A History Of Crime In Australia

This book provides a lively and accessible account of Australia’s most prominent crimes and criminals of the nineteenth and twentieth century and offers an informative background for those seeking to understand crimes committed today. A History of Crime in Australia examines the imposition of English law on this ancient continent, and how its operation affected both transported offenders from Great Britain and Ireland, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples whose own systems of Law were overlaid. Drawing upon cutting-edge research in the field, original work by the author, and essays from leading crime history researchers, it addresses the question of whether there was an Australian underworld. In doing so, it provides background for well known offenders including bushranger Ned Kelly and the razor gangs of the 1920s and for sensational crimes like the Mount Rennie Outrage, the Pyjama Girl Mystery and the Shark Arm Murder and the miscarriage of justice following the disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain at Uluru in 1980. Through these case studies, the book draws out points of tension and cohesion within Australian society, exposing the enduring anxiety around those who were considered to be outsiders, and how the criminal justice system was used to manage these concerns. This book includes a guide to conducting research in the field of Australian crime history and sources for further study. Designed as an introductory text for students, this book will be of interest to those studying criminology and crime history, and anyone who would like to deepen their understanding of crime’s place in Australia’s social and cultural history.

The criminal history of Australia from bushrangers who robbed, raped and murdered their way across the Outback in the late 18th and 19th centuries to today's breed of celebrity villain, from Ned Kelly and Jack the Rammer to Mark Brandon 'Chopper' Read and Alan Bond.

A compelling, entertaining and richly visual history of the major crimes to have shocked the nation from the earliest days of settlement to the present day.

Crime Over Time features original contributions from some of Australia’s most respected criminologists and historians. The book marries these two disciplines to offer a unique examination of crime and deviance over more than 200 years of Anglo-Australian history. This innovative compilation explores the intriguing ways in which Australian crime has evolved and the pioneering ways criminal justice agencies have dealt with offenders. The topics investigated range from colonial bushranging to terrorist attacks, along with emerging forms of criminal activity, such as cybercrime. The book also highlights the social construction of crime by using case studies, including the way that homosexual activity was policed in earlier times. The collection provides an engaging and thorough examination of the historical factors that have shaped crime and punishment and its contemporary context.

This handbook explores criminal law systems from around the world, with the express aim of stimulating comparison and discussion. General principles of criminal liability receive prominent coverage in each essay—including discussions of rationales for punishment, the role and design of criminal codes, the general structure of criminal liability, accounts of mens rea, and the rights that criminal law is designed to protect—before the authors turn to more specific offenses like homicide, theft, sexual offenses, victimless crimes, and terrorism. This key reference covers all of the world's major legal systems—common, civil, Asian, and Islamic law traditions—with essays on sixteen countries on six different continents. The introduction places each country within traditional distinctions among legal systems and explores noteworthy similarities and differences among the countries covered, providing an ideal entry into the fascinating range of criminal law systems in use the world over.

Updated, revised and resized for 2010, Gangland Crimes that Shocked Australia is back with more true tales from Australia's underground. Featuring the latest information about the murder of Des Moran, including Judy Moran's involvement, these are the gritty stories of Australia's crime world. A hive of secret activity, the Australian gangland world is fraught with double-crossings, murders, theft, violence and fraud. Living by their own set of rules and regulations, which often involve crooked members of government and the police force, this is your chance to gain a real insight into how the minds and groups of these gangs really work.

This companion addresses the history of crime and punishment through entries by expert contributors that select and define the central vocabulary and terminology for the study of the history of crime and punishment. Organized alphabetically, with useful cross-references and bibliographies, it goes beyond mere definitions to offer rigorous critical analysis of the terms and their use within the field, both now and in the past. It will be essential to students, researchers, and teachers in the field.