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Gatton.

Beautiful Gatton one of Queensland's earliest rural settlements home to around 6,000 people in 2012, is located 90 km west of Brisbane 104m above sea level.

Lying in the heart of one of South East Queensland’s most productive rural areas with some of the richest farming land in Australia. The fertile black soils provide huge crops of potatoes, onions, and other vegetables for the Brisbane markets.

The area is also known for its beef, pork and dairy industries, for its University campus and its good PUBS.

It is also the home of "The Ultimate True Crime Mystery."

This rich agricultural heritage is reflected in the University of Queensland's Gatton College which was started in 1897 as a training college for young farmers. Located on 970 ha it is only 5 km from Gatton on the Warrego Highway.

The college includes both cattle and horse studs and it is recognised as the best agricultural college in the country.

The college can be inspected. Contact (07) 5460 1111 for more details.

The University of Queensland acquired the Gatton Campus in 1990 and offers many agriculture related courses. It is regarded as the finest institution of this sort in Australia.

The presence of the uni and its attendant students gives Gatton a university town flavour reminiscent of Oxford. It may not have old buildings, famous academics, prestige, tourists, shops, traffic, rain and freezing weather but it certainly does have PUBS.

The presence of the uni and its attendant students gives Gatton a university town flavour reminiscent of Oxford. It may not have old buildings, famous academics, prestige, tourists, shops, traffic, rain and freezing weather but it certainly does have PUBS.

The town centre is organised in the same way as in most Australian towns. Almost all commerce focuses on the main street. Every one of the town’s five pubs are also located on the main street.

Gatton and District Historical Society Museum
An insight into the history of the town and the Gatton area can be gained by visiting the Gatton and District Historical Society Museum which is located beside Lake Apex. The lake, beside the highway on the Toowoomba side of town, is a bird sanctuary and a popular spot for picnics. The museum, which is open every Sunday between 1.30 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. or by contacting (07) 5462 1580 or (07) 5462 2884, has a fascinating collection of local buildings as well as interesting memorabilia from the local area.

Early Days

The area was explored as early as 1825 by Major Edmund Lockyer and settled in the 1840s after land around Moreton Bay was opened up to free settlers.

By the 13^th April 1855 the village of Gatton (probably named after Gatton, Roxburghshire, Scotland) was gazetted. By 1858 it had become a major stopover point (it was a changeover point for the Royal Mail horses) on the road from Brisbane to the Darling Downs.

The town was officially surveyed in 1859 and allotments went on sale in 1860.

By 1875 the railway line had been extended from Ipswich and the town expanded rapidly as a service centre for the surrounding farms.

There was even some talk about the feasibility of dredging the Lockyer, so as to make Gatton the head of navigation, which once accomplished, the relocation of Government House and public offices would naturally follow, and Gatton could be proclaimed the capital of the colony, it being decidedly more central than Brisbane, and in a much better position than Toowoomba, not to mention Ipswich.

A high-level bridge across Blackfellow's Creek, constructed for the convenience of the Tent Hill people proved to be the "making" of the Sandy Creek farmers, particularly those nearest the bridge. The population in that quarter increased rapidly. It saved much waste of horse and bullock muscle.

Another high-level bridge was proposed for Tent Hill, thanks to Mr. Armstrong the indefatigable member, for Lockyer at the time, who looked sharper after the interest of his constituents than any other member in the House. The proposed bridge was to cross Sandy Creek, on the road, about fifty chains above Grange Ash Villa.

It was said at the time long may Mr. Armstrong represent Stanley.

The Gatton Murders 1898

One of the most intriguing chapters in Gatton's history is the unsolved multiple murder known as 'The Gatton Murders', 'The Gatton Tragedy',  'The Gatton Mystery' or 'The Murphy Murders'.

Late on a bright moonlit night on Boxing Day, Monday 26^th of December 1898 or early in the morning of Tuesday 27^th, tragedy struck this small country town, in the form of a triple murder, the worst crime perpetrated by white men against white men, in any of the colonies to that time.

