1956: The Year that Rocked Kingsgrove

Transcription

Rockdale City Council
2014 Ron Rathbone Local History Prize
1956:
The Year that Rocked Kingsgrove
By: Therese Murray
Dedications
To Christine,
Thank you for the idea for this story – what started as a single idea sparked
into a furnace of intrigue
To Luke,
Thank you for being my sounding board and supporting me as I juggled all the
balls
To Charlotte,
Always my inspiration
2014 Ron Rathbone Local History Prize – Therese Murray
Page 2
Table of Contents
1956 KINGSGROVE: A HUB OF EXCITEMENT AND INTRIGUE .............................................. 4
THE “ATOMIC-LIKE ROAR” OF THE GASOMETER ................................................................ 4
THE CAR BOMB THAT SHOCKED A NATION ....................................................................... 9
THE BROTCHIE’S: A VERY DRIVEN FAMILY ........................................................................................ 9
DR. BROTCHIE MOVES TO KINGSGROVE ......................................................................................... 11
THE GOOD DOCTOR ................................................................................................................... 14
THE “KINGSGROVE BOMB OUTRAGE” ........................................................................................... 15
THE MAKINGS OF A MURDER WEAPON ......................................................................................... 22
SPECULATION OVER THE MOTIVES OF A MURDERER ......................................................................... 28
THE TRUTH REVEALED: THE SUICIDE LETTERS THAT TELL ALL ............................................................. 32
JUST WHO WAS HENRY FOSTER?.................................................................................................. 37
MENTAL ILLNESS IN 1950S AUSTRALIA .......................................................................................... 40
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? ............................................................................................................. 44
REFERENCE LIST .............................................................................................................. 49
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1956 Kingsgrove: A Hub of Excitement and Intrigue
In 1956, Kingsgrove literally rocked. It was a time of explosions, car bombs, excitement,
murder and suicide. Whoever knew that sleepy Kingsgrove was such a hub of excitement
and intrigue?
Two explosions in the same year of 1956 had Kingsgrove rocking – the explosion of the
gasometer; and the car bomb that sent Kingsgrove (and the nation) into a panic. This report
will address both.
The “Atomic-Like Roar” of the Gasometer
‘If Kingsgrove ever had a landmark, it was the gasometer in Kingsgrove Road which
was built in 1926-27’.1
A gasometer is a very large gas tank (sometime known as a ‘gas bell’), in which natural gas
or town gas is stored.2 A gasometer essentially resembles a large cylinder on a round, steel
frame.
Early on the morning of 16th February of 1956, the old Kingsgrove Road gasometer exploded
in spectacular fashion, with a force which was to be felt some five miles (8 kilometers)
away.3 The Kingsgrove gasometer held two million cubic feet of gas, so when it exploded,
1
City of Canterbury Library website (Brian Madden), n.d.
“Gas holder”, Wikipedia
3
“Gas Plant Blow-up Startles Sydney”, 16/2/56, The Age
2
Page 4
naturally it was with an ‘atomic-like roar’4 which reverberated for a full 15 seconds.
Although no one was killed, many residents and local workers suffered terrible burns and
blisters to their skin as a result of the intense heat. A pilot, who happened to be flying over
the area immediately after the explosion, dramatically explained that ‘“the gasometer
appeared as though it had been cut open by a tin opener”’.5
The gas tank of the Kingsgrove gasometer lies beneath the steel frame which remained
standing.
Photo source: “Gas Plant Blow-up Startles Sydney”, 16/2/56, The Age
The gasometer was located very close to the bus depot (which still exists in Kingsgrove
today); hence some of the injured persons were employees of the bus depot. Mr. Harold
Kelly, bus driver at the depot, told newspapers how he was literally ‘hurled off his feet’.6 In
this article it is also documented that ‘terror-stricken women and children screamed as they
fled from their homes’.
4
ibid
ibid
6
ibid
5
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Mr. Harold Kelly and Mr. Donald Hayes, both injured by the gasometer explosion
Photo source: “Gas Blast Called ‘Eruption’”, 16/2/56, The Sydney Morning Herald
The force of the explosion is not to be underestimated. The newspapers of the time
described a ‘great mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke’ that rose 2000 feet7 (more than half a
kilometer). Images of the Hiroshima bomb can’t help but be conjured up!
But how did the explosion look and feel like for the local residents at the time? One article
vividly paints the picture of mass hysteria – explaining that trees, flowers and shrubs in a
radius of 500 yards were seared by the heat; and that over 100 residents flocked to the
scene immediately after8. Five people were injured by the blast, although thankfully no
casualties entailed. Injuries included burns to the neck, hands and face, as well as shock. 9
A local resident of the time that was interviewed by the author, “Kevin”, described his
recollections of the incident. He remembers it occurring very early in the morning, and as he
7
“Gas Blast Called ‘Eruption’”, 16/2/56, The Sydney Morning Herald
ibid
9
ibid
8
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and his family ran outside from their Kingsgrove home, they saw the cloud of smoke rushing
upwards. He describes the sound as “like a petrol tank exploding – it was massive”.10
Another local that the author interviewed, Mr. M. Johnson, recalls the explosion occurring
and what he was doing at the time. He was eating breakfast like any other day, and as he
looked out his window, he saw the flames shoot into the air, even though he lived all the
way at Bexley North!11
If the explosion were to happen today, there would probably be far less homes affected, as
the area is mostly industrial now. However, at the time, there were weatherboard cottages
right next to the Kingsgrove Road gasometer. The resident of one such cottage, Mrs. H.
Bentley, at the time described how the wall of her house was blistered, the house shook,
and windows and doors rattled.12 Mrs. Bentley describes the scene of chaos and confusion
very aptly:
‘”I saw people running with their children, running in all directions. It was a
frightening sight in the heat and smoke.”’13
Perhaps the most vivid account of the lead-up to the explosion was from one local teenage
boy at the time, Gary Tolra. He described how he heard a low rumbling coming from the
gasometer initially, and then increasingly it got louder and louder. The reader can’t help but
picture a quivering, trembling unit ready to blow at any point! In Gary’s own words,
eventually he:
10
“Kevin”, personal communication, 1/5/14
M. Johnson, personal communication 31/5/14
12
“Gas Blast Called ‘Eruption’”, 16/2/56, The Sydney Morning Herald
13
ibid
11
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‘”..saw the gasometer wobbling about and shaking…then there was a terrific blast
and flames shot up about 400ft.”’14
But what caused such a dramatic explosion? Was foul play at work? Was negligence
involved? It appears that it is not as sinister as this. Experts from the Australian Gaslight
Company (later AGL) at the time believed a spark ignited gas that was escaping from a
structural flaw at the top of the tank.15 Regardless of the cause, it sure made for excitement
and thrills in sleepy Kingsgrove!
But Kingsgrove wasn’t finished with explosions for the year of 1956. There was to be a much
darker, sinister explosion to come – a pre-meditated and murderous one. Few could have
foreseen what was yet to come.
