Lady Ann Rylah 1911 - 1969

 Lady Ann was, from all contemporary accounts, a very nice, kind person.

She was the first female of the species to enroll at the Uni of Sydney School of Veterinary Science, and she continued her vet practice right up until her death.
An odd death; she'd not long separated from her husband, a fierce gate-keeper of everyone's morals who was busy banning books, plays, films all over the shop whilst his pile of Playboys kept his desk drawer cosy.
Sir Arthur Rylah was definitely punching above his weight, such a shame his wife was cremated so quickly without an inquest. It left people wondering, and an inquest could have easily answered so many questions...

Further reading -

Ann Rylah

Cars, crashes and cover-ups

Lady Chatterley and Alexander Portnoy: Narrowing the Limits of Censorship in Australia

The Books Australia Banned 

Australian Princess Rani of Pudukota aka Molly Fink 1894 - 1967

 Molly met and married Marthanda Bhairava Tondiman in a whirlwind romance in Australia in 1915.

Although welcomed by the people of Pudukota, there was some question of Molly being poisoned, alongside the rudeness of the British Govt who refused to recognise her title, nor later would they recognise their son as heir to the principality.

Another Royal love story, Netflix...!

Further reading -

The rani from Down Under

Biography

The Indian Royal who gave up his throne to marry an Australian socialite

Australian Princess Her Highness Begam Jahana of Palanpur nee Joan Falkiner 1915 - 2003

 We don't often connect Aussies with Royalty - unless they're claiming to be Richard III's 14th generation granddaughter... - but there have been plenty of times Aussie-born ladies have caught the eye and hearts of Royalty.

Today is a quick run-down on Joan Falkiner, whose real life romance with Taley Muhammed Khan, Nawab of Palanpur, out-did any Barbara Cartland novel = 

They met while he was recovering from a polo injury resulting in a real-life elopement to another country against her wealthy parents wishes to a man much older than herself, of a different religion, with a living first wife, a son her same age, scorned by the British (yeah, looking at you, Mountbatten!) denied her rightful title until the last.

Seriously, Netflix, this is oozing more romance than some of your latest offerings...!

Her granddaughter, Aaliya Suntana Babi is a celebrated Paleontologist known as "Dinosaur Princess".

Further reading -

Wikipedia

Aaliya Suntana Babi aka Dinosaur Princess 

Joan in India

The Nunawading Messiah aka The Oakleigh Prophet aka James Fisher (nee) Cowley 1832 - 1913

 Unbeknownst to all of us Jesus Christ had, apparently, already made a quick stop-over in the form of a shady AF character named James Fisher.

Who managed to convince people the Son of God had descended into a crop of cabbages and HE WAS TO EAT THEM ALL TO ACQUIRE THE SPIRIT. Stir-fry?

Oddly, he managed to practice polygamy (along with the usual bigamy), having 3 sisters as his wives - WITH THE FULL BLESSING OF THE PARENTS - and broke up the marriage of the 4th sister - again, WITH THE FULL BLESSING OF THEIR PARENTS.

The whole hot mess only came to light when Fisher was taken to Court for NOT ACTUALLY BEING THE MESSIAH because a child died. 

It is valuable to see the methods used by this bloke to winkle money, women, power out of others and into his own control.

There are many well-researched papers on this person, I'm not re-inventing the wheel by repeating it all here; just holding it up, dusting it off and reminding people that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Further reading/Sources -

Australian Dictionary of Biography

Victorian Collections

Fisherite Descendants of Wickipin, WA

James Cowley Morgan (Cowley) Fisher 

New Jerusalem Settlement site 

A Messiah for The West 

The Nunawading Messiah 

The Nunawading Imposter

The Oakleigh Prophet

Melbourne's Botanic Gardens Shooting Spree Norman List 23 January 1924

 Almost a century ago a young man displayed worrying mental health symptoms - paranoia, believing wireless messages were being sent to his mind to control him, to hurt his family, that people were telling lies about him and his family, that his enemies had a radio system that advertised him everywhere he went...(I'd like to know what Professor Graeme Yorston made of him).

After tramping all over the world, fighting in WW1, Norman List returned to his family home in Richmond, Victoria, where these symptoms were on full display.

This all came out after the horrific shooting spree he orchestrated at the Melbourne Botanic Gardens; in just 4 minutes four people were dead.

Their names were

Frederick McIlwaine

Miriam Podbury

Eugenie Strohhecker

John Moxham

Norman List himself was found dead by suicide at Deep Creek near Pakenham, Victoria.

Further reading - 

Massacre At The Botanic Gardens

Carlton Gardens Beer Poisoning 1905

 

May 5th, 1905 in the Carlton Gardens 3 people were poisoned with prussic acid/cyanide in beer; Richard Barry, having imbibed more than the other gardener, John Mulgrave and Constable Lancaster, died from the effects.

Despite police searches, no one was ever found or arrested for this murder.

Someone trying it out? A rehearsal, perhaps, before the intended target?