In Victoria’s State archives there is a remarkable cache of letters written by George Bateson, who was arrested and convicted of sodomy in late 1860. There are some 200 letters addressed to notable Victorians including the governor, premier, inspector-general of penal establishments, members of parliament, and lawyers. These rare documents provide powerful evidence of homosexual life and the impacts of mid-nineteenth century laws relating to sodomy. The story begins on an evening in November 1860, when 19-year-old William Gardner went to the police to complain that the previous evening, when he was staying at a city hotel with George Bateson, he had been subjected to Bateson’s sexual advances. The police asked Gardner to meet with Bateson again the following evening and when their sexual connection was sufficiently advanced, Gardner should cough twice. He agreed to the plan, and when Gardner coughed the police emerged from a closet in the hallway, catching the two men in the act. Bateson was convicted of sodomy in 1860, but his death sentence was recorded rather than pronounced. In due course the Governor of Victoria commuted the sentence, as was usual for the crime, and instead sentenced Bateson to 15 years’ hard labour, with the first three years to be spent in chains. In 1871, Bateson was released, having spent four years less in prison than his original sentence. During and after his time in prison, Bateson wrote letters to the authorities to assert that he was innocent, falsely accused and the victim of a conspiracy. He demanded that this terrible miscarriage of justice should be reversed and a pardon granted to him. Bateson was not the first man in Victoria to be convicted and sentenced in this way; nor was he the first to petition for redress. But the extent of his letters and the scope of the issues raised in them offer a remarkable insight into homosexual life in the mid-nineteenth century, such as how men might meet each other, and approaches to police and punish homosexual behaviour. Bateson’s letters provide crucial evidence to expand our understanding of Victoria’s queer past. Quoted from "A History of LGBTIQ+ Victoria in 100 Places and Objects" by Graham Willett, Angela Bailey, Timothy W. Jones and Sarah Rood.

Victorian Railways memo certifying that Thos. Coughlin has been instructed in all the duties of Canterbury Signal Boxcanterbury, canterbury station, victorian railways, signal boxes, coughlin> thos.

Handwritten extracts from the North Johnsons Mine Managers, F. Agnew, G. Roberts and J. Veale's Reports dated from 8th July 1898 to 27th Feb 1908. Report mentions cage being hung up and rope being caught and stuck, cutting down of shaft, repair of winding rope, cutting down and timbering of shaft, miner burnt when candle flared, which was believed to be caused by gas, sinking of shaft and water heavy and recommend to stop sinking shaft and start to cut a plat. (b) Report dated 29-11-1906 mentions a typhoon destroying the east side of the engine-house. This was repaired and also cleaned flues and boilers and ventilation at 3273 and 3471 feet.gold, mining reports, north johnson's mine managers' reports, f agnew, p schadendorff, the 'rose' plant, g roberts, j veale, inspector williamson

William John (Bill) Pill born 1894 Diamond Creek, son of Jessie Ann Whatmough and John Henry Pill. A modestly successful market gardener, growing tomatoes, at Cottles Bridge. He was murdered in his cottage on 21 December 1958. Contents Photograph: William John Pill. Photographs (3): Pill's Cottage, Cottles Bridge 1936. Magazine article: "Tortured!", pages 23-27, "Killers at Large" Southdown Press 1970. Story of the murder of Bill Pill.Newspaper clippings, A4 photocopies, etcwilliam john pill, bill pill, cottles bridge, ada pill, detective sergeant frederick adam, tim powder, senior constable k lloyd, herbert funnell, first constable leonard dugdale, henry pascoe, detective inspector c petty, john henry pill, jessie ann pill nee whatmough