hargreave Street.
The roll call of career criminals includes several shoplifters and thieves who made quick cash by stealing jewelry and pawning it.
Upon reporting to police that her Bondi apartment had been broken into and jewelry stolen, Clara Randall was later found to have pawned the items for cash. As a result, she received an 18-month sentence with light labor.
These were resilient women navigating harsh circumstances, vastly different from today’s women. Could you envision Kim Kardashian engaging in a brawl with any of these individuals?
Edith Ashton, aged 37, functioned as an illegal abortionist and also engaged in theft and dealing in stolen property. The media often referred to her as a ‘socialite’ suspected of causing the deaths of at least two women during abortions.
Mother Ada McGuinness, age unknown, was deemed the ‘most evil woman in Sydney’ by a police witness when facing cocaine possession charges in court. Her daughter Hazel was concurrently brought in on similar allegations but was released on bond. The court learned that McGuinness senior, who resided in a terrace home on Hargreave Street, was among the city’s busiest cocaine dealers.
Fay Watson appears in the New South Wales Police Gazette of 1928. She was apprehended at a residence on Crown Street, Darlinghurst, and subsequently found guilty of cocaine possession, for which she was fined ten pounds.
Alma Smith received a five-year prison sentence for conducting an illegal abortion on a young woman who…died later.
Vera Crichton, aged 23, conspired with two others to ‘procure a miscarriage on a third woman’. She is ‘bound over to appear for sentence if called upon within three years’. As for E. Walker, nothing is known about her except that she was thought to be a vagrant due to her scruffy appearance.
Jean Wilson, 23, accumulated numerous convictions related to housebreaking and theft. She had a preference for stealing jewellery, as it was easily pawned for money. Additionally, she robbed her employer, which resulted in a 12-month sentence.
In a similar fashion, Clara Randall informed the police that her Bondi flat had been broken into, and a quantity of jewellery was stolen. Later, it was revealed that she had pawned the jewellery for cash, leading to an 18-month sentence with light labour.
Some women in these photographs found themselves behind bars due to illegal abortions, such as Janet Wright, 68, who almost killed a teenage patient during the procedure.
Edith Ashton, 37, was a backyard abortionist who also engaged in theft and fencing of stolen goods. The media described her as a ‘social somebody,’ and she was suspected of being involved in the deaths of at least two women during abortions.
Alma Smith operated as an illegal abortionist in Tamworth, a town in northern NSW. Her actions led to the death of a young woman from a botched abortion, who identified Smith as the abortionist. Despite her denial, Smith was eventually convicted and sentenced to five years in jail.
Elizabeth Singleton had a history of multiple convictions for soliciting and was classified as a common prostitute in police records. Although she was imprisoned at Long Bay, the specifics of her sentence remain unclear.
By age 24, Alice Adeline Cooke had gathered a variety of aliases and at least two husbands.
Elizabeth Ruddy was known as a career criminal and was convicted for stealing from Andrew Foley’s residence. She received a sentence of 12 months with hard labour, yet details regarding Mrs. Osbourne (shown right), who was arrested in 1919 at an undisclosed location, are lacking.
Janet Wright, 68, nearly led to the death of a teenage patient during an illegal backstreet abortion.
Emily Hemsworth was found not guilty by reason of insanity after killing her baby son but could not recollect the details.
Harry Crawford, known as the man-woman murderer, looked like a man but was actually named Eugenia Falleni. Throughout most of her life, she lived as a man. In 1913, she married widow Annie Birkett, whom she later murdered. This case sent the public into a frenzy, eager for more details about the ‘man-woman’ murderer.
Legendary undercover officer Constable CJ Chuck, referred to as ‘The Shadow’ in criminal circles, was responsible for apprehending Jessie Longford, 30, a notorious shoplifter.
Doris Poole appeared in Newtown Police Court on charges of stealing jewellery and clothing. Having previously been convicted for a similar offense in North Sydney, she was sentenced to six months with light labour.
Jean Wilson, 23, had a string of convictions related to housebreaking and theft. Her preference for jewellery theft stemmed from its ease of pawning for quick cash. She also robbed her employer, resulting in a 12-month sentence.
Amy Lee, 41, was described in court as a ‘good looking girl until she became a victim of the vile practice’ of cocaine snorting. Her dry, blotchy skin served as evidence of her drug use.
by Al Salmon