14
15
ibid
“Gas Plant Blow-up Startles Sydney”, 16/2/56, The Age
Page 8
The Car Bomb that Shocked a Nation
Kingsgrove had been rocked once, but little did it know that it was to be rocked again – all
within a matter of months after the first explosion. So now we turn to the focus of the
remainder of this report – an intriguing bomb, murder and suicide that occurred in sleepy
Kingsgrove in August of 1956. A case that made “Kingsgrove” a household name across
Australia, and featured in national newspapers as well as front-pages of the major papers of
Sydney, Canberra, Central Queensland and Melbourne. The case even made international
news in a leading paper of Kansas, United States of America!16
The protagonist in our story is one Dr. Edward Bonaventure Heffernan Brotchie.
The Brotchie’s: A Very Driven Family
Dr. Brotchie was born in 1905 to Ada Florence Carpenter and John Alexander Brotchie, in
Fitzroy, Victoria.17 He was one of nine children, including his older sister Elsie Esther
Heffernan Foster, who was to prove critical in this tale that is about to be unfolded. A
comprehensive picture of the Brotchie family tree can be found at Ancestry.com.au.18
16
“Two Killed in Car Bomb”, 14/8/56, The Kansas City Times
Australian Birth Index, Ancestry.com.au
18
Brotchie family tree, Ancestry.com.au
17
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Dr. Edward Bonaventure Heffernan Brotchie.
Photo source: Brotchie family tree – Ancestry.com.au
Edward Brotchie was highly educated – he firstly attended Melbourne High School, and
then, in 1928, graduated with a medical degree from Melbourne University.19 In 1936, he
moved to Adelaide to practice at the esteemed Queen’s Maternity Hospital and Children’s
Hospital.20 Edward Brotchie came from a studious, educated, respectable family – he was a
doctor, plus two of his brothers and one of his sisters were chemists.21 This picture of the
family aligns with a personal account from a distant relative, Mrs. M. Carey (related to Dr.
Brotchie through her great-grandmother Rose Carpenter – Edward’s aunty on his mother’s
side). In an interview with the author of this report, Mrs. Carey describes the Brotchie
family as being “clever and driven to medical professions”. She retells her mother’s
19
“He turned key and car exploded: Doctor, sister die in bomb outrage”, 14/8/56, The Argus
ibid
21
ibid
20
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delightful tale of visiting the Brotchie household and every one of the nine children were at
a desk studying – there were even desks on the landing of the staircase!22 Clearly, Edward
came from intelligent and driven stock.
In an interview with Mrs. Carey’s mother, Mrs. V. Robinson (cousin to Edward’s mother,
Ada), it was confirmed that Edward came from a long line of medical professionals.
According to Mrs. Robinson, Edward’s eldest brother and sister (Ada and Richard) were
“ahead of their time” in their practice as herbalists or what modern-day patients might call
naturopaths.23 Mrs. Robinson recalls that the majority of the Brotchie family (both males
and females) studied at university, and that this was a family that valued education, despite
having little means and a father who was rarely at home.
Additionally, one of Edward’s sisters, Victoria, was a very talented pianist. 24 Clearly, it was
part of the Brotchie family nature to be hard-working and ambitious.
Dr. Brotchie Moves to Kingsgrove
Dr. Edward Brotchie and his family moved from Adelaide to Sydney in the early 1940s. The
first official record of Brotchie’s residence in NSW is the 1943 Electoral Roll.25 According to
this Electoral Roll, the 38-year old Dr. Brotchie worked as the Superintendent at St. George
District Hospital (this was from 1941-194626), and appears to have lived within walking
distance of his work, at 16 Chapel St, Kogarah. He lived with his wife, Irene Gladys Amy
22
M. Carey, personal communication, 14/4/14
V. Robinson, personal communication, 25/4/14
24
ibid
25
1943 Electoral Roll 1, Ancestry.com.au
26
“Doctor and Sister Killed in Car by Bomb Explosion”, 16/8/56, The Central Queensland Herald
23
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Brotchie (whose occupation was listed as ‘Home Duties’), and their three daughters.27 For a
period of time, the Brotchie’s also lived at Number 17 Argyle St, Penshurst.28
Brotchie lived the life of a ‘clean’ man – he was a lay preacher at his Methodist church and
did much charitable work for the church; he sat on various committees; he didn’t drink,
smoke or take an interest in sport; and certainly had no known enemies.29 Much later in this
tragic story, the Brotchie family would be remembered by their lawyer, Mr. Redman, as a
‘”family who are retiring, dignified and devout”’.30 The Brotchie family story probably would
have remained largely un-noteworthy were it not for the events that led up to August of
1956.
By 1949, Brotchie and his wife had relocated to 334 Kingsgrove Road, Kingsgrove (the corner
of Kingsgrove Rd and Dowsett St).31 By this stage, one Victoria Heffernan Brotchie
(Edward’s younger sister – the talented pianist previously mentioned) was also listed as
residing at this address. Her occupation was shown as ‘Receptionist’.32
Victoria Brotchie herself had moved to Sydney from Fitzroy, VIC at approximately the same
time as her brother had; first settling in Sydney around 1943.33 On the 1943 electoral roll,
Victoria is shown as having an address of 316 Pitt Street, Sydney, which just so happens to
be the business address of her brother-in-law, Henry Foster (Henry was married to one of
27
M. Aldous, personal communication, 21/5/14
29
30
Coroner’s report – interview with Det-Sgt George Munro. The Coroner’s report can be accessed from the
State Records Authority of NSW at Kingswood.
31
1949 electoral roll, Ancestry.com.au
32
ibid
33
28
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the elder Brotchie sisters, Elsie Esther). The Pitt Street address was probably listed because
Victoria worked as Henry’s stenographer (before transferring to become Edward’s
receptionist).
Dr. Brotchie had set up his new surgery walking distance from his home. The surgery was
located at 272 Kingsgrove Road34, virtually directly opposite where the current Post Office
stands today. The site currently operates as a café.
272 Kingsgrove Rd, Kingsgrove – the site of Dr. Brotchie’s doctor’s surgery in 1956. The shop
operates as a café today.
Photo source: Google Maps
The aforementioned Elsie Foster (Edward and Victoria’s older sister) took over as Edward’s
receptionist shortly after Victoria returned to her hometown to be married35, which,
34
Coroner’s report – interview with Det-Constable James Merrett. The Coroner’s report can be accessed from
the State Records Authority of NSW at Kingswood.
