Xavier Duff

In February 1788, the first person hanged in Australia went to the gallows at Sydney Cove for stealing food. In February 1967, the last person hanged in Australia went to the gallows in Melbourne's Pentridge Prison for murder. This book deals with those alpha and omega cases and 10 others from the 179 years between. Most of the cases are fairly obscure, although some, the horrific Myall Creek massacre for example, marked major turning points in Australian law. Duff presents no grand polemic against capital punishment, although he is careful to point out how easy it is for an innocent person to wrongfully executed, and accordingly several of the cases he has chosen here have disputed verdicts. Its not exactly an entertaining book, being largely a catalogue of suffering and misery and the basest instincts of humanity, but it is enthralling and a valuable addition to Australia's lore of capital jurisprudence. True crime buffs and Australian history enthusiasts will both find something to sink their teeth into here.… (meer)