Although thoroughly investigated by the Queensland Police, the investigators remained baffled and the crime remained unsolved and remains a mystery to this day.

Several books and countless articles have been written about the crime offering various theories but it appears the truth has eluded them all.

No direct evidence seems to exist to verify any of them, and no convincing circumstantial evidence has yet been presented.

The graves of Michael, Norah (Honara) and Ellen (Theresa)  Murphy can be seen in the Gatton cemetery.

The Crime

Two sisters Norah aged 27, Ellen aged 18 and their brother Michael Murphy aged 29 were murdered in particularly strange circumstances. The Murphy family, who had lived in the Gatton area for over 20 years, farmed outside Gatton at Blackfellow’s Creek.

Michael and Ellen attended a race meeting at Caffey (near Mt Sylvia) during the day of 26 December.

Later that night Michael drove his sisters Norah and Ellen to a dance to be held at the Gatton Divisional Hall. They left their parent's farm in a two wheeled cart at about 8:00 pm and arrived in Gatton at about 9:00 pm.

Not knowing the dance would be cancelled due to a lack of young female attendance.

The trio turned for home without stopping and on the way they were brutally murdered.

The next morning their bodies were found by, William M’Neill their brother-in-law, who mysteriously first called at the Brian Boru Hotel (now the Imperial Hotel) alerting the towns people before reporting it to William Arrell, the local Sergeant of Police, creating a ghoulish rush to the scene.

Michael and his sister Ellen, lay back to back while Norah lay a few yards away on a neatly spread rug. Both the girls hands were tied behind their backs and a hames strap tied tightly around Norah’s neck. It appeared that the girls had both been outraged before being bludgeoned to death.

Michael had been shot then bludgeoned, while 'Tom' the old cart horse had been shot and killed.

The 15 shillings it was known Michael had in his possession was missing and his empty purse found in his hand and a breeching strap found nearby, but a gold watch was still in his possession.

The subsequent investigation was a litany of stupid bungling by virtually everyone involved.

Within hours the Moran’s paddock, where the Murphys' had been killed had up to forty people in it, destroying most of what little evidence there was. The police who would later head the investigation took a day to arrive from Brisbane.

Doctor Von Lossberg who carried out the first post mortem in room No. 5 at Charlie Gilbert's Brian Boru Hotel (now the Imperial Hotel), failed to find a bullet in the head of Michael Murphy (it was only found later when his bodies were exhumed and a second post mortem carried out).

Screams of "Father, Father" and shots were said to have been heard by two girls who lived near the scene at about 10:00 pm.

Much valuable time was wasted chasing a swagmen named Richard Burgess their prime suspect who later proved to have an ironclad alibi.

At a Royal Police Commission held in late 1899 the finger was somewhat pointed towards a man named Thomas Day an itinerant labourer. At the time of the investigation he was all but disregarded by the Detectives.

His hut was about 300 yards from the fateful sliprails of Moran’s paddock.

He had apparently been seen standing near the sliprails of the paddock by a number of people.

He said he had gone to bed at 7:00 pm and hadn't been seen at a fireworks display at the local butcher Mr. Arthur Clarke’s property where he was employed and staying.

It was claimed that he had washed blood from a pullover a few days after the murder.

Two weeks later Thomas Day claiming that he didn't like his employer's food, packed his gear and disappeared.

It is known he enlisted in the military sometime after he left Gatton and deserted in May 1899 and was never heard of again.

DESERTERS FROM HER MAJESTY'S SERVICE.

DESERTED from " A " Battery, Queensland Permanent Artillery, at Lytton Fort, on the 13^th instant, Thomas Day, gunner, Description:- 22½ years of age, 5 feet 8½ inches high, medium build, fresh complexion, dark-brown hair, hazel eyes; a labourer, and native of Cunnamulla, Queensland. Said to be known to Mr. Clarke, Tent Hill, Gatton.

In a poem about the murders John Manifold concludes with the memorable lines:

Whether it was a madman's work
Or that of a fiend from Hell
Only the stark white ringbarked gums
And the silent moon can tell.

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