35
ibid
Page 13
according to the censuses of the time, must have been sometime after 1954.36 Elsie lived
with her husband, Henry Foster (Victoria’s former employer), very close to the doctor’s
surgery, at 32 Vivienne Street, Kingsgrove (the corner of Vivienne and Margaret Streets).37
The Good Doctor
According to one long-term local resident, Mr. M. Aldous, the Brotchie family settled in his
street (Argyle Street Penshurst) at number 17 – by all accounts a simple, Housing
Commission residence. According to Mr. Aldous, the family were extremely normal and
down-to-earth, despite their father being the esteemed and respected local doctor who
made house visits to the sick. The family had none of the airs and graces that can sometimes
come with being so highly educated.38 In fact, Mr. Aldous remembers the family being just
like any other – struggling to make ends meet and just being “one of the rest”.39
Interestingly, in an interview with another resident of the time, Mrs. J. Hasler, the memory
of the family is quite different. Mrs. Hasler remembers the family attending her church (the
Kingsgrove Methodist Church), and according to her, they always kept to themselves and
seemed “rather snobby”.40 When the author of this report questioned Mr. Aldous about
these conflicting views of the family, he stated that people may have just misinterpreted
them. He believes that at the time, being devout Methodists meant keeping up a façade and
36
1943 Electoral Roll 1, Ancestry.com.au, 1949 Electoral Roll
“Doctor, Sister Killed in Car Bomb Outrage at Kingsgrove”, 14/8/56
38
39
ibid
40
J. Hasler, personal communication, 20/5/14
37
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not ‘airing dirty laundry in public’. He thinks this may have come across as being snobbish,
but that was certainly not the family’s intention.41
Another resident of the time, Mrs. S. Woolie, recalls how Dr. Brotchie treated her
extensively during her complicated pregnancy. She has nothing but glowing praise for him –
describing him as a “most kind man” and the “kindest doctor I ever had”. In her words, he
was “absolutely wonderful”.42 She recalls the utter grief and despair she experienced when
she heard the tragic fate of Dr. Brotchie – “I cried my eyes out”.43
The author received multiple similar descriptions of the doctor – even to today people
remember him as an exceptionally kind and skilled doctor. That’s why the events that were
to unfold were even more unpalatable to the close-knit community of the time.
The “Kingsgrove Bomb Outrage”44
The night of Monday 13th August 1956 started off like any other for Dr. Brotchie. He
followed his usual routine of parking his pale-blue 1955 ‘Plymouth’ outside the vicinity of
number 8 Paterson Ave, Kingsgrove at about 5:30pm. 45 He parked in Paterson Ave46 nightly
because of the parking restrictions outside his surgery on Kingsgrove Rd.47 It is unclear why
Brotchie did not just park his car in his house garage and walk the short distance home
41
S. Woolie, personal communication, 21/5/14
43
ibid
44
“One Funeral for Killer and Victims”, 16/8/56, The Age; “Doctor, Sister Killed in Car Bomb Outrage at
Kingsgrove”, 14/8/56, The Sydney Morning Herald
45
“Doctor, Sister Killed in Car Bomb Outrage at Kingsgrove”, 14/8/56, The Sydney Morning Herald
46
Note: many of the documents from the time (including the Coroner’s Report and newspaper articles) refer
to ‘Patterson’ Avenue, however the modern-day spelling is ‘Paterson’ Avenue
47
42
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nightly – this is a question that is not at all answered in any of the newspaper articles of the
time. Nevertheless, anyone who watched Dr. Brotchie on a regular basis would most
certainly have observed a pattern to his movements, as it was customary for him to leave
his car parked nightly in Paterson Avenue, whenever he was in his surgery.48
At approximately 7:15 pm that night, Dr. Edward Brotchie, 50, and his receptionist sister
Mrs. Elsie Esther Heffernan Foster, 45, walked to Brotchie’s car after working at the surgery.
It is not clear where they were heading to – perhaps to make a house call; or to drop Elsie
home; or as one newspaper suggested, they may have been simply moving the car to park it
at the garage of Dr. Brotchie’s home.49 Either way, the decision to drive the car that night
was to prove disastrous.
Immediately upon Brotchie starting the car, a massive bomb was activated and the car was
‘wrecked by the detonation which rocked houses within a radius of 200 yards’ (or
approximately 183m).50 It was a significant blast, even in today’s terms. It was reported that
Elsie died immediately, whereas her brother Edward died shortly after at St. George
Hospital, Kogarah51 – ironically where he had done so much good work for the health of
others. In actual fact, an examination of the two original ‘Report of the Death of a Patient to
the Coroner’ forms (accessed from the State Records) shows that Dr. Brotchie died 20
48
Coroner’s report – interview with John Arnott (witness). The Coroner’s report can be accessed from the
State Records Authority of NSW at Kingswood
49
50
“Body in Doctor’s Surgery: Engineer Leaves Confession Note in Car-Bomb Case” (16/8/56), The Central
Queensland Herald
51
ibid
Page 16
minutes after admission to St. George Hospital, whereas his sister died only 5 minutes after
her admission.52
The car bomb that had been planted on Dr. Brotchie’s car was nothing short of horrific. The
force of the explosion threw Elsie from the passenger seat; and Edward, in the driver’s seat,
was ‘shockingly injured’.53 The force of the explosion ripped the roof off the car, not
dissimilar from a sardine tin being peeled back. The bonnet and back windscreen were
ripped off and thrown up to 100 yards (90m) away.54 A four foot wide hole was blown in the
floor of the car.55 Furthermore, houses in the street sustained damage to solid brick walls as
well as windows, and residents a mile away (1.6 km) reported hearing the explosion.56 The
explosion was described as an ‘ear-shattering roar’.57
A local businessman at the time, Mr. P. Downes, found a hole 2 inches across the boot of his
car, which was parked 20 yards (or approximately 18 metres) away from Brotchie’s car.58 His
car contained vital shrapnel clues that were submitted to Police at the time.
Original papers from the Coroner’s report include a transcript of an interview with
Detective-Constable James Merrett, of the Police Scientific Bureau. In very vivid details, he
confirms that the bitumen surface of the road immediately beneath the car was fractured,
and that there was a hole in the floor under the driver’s seat that was some 2 foot, 6 inches
52
Coroner’s report – Report of a Death of a Patient to the Coroner. The Coroner’s report can be accessed from
the State Records Authority of NSW at Kingswood
53
54
55
ibid
56
57
58
ibid
Page 17
in diameter, and a smaller hole of 15 inches under the passenger’s seat.59 There is no other
way to describe the bomb’s effect as horrendous. To illustrate this, some of the original
Police photos (accessed from the State Records) have been included on the following pages.
The wreckage of Dr. Brotchie’s car after the explosion, shown from the rear of the car.
Photo source: author’s own photo of the original Police photo. The photos can be accessed
from the State Records Authority of NSW at Kingswood.
59
Coroner’s Report - Interview with Det-Constable James Merrett. This report can be accessed from the State
Records Authority of NSW
Page 18
The roof of Dr. Brotchie’s car was peeled back and thrown forward across the engine. The
bonnet was blown off and found 50 yards (45m) away.
A very graphic photo of the internal damage to the car.
Page 19
The virtually unrecognisable car, blown to oblivion.
The damage to the road directly beneath Brotchie’s car.
Page 20
Two witnesses at the time, Mr. Max Schneider and his adult son Rex, who lived in Paterson
Ave, were one of the first on the scene. Max described the car as a ‘“blazing inferno”’, into
which he and Rex dived to drag out Edward. They sustained multiple burns and grazes as a
result.60
Edward Brotchie had sustained horrific injuries, including a leg and an arm being blown
off.61 This is confirmed in the ‘Report of the Death of a Patient to the Coroner’ form which
was filled out by St. George Hospital. It reports that Brotchie had extensive burns to his
clothing, and that both his legs were almost completely severed above the knee.62
Furthermore, the post-mortem examination of Brotchie’s sister, Elsie Foster, showed that
she suffered not only the severing of her legs, but also wounds to the head, fracturing of the
skull, and injury to the brain.63
A very vivid picture of how the explosion must have felt to the local residents was painted
by a Sydney Morning Herald article of the time. It describes how the blast shook houses in
the street, windows caved in, light fittings swayed and smashed, and plates shook on dinner
tables.64 In a personal interview with one resident of the time, “Kevin”, it was revealed to
the author of this report that even from “Kevin’s” house in Berith Street (quite a distance
from the blast), he and his family could see the flames shooting up into the sky.65 The fear of
60
“Bomb Explosion Under Car Planned a Month”, 15/8/56, The Canberra Times
62
Coroner’s report – Report of a Death of a Patient to the Coroner form. The Coroner’s report can be accessed
from the State Records Authority of NSW at Kingswood
63
Coroner’s report – post-mortem examination of Elise Foster. The Coroner’s report can be accessed from the
State Records Authority of NSW at Kingswood
64
65
61
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the residents as they sat down to what they thought would be an ordinary weekday meal
like any other is almost palpable.
The car-bomb was the most exciting thing to happen to Kingsgrove to that date. Accounts of
the night by local Kingsgrove residents vividly portray the excitement and intrigue that
followed, and you can almost picture residents hurriedly running from their houses:
‘Hundreds of people jammed the street and impeded the investigation until police
and firemen linked arms and walked the length of the street, clearing it.’66
The Makings of a Murder Weapon
In the fullness of time, the identity of the murderer shall be revealed, but suffice to say that
there exists many details of exactly what happened, thanks largely to some very
comprehensive explanatory notes left behind by the man who planted the bomb. The bomb
that was planted on Brotchie’s car was a nitro-glycerin bomb67, which according to
Wikipedia, rates rather well on the RE (‘Relative Effectiveness’) factor of explosiveness.68
Explosive experts from the time had calculated that the maker of the bomb must have
connected the spark plug wires to the ignition on the Monday night when the explosion
occurred (using the absence of Brotchie to take this final step to activate the bomb).69 The
bomb was explained by one expert at the time as follows:
66
“Body in Doctor’s Surgery: Engineer Leaves Confession Note in Car-Bomb Case”, 16/8/56, The Central
Queensland Herald
67
ibid
68
“Relative Effectiveness”, Wikipedia
69
Queensland Herald
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‘”To make a bomb of this strength and type and to be able to connect it, would
require considerable knowledge of explosives and would also take considerable time
to connect”’70.
An artist’s reconstruction of the car bomb planted on Dr. Brotchie’s car.
Photo source: “Victim Saw Bomb Put on Car, Police Believe”, 15/8/56, The Sydney Morning
Herald
So as not to leave the reader in any further suspense, the identity of the man who planted
the bomb on Dr. Brotchie’s car will now be revealed… it was Dr. Brotchie’s brother-in-law
(husband to his sister and receptionist, Elsie), Henry Edward Foster. The full tale of Foster
will be told in due course.
Six weeks prior to the explosion, Foster had engaged the services of expert welders at
‘Mechanical Assemblies Pty. Ltd.’, who (unbeknownst to them), were aiding Foster in
developing a murder weapon.71
70
Coroner’s report – interview with Robert Munning of ‘Mechanical Assemblies Pty. Ltd’. The Coroner’s report
can be accessed from the State Records Authority of NSW at Kingswood
71
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Some residents of the time, such as fireman John Arnott of Vivienne Street, Kingsgrove,
unknowingly witnessed Henry Foster planting the bomb. On the night of the explosion,
Arnott saw Foster working on the car, with the bonnet up and a tool in his left hand. Arnott
said:
‘”He looked very sharply at me, and I had a second look at him. The last I saw of him,
he was pulling the bonnet down”.72
Another witness of the time, milkman John Fazzari, stated that he saw Foster wearing a
boiler suit, standing near Brotchie’s car and Foster’s panel van, at approximately 6:15pm on
the fateful night.73 Police later found the said boiler suit in Foster’s panel van.74
Furthermore, in Fazzari’s interview with the City Coroner, he stated that on his milk run on a
number of mornings in the month prior to the car-bomb, he witnessed Foster entering
Brotchie’s surgery; each time in the early hours prior to 6am.75 The evidence was damning
against Foster to say the least.
72
“Law Reports: Man Confesses Placing Death Car Bomb”, 25/9/56, The Sydney Morning Herald
“Victim Saw Bomb Put on Car, Police Believe”, 15/8/56, The Sydney Morning Herald
74
ibid
75
Coroner’s report – interview with John Fazzari. The Coroner’s report can be accessed from the State Records
Authority of NSW at Kingswood
73
Page 24
John Fazzari, witness to the planting of the bomb.
Photo source: “Victim Saw Bomb Put on Car, Police Believe”, 15/8/56, The Sydney Morning
Herald
The sheer force of this bomb and the national attention it consequently received is not to be
underestimated. The whole of Australia had heard of “Kingsgrove” before 1956 was over,
and it certainly was receiving many resources from a policing perspective. Approximately
100 policemen and detectives were assigned to the case76, which would have been quite a
significant number in those days. Kingsgrove was well and truly on the national map.
The Plot Thickens…Suicide in the ‘Burbs
On the night of the explosion, neighbours of Henry Edward Foster reported that he had
been at his house at least three quarters of an hour prior to the bomb going off. The
evidence left behind on his dining table suggests that he calmly ate a meal before heading
out to watch the explosion.77
Police at the time believed that Foster sat in his panel van only 100m away from the
explosion and watched as the events unfolded. It was sometime after this that he took his
own life. Police found Foster’s body in Brotchie’s surgery, the next day at dawn.78 In some
reports, it is believed that Foster committed suicide on the same night as the bomb
detonation79, although personal recollections of the events differ – some believed that
Foster sat in Brotchie’s waiting room overnight and did not kill himself till the next
76
“Victim’s Wife ‘Had Premonition’”, 15/8/56, The Sydney Morning Herald
78
Queensland Herald
79
“He thought for the living as he slew”, 25/9/56, The Argus
77
Page 25
morning.80 Either way, it appears that Foster let himself into the surgery with a set of keys
which were found on his person by Police.81
In one article of the time, it is reported that Henry Foster was seen mingling with the crowds
after the explosion, and that he was also seen at St. George Hospital, spying on the health of
his victims. 82 According to this article, once he was satisfied that both Edward and Elsie
were dead, he allegedly returned to his home and prepared for his suicide. 83
The Coroner’s Report includes the transcripts of interviews between the City Coroner and
key witnesses and experts. One such interview was with Constable Clive Nicholls who was at
the time stationed at Kingsgrove. He had come rushing to the scene of the bomb when he
saw the flames and large crowds. He was on the scene within five minutes of the explosion
occurring. 84 He describes how he called into the residence of Henry Foster multiple times
during the night of the explosion, but he was not at home the entire time.85 This may
confirm Police’s initial suspicions that Foster was either watching the explosion from a panel
van, or indeed, perhaps even from within the doctor’s surgery.
Foster took his own life in the consulting room of his brother-in-law’s surgery, using a sawnoff .22 rifle.86 The evidence shows that Foster had premeditated his suicide, as he had taken
80
Coroner’s report – interview with Det-Constable James Merrett. The Coroner’s report can be accessed from
the State Records Authority of NSW at Kingswood
82
“One was mad – so 3 died”, 15/8/56, The Argus
83
ibid
84
ibid
85
ibid
86
Queensland Herald
81
Page 26
the time to write a note advising Police that they could find his full confession letter at his
house.87 Foster had not been under the influence of alcohol at the time of his suicide.88
The author of this report was privileged enough to view the original coronial inquest into
the deaths of Edward Brotchie, and Elsie and Henry Foster. Included in these invaluable
inquest papers were the original Police photos, and even a photo of Henry Foster’s body in
situ.89 Owing to its sensitive and graphic nature, this photo has been omitted from this
report, but may be accessed from the State Records Authority in Kingswood, NSW.
The Coroner’s Report left no doubt as to who killed Edward Brotchie and Elsie Foster. City
Coroner James Albert Letts wrote in his findings that Brotchie:
‘…died from the effects of multiple injuries sustained in an explosion at Patterson [sic]
Avenue Kingsgrove earlier that evening willfully and feloniously caused by Henry
Edward Foster, and I further find that in the manner aforesaid the said Henry Edward
Foster did feloniously and maliciously murder the said Edward Bonaventure
Heffernan Brotchie’.90
City Coroner James Letts
It’s not hard to imagine how rocked the suburb of Kingsgrove would have been, when you
consider that all of the key scenes within this tragic story were within walking distance of
one another. The author has prepared the following diagram to illustrate this:
87
ibid
Coroner’s report – letter from the NSW Department of Public Health. The Coroner’s report can be accessed
from the State Records Authority of NSW at Kingswood
89
Coroner’s report, accessed from the State Records Authority of NSW at Kingswood
90
ibid
88
Page 27
Map of Kingsgrove, showing the key scenes in the Dr. Edward Brotchie story (author’s own
diagram)
Speculation over the Motives of a Murderer
A number of hand-written suicide letters were found on Henry Foster’s person and at his
home.91 In the letters, Foster confesses to planting the car bomb:
‘“I am responsible for placing a device in Ed Brotchie’s car. He is responsible for
igniting it…I am responsible for my dear wife’s death. I know she would not desire to
live without me…”’92
Henry Edward Foster, brother-in-law to Edward Brotchie
Speculation at the time about Henry Foster’s motives to kill his brother-in-law and sister was
rife. The most widely accepted theory was that Foster was “insanely jealous” of his wife93 91
92
ibid
“Inquest into car bomb murder of Sydney doctor, sister”, 27/9/56, The Central Queensland Herald
Page 28
potentially he was jealous of Brotchie’s close working relationship with Elsie and the time he
spent with her both during and after work hours.
As previously stated, at the time of their deaths, Elsie Foster was working as her brother’s
secretary at the Kingsgrove Rd. surgery, but only two months earlier, according to one
article, Elsie had been working for Henry94. Did this change of allegiance prove too much for
Henry Foster?
According to Police at the time, Henry Edward Foster, 52, had toiled for several weeks to
design and fit a homemade bomb, so the murder was certainly premeditated.95 Police even
believe that Brotchie saw Foster fit the bomb parts to his car but did not realise it was the
murder weapon that would take his life, namely because Foster (who was by trade a mining
engineer), convinced him it was a device that would reduce the running costs of his car.96 It
seems that even in 1950s Australia, the population was obsessed with petrol prices!
One article of the time claims that Foster did have a clear, willful motive (as opposed to a
pure case of mental insanity). In the article, it is reported that Foster claimed that a ‘big row’
with Dr. Brotchie was partly responsible for the murder.97 In another newspaper article, it is
claimed that Police believed the murder-suicide was a result of Foster ‘brooding on personal
93
95
Queensland Herald
96
ibid
97
94
Page 29
grievances’, and that Foster’s partial deafness had turned him into an ‘introvert who turned
against society’.98
In more than one newspaper article, it is reported that Foster had been in physical pain for a
long time owing to an old injury.99 What is interesting is that Foster is said to have scrawled
in one of his confession notes that the injury he sustained was at the hands of Dr. Brotchie,
who allegedly treated Foster ‘wrongly for a bad back injury and made him worse instead of
better, so that he could not sleep without special pills’.100 Was Foster in fact mistreated by
Dr. Brotchie? Was he addicted to sleeping pills? It seems these questions were never
answered – not even in the coronial inquest accessed from the State Records Authority of
NSW.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Brotchie even agreed to treat his brother-in-law, Henry Foster, in
the first place. By today’s medical standards, this would probably be deemed a ‘conflict of
interest’. Certainly, the Medical Council of NSW advises against medical practitioners
treating themselves or family members. 101 Would Dr. Brotchie still be alive today had he
lived by today’s medical standards and best practice?
Another newspaper of the time startlingly reveals that Foster perhaps had another motive
for his crimes. The Sydney Morning Herald claimed that Henry Foster had written in his
98
“Bomb Explosion Under Car Planned a Month”, 15/8/56, The Canberra Times
Queensland Herald; “Inquest into car bomb murder of Sydney doctor, sister”, 27/9/56, The Central Queensland
Herald
100
101
Medical Council of NSW
99
Page 30
confession letter that ‘”the real one [I] aimed at is Mrs. Brotchie”’.102 This article claims that
Foster had an issue with Brotchie’s wife, Irene, who largely escaped the attention of most
other newspaper reports. The article claims that Foster wrote that Irene Brotchie ignored
him, and he was extremely upset about this.103 In another article from the Sydney Morning
Herald, it is stated that Police were told that in the months leading up to the tragic events,
Henry Foster had repeatedly complained that no-one cared about him apart from his wife,
and that his deafness was making him increasingly isolated.104 Could the tragic deaths of
three people have been prevented if Foster had sought counseling and/or medical
intervention?
Judging by the amount of press attention received, it is obvious that much speculation was
rife at the time as to why Henry Foster went to such elaborate lengths to kill his brother-inlaw and wife. Did he intend to kill both, or was he only meaning to shoot one and not the
other? Exactly what were Foster’s motives? To answer these questions and more, and to
fully understand the truth of this gruesome story, it is necessary to turn to the best primary
source – the suicide letters of Henry Foster.
102
ibid
104
103
Page 31
The Truth Revealed: The Suicide Letters that Tell All
The author of this report was privileged enough to view the original hand-written suicide
letters that were found on Henry Foster’s person and at his home.105 Foster was found with
one brief note in his jacket pocket, which instructed the recipient that the rest of the letters
and his will could be found on a table in his home.106
The hand-written brief note found on Foster’s person
Photo source: Author’s own (original copy of note can be accessed from the State Records
Authority of NSW at Kingswood).
The more detailed letter to the Police that was found on Foster’s dinner table is intriguing,
and of course, sheds further light on what Foster’s motives really were. Reading Foster’s
letter to Police (as well as the other multiple letters that were found in his home), one can’t
help but notice just how carefully premeditated and well thought out Henry Foster’s actions
were. These letters were certainly not the work of someone who acted on a whim. In fact,
on the second page of his note to the Police, Foster goes out of his way to write ‘For the
Coroner, I would state I am of sound mind as witness these preparations’.107 Indeed, on or
around the 17th July 1956 (a full month before the tragic events), Foster had gone to the
lengths of writing a whole series of letters to his business’ suppliers, banks and other
associates – thanking them for doing business with him and closing off any unfinished
105
The coroner’s inquest files and all of Henry Foster’s letters are located at the State Records Authority of
NSW at Kingswood.
106
Coroner’s report - brief note found on Henry Foster’s person. This letter can be accessed from the State
Records Authority of NSW at Kingswood.
107
Coroner’s report - Henry Foster’s letter to the Police. This letter can be accessed from the State Records
Authority of NSW at Kingswood.
Page 32
business in a very polite manner. In one letter to a Mr. L. Henry of Sylvania, Foster even
included a cheque for payment of a door that was being made and installed for him. The
cheque eerily remains in the State Records, never having been banked.108
All the letters had a definite air of finality about them, including one to the ‘Tin Research
Institute’ in England, in which Foster asked to be removed from their ‘Tin and its Uses’
journal mailing list. It is simply astounding (and in a macabre way, amusing) the lengths that
Foster went to in order to close off his affairs.
An example of one of the many letters that Foster wrote approximately a month before his
suicide. This one is addressed to the Tin Research Institute and is on Foster’s company letter
head – ‘Henry E. Foster and Associates’. It is dated 17th July 1956.
Photo source: author’s own (original copy of note can be accessed from the State Records
108
Coroner’s report – multiple letters written by Henry Foster. These letters can be accessed from the State
Records Authority of NSW at Kingswood.
Page 33
It seems that Henry Foster had most certainly been planning his suicide for quite a long
time, as further evidenced by a letter he wrote to one of Edward’s sisters, Mrs. Ruby
Grenfell (whom he made the executor of his will). Although this letter was undated, Foster
tellingly wrote:
‘I regret to give you this disturbance but do not worry or blame yourself. It was going
to happen months ago but postponed when your wedding was announced. We have
all got to die sometime, so if it is a little sooner than later, why worry’.109
Clearly, August 1956 was not the first time Foster had contemplated suicide.
And now, we turn our attention to the most intriguing of all – what were Foster’s motives,
as revealed by his own handwritten suicide note? In the note to the Police, Foster confirms
that ‘the history is long and very involved’, and that it started with a big row he had with Dr.
Brotchie when he was living at Penshurst. He writes how the row was actually about how
Dr. Brotchie took his sister, ‘Vic’ (Victoria) from him when she was acting as his secretary at
his offices at 316 Pitt St, Sydney. At last, a true motive is revealed – Foster was annoyed that
Brotchie ‘poached’ Victoria as his receptionist.110 This is extremely interesting, as we know
that this was not the last time such a ‘poaching’ had occurred. According to some sources,
only a few months prior to his suicide, Foster’s own wife, Elsie, had changed her allegiance –
moving from being Henry’s employee to Edward’s receptionist.111 Could this have proven
simply too much for Henry to handle? Was Henry a poor employer, and did he take these
events to heart too much?
109
Henry Foster’s suicide letter addressed to Edward Brotchie’s sister, Mrs. Ruby Grenfell (original copy of
note can be accessed from the State Records Authority of NSW at Kingswood).
110 Henry Foster’s suicide letter addressed to the Police (original copy of note can be accessed from the State
Records Authority of NSW at Kingswood).
111
Page 34
In his letter to the Police, Foster also confirms the ‘extreme pain’ that Brotchie caused him
because of an alleged mistreatment of a back injury from 8 or 9 years previously, and he
does indeed talk about the fact that it was sometimes so painful that he was not able to lay
down or sleep without ‘special pills’.112 One has to question how much these ‘special pills’
played a part in Foster’s actions, although the topic of drug dependency is not at all covered
in the Coroner’s inquest.
But Foster’s true motive is even more shocking than those already mentioned. It seems that
there was truth in the theory that Foster’s real problem was with Dr. Brotchie’s wife, Mrs.
Irene Brotchie. Foster writes:
‘Never the less the real one aimed at is Mrs. Brotchie starting with the disgusting way
she allowed he [sic] daughters to behave at a dinner at the Canary Club on the
occasion of our wedding anniversary’.113
Foster continues on to say that at a separate function at the Brotchie’s house, he was ‘just
ignored’. This was a man that clearly had felt he had been slighted, and he wanted payback.
There is one further motive that Foster wrote of, which was not reported in the newspapers
at the time. He writes that he had ‘a number of personal problems’, which began at the time
of the death of one Mr. Fred Culls Snr. In his letter, Foster claims that Culls had always
promised to leave his financial interest in Foster’s company to Henry and his wife, but that
112
Henry Foster’s suicide letter addressed to the Police (original copy of note can be accessed from the State
Records Authority of NSW at Kingswood).
113
ibid
Page 35
this was thwarted when, as Foster claims, ‘somebody destroyed his [Culls’] will’.114 Foster
was under the impression (mistakenly or otherwise) that someone had sabotaged his
rightful claim to Culls’ estate.
Reading the suicide letter addressed to the Police, one cannot help but be saddened by the
many perceived slights Foster felt. Could anything have been done to help prevent such
tragedy for such seemingly minor issues?
A photo of the first page of Henry Foster’s hand-written suicide letter found at his home,
addressed to the Police.
Photo source: Author’s own (original copy of note can be accessed from the State Records
114
ibid
Page 36
Just Who was Henry Foster?
Henry ‘Harry’ Edward Foster, the man that was to kill Dr. Brotchie on that fateful night in
August 1956, resided with his wife, Elsie Foster, at 32 Vivienne Street, Kingsgrove (the
corner of Vivienne and Margaret Streets)115, which was only a few hundred metres from the
house of his brother-in-law, Dr. Edward Brotchie.
32 Vivienne St, Kingsgrove as it stands today. This was the residence of Henry and Elsie
Foster in 1956.
Photo source: Google.com.au
Living so close to one another, one can only assume that the Brotchie and Foster families
regularly saw each other, and their lives must have been quite intertwined. In fact, the
families were so close that prior to committing suicide, Henry Foster had written to two of
Edward’s sisters, Victoria and Ruby, and appointed them the executors of his will. 116 It
seems bizarre to the modern-day reader that the man who murdered their brother would
115
Coroner’s Report – interview with Constable Clive Nicholls, accessed at the State Records Authority of NSW.
Note: in many documents of the time (including the Coroner’s report and newspaper articles), the street is
referred to as ‘Vivian’ St, however the modern-day spelling of the street is ‘Vivienne’ St
116
Suicide letter addressed to Mrs. Ruby Grenfell from Henry Foster, accessed at the State Records Authority
of NSW at Kingswood, NSW
Page 37
make such a request of the sisters, and further, that he would sign off the letter to them by
saying ‘Good Bye with all my Love’.117
The farewell from Henry ‘Harry’ Foster to Edward Brotchie’s sisters, Victoria and Ruby.
Photo source: author’s own (from the original Suicide letter addressed to Mrs. Ruby Grenfell
from Henry Foster, accessed at State Records Authority of NSW)
To gain further insight into Foster’s life, it is interesting to review the evidence that was
collected by the Police from his home. The Police found ‘weird gadgets’ in his home, as well
as a large sum of money. One of these gadgets was about seven feet high with more than
100 wheels and cogs, and mechanical experts that studied it could simply not work out what
its purpose was.118
Books and encyclopedias were also found in Henry Foster’s workshop – ranging in topics
from engineering, marriage, art and ‘Kinsey’s books on sex’.119 It is this last topic that is most
interesting, because owning books about sex, in 1950s Australia, surely would have been
considered extremely deviant and racy. Furthermore, according to one credible source,
Henry and Elsie Foster had a completely mirrored bedroom, which according to this source,
“was very strange in those days!”120 Was Henry Foster a sexual deviant and did sexual
117
ibid
119
120
118
Page 38
scandal play a part in this story? The modern-day reader will probably never truly know,
although evidence from Foster’s home certainly makes the whole story that more intriguing.
Henry Edward Foster
Photo source: “Victim Saw Bomb Put on Car, Police Believe”, The Sydney Morning Herald, p.1
Neighbours of the Foster’s claimed that in the two years prior to the murder-suicide, Henry
Foster had become ‘surly and morose’.121 Police were also told that Henry Foster had
become very regretful and saddened by the fact that he and his wife of more than 20 years
never had any children122, although such sentiments are not at all expressed in Foster’s
suicide notes.
Elsie and Henry Foster
Photo source: “One was mad – so 3 died”, 15/8/56, The Argus, p.5
121
Queensland Herald
122
Page 39
Mental Illness in 1950s Australia
The “Kingsgrove Bomb Outrage” is an interesting glimpse into how mental illness was
treated in 1950s Australia.
In one article, a Rev. J.R. Bland123 (a close friend of Brotchie and minister at the Hurstville
Methodist Church), was quoted as saying ‘“Members of the family look on Mr. Foster as a
very sick man mentally…they feel his character was not that of a vicious man”’.124 However,
the majority of the language that was used at the time to describe Foster tells much about
how such ‘very sick’ people were treated. For example, the by-line of one national paper
described Foster as ‘demented’125, a description that was also used by the Police of the
time.126 The Police themselves described Foster’s confession note as ‘“the writing of a
madman”’127, a term that probably wouldn’t hold up in the politically correct world of 2014.
The 1950s was a period when mental illness was considered incurable and was generally
marginalised from what was considered ‘normal’ illnesses.128 Could more intervention have
occurred for this ‘demented’ ‘madmen’ Foster, to prevent him from perpetrating the
murder and suicide? What mental health and suicide prevention strategies would be
implemented in 2014 that may not have even been thought of in the often narrow-minded
123
Note: in some paperwork from the time (eg. Coroner’s report), Rev. Bland is referred to as Rev. Brand, but
this is likely to have just been a typographical error
124
“One Funeral for Killer and Victims”, 16/8/56, The Age
125
Queensland Herald
126
127
Queensland Herald
128
Jones, C., History of Contemporary Mental Health Care
Page 40
1950s suburban Australia? Would these crimes have even occurred if authorities had picked
up on Foster’s alleged mental illness sooner?
Foster himself believed that he was sane, writing as much in his confession/suicide letter. 129
However, the evidence does suggest that Foster was suffering mentally illness – not least of
all evidenced by the fact that his home ‘resembled a small arsenal. Several types of
explosive materials were found on the premises’.130
In 1950s Australia, there was simply not as much understanding and tolerance of mental
illness as there is today. The newspaper articles of the time labeled Henry Foster as ‘mad’
and diagnosed him as having a ‘persecution mania’131, which means one has an ‘acute
irrational fear that other people are plotting one’s downfall and that they are responsible
for one’s failures’.132 According to one newspaper article, Henry Foster was extremely
disillusioned and adamant that Dr. Brotchie and Elsie were out to get him.133 Was there any
truth in this belief? Highly unlikely, but in Foster’s unstable mind, this was the firm truth.
In Foster’s confession note to the Police, he dramatically bequeathed his eyes to ‘“some
unfortunate individual with more desire for life than me”’.134 It is hard to imagine a more
distraught and desperate sentiment than this (and in all truth, probably clinically
depressed). Foster dramatically ended the note with the famous words of Shakespeare, ‘”to
129
Queensland Herald
131
132
Free Dictionary
133
134
130
Page 41
be or not to be”’, and tellingly struck out the first two words.135 It was later that Police
found (next to a teapot at Foster’s home), a copy of Romeo and Juliet lying open at the page
on which that very quote appeared.136 Clearly, Foster was suffering extreme mental anguish,
and as a modern-day reader, one can’t help but wonder whether counseling or medication
could have assisted him.
The actual words ‘To be or not to be’, as they appeared on Henry Foster’s hand-written
suicide letter
Photo source: Author’s own (taken from the original letter found at the State Record
Authority of NSW).
Foster seemed quite fond of dramatic lines in the lead-up to his suicide. In another note that
was found at his residence (a letter to a business associate, one Mr. Sam Burgess of
‘Associated Electrical Industries Ltd.’), he dramatically wrote ‘I regret putting you to the
trouble Sam, but my affairs are like the unsolvable equation; they have no answer’.137 Again,
it is hard to think of more desperate sentiments than these. Foster simply could not see any
light at the end of the tunnel.
Foster stated that whilst he wanted to take his own life, he also wanted to punish someone
in the process.138 Disturbingly, in his confession letter, Foster stated that he was certain his
wife, Elsie Foster, would not want to live without him, and so he decided to kill her at the
135
“Victim’s Wife ‘Had Premonition’, 15/8/56, The Sydney Morning Herald
137
Coroner’s report – letter addressed to Mr. Sam Burgess from Henry Foster. The Coroner’s report can be
accessed from the State Records Authority of NSW at Kingswood
138
Queensland Herald
136
Page 42
same time as he killed himself.139 In the note, Foster continued to say that his ‘”love and life
together [with his wife] has been perfect: few others attain such perfection”’.140 This was a
man who clearly had a distorted view of reality, if this was his idea of ‘perfection’!
There is no denying that Henry Foster was an intelligent man, clearly with a wealth of
knowledge on the topic of bomb-making and engineering in general. His detailed
descriptions of the bomb device in his confession letters proves this:
‘“It [the device he fitted to the car] is harmless itself. If the plug is taken out of the
end, it will harmlessly burn away. It is only when the gases of combustion develop
that a pressure greater than the equivalent tensile strength of the constraining vessel
causes a sudden release of a large volume of mainly C02 gas.”’141
Foster also may have had plans for further car bombs. When Police searched his home after
the tragic event of the murder-suicide, they found a second bomb casing similar to the fatal
bomb.142
Although obviously intelligent and skilled, Foster was also clearly a mentally disturbed man.
In another paragraph of his confession letter, he chillingly said:
“One should heed the moral and check everything yourself. Do not take things for
granted.”143
139
ibid
141
142
“Sydney Car Drama: Murderer and Two Victims to be Cremated”, 16/8/56, The Central Queensland Herald
143
140
Page 43
The widow of Dr. Brotchie, Irene Brotchie, was recorded as saying that she forgave Foster
for planting the bomb, and furthermore, stated that Foster had been under ‘“terrific strain
and stress”’.144 She went on to say that ‘“Henry wasn’t really a vicious man – his mind just
snapped”’.145 However, in yet another article, it is claimed that she had a premonition that
something bad was going to happen to her husband, and that she in fact ‘feared Foster for
some time’.146 Either way, one questions how such a mentally unstable man was left to
reach such desperate measures – and would this be allowed to happen today in a society
that is becoming increasingly aware of mental illness.
Where are they now?
Dr. Brotchie was famously given a ‘triple funeral’ with not only his sister, but his killer too.147
It was presided over by the close family friend of all the parties, Rev. Bland. The decision to
hold a triple funeral was made after a Brotchie family conference.148
The funeral notice for Dr. E.B.H. Brotchie.
Source: Funeral notices, Sydney Morning Herald, 16/8/56, p.18
144
ibid
146
147
148
ibid
145
Page 44
The funeral clearly was a big deal for the residents of St. George (they had the nation’s eyes
on them!) Over 5,000 people lined the streets of Hurstville to watch the hearses of Edward
Brotchie, Henry Foster and Elsie Foster pass by149. The small church was ‘packed’ and
hundreds of people spilled onto the grounds outside, and more than 50 ministers
attended.150More than 150 cars proceeded to the crematorium at Woronora.151
As previously mentioned, the late Elsie and Henry Foster’s financial affairs were dealt with
by two siblings of Edward’s, Victoria (who had once been Edward’s receptionist), and Ruby.
As Elsie had left all her possessions to Henry, the estate of £6,232 went to the two sisters.152
Dr. Brotchie’s cremation plaque can still be seen today at Woronora Cemetery (plot BB/Rose
Garden 9/Position 105); along with his wife, Irene Gladys Brotchie, who died much later
from natural causes in 1988. The ashes of Henry Edward Foster are listed as being scattered,
as are his wife’s, Elsie Esther Foster.153
149
“Funeral of Victims of Tragedy”, 16/8/56, The Sydney Morning Herald
ibid
151
ibid
152
“£6,232 Left by Bombed Woman”, 11/6/57, The Sydney Morning Herald
153
Woronora Cemetery website
150
Page 45
The cremation plaques of Dr. Edward Brotchie and his wife, Irene Brotchie, at Woronora
Cemetery.
Photo source: Author’s own (taken on site at Woronora Cemetery)
Dr. Brotchie and his wife Irene had three daughters. A newspaper article at the time
reported that Marcia, then 18; Lynette, 15; and Heather, 12 were all set to follow in their
father’s footsteps and become doctors.154 At the time, Mrs. Irene Brotchie was quoted as
saying:
154
“Three Daughters to Become Doctors”, 23/8/56, The Central Queensland Herald
Page 46
‘“I am going to have my husband’s practice continued…I am arranging for another
doctor to carry on temporarily, but one day I hope to see one of my daughters take
over the practice.”’155
Interestingly, Marcia Jean Brotchie Glass, Edward Brotchie’s eldest daughter, went on to
become a leading dermatologist based in Texas, USA, before dying in 2006.156 Brotchie’s
youngest daughter, Heather, also entered the medical profession, becoming a noteworthy
academic and author in the field of mental illness157 – a no doubt rewarding profession for
someone whose own father’s and auntie’s life was taken at the hands of depression.
Shortly after his murder, Dr. Brotchie was immortalized by his beloved church by having a
building at a Methodist camp named after him – the Dr. Brotchie Memorial Building at
Camp Excalibur, Grose Vale, NSW.158
Edward Brotchie’s wife, Irene, was often painted as a very caring woman who liked to look
after others by undertaking charity work. This carried on after her husband’s murder – for
example, she liked to volunteer to cook meals for senior citizens. Her charity efforts even
featured in a Sydney Morning Herald story in 1960.159 It is a testimony to Irene’s nature that
she continued being so caring, even after such tragic events that took her husband, sister-inlaw and brother-in-law.
155
Irene Brotchie, as quoted in “Three Daughters to Become Doctors”, 23/8/56, The Central Queensland
Herald
156
Bayor Health, 2007
157
Microsoft Academic Search website; UNSW staff search website
158
“Methodist Memorial”, 28/2/59, The Sydney Morning Herald
159
“Senior Citizens at Lunch”, 5/5/60, The Sydney Morning Herald
Page 47
Mrs. Irene Brotchie, mashing potatoes for a senior citizen’s lunch in 1960.
Photo source: “Senior Citizens at Lunch”, 5/5/60, The Sydney Morning Herald, p.39
Some years after the tragic events of 1956, Irene moved herself and her daughters out of
the St. George area. In the 1968 census, she is shown as residing with her youngest
daughter, Heather, in Lane Cove.160
The site of Edward and Irene Brotchie’s Kingsgrove house (corner of Dowsett and
Kingsgrove Roads) now operates as a medical and cosmetic facility known as ‘King’s Medical
Clinic’. Most locals would drive past the busy intersection daily, never knowing that the
unassuming house was once the residence of a respected doctor who was brutally
murdered….that is, until now.
334 Kingsgrove Rd, Kingsgrove – the residence of Edward and Irene Brotchie in 1956.
Photo source: Google Maps
160
1968 census, Ancestry.com.au
Page 48
Reference List
Primary Sources:
Coroner’s Inquest, Henry Foster’s suicide letters, Police photos and other original
paperwork, located at the State Records Authority of NSW, Kingswood – refer Series No.
345, Item No. 13/8390, File No. 1827
Probate (will) packet of Edward Brotchie – located at the State Records Authority of NSW,
Kingswood
Personal Communications:
J. Hasler, personal communication, 20/5/14
M. Carey, personal communication, 14/4/14
M. Johnson, personal communication 31/5/14
V. Robinson, personal communication, 25/4/14
Newspaper Articles:
“£6,232 Left by Bombed Woman”, 11/6/57, The Sydney Morning Herald, p.6:
http://archives.smh.com.au/Default/Skins/Master/Client.asp?Skin=Master&enter=true&Ap
pName=2&AW=1400323687293
“Body in Doctor’s Surgery: Engineer Leaves Confession Note in Car-Bomb Case” (16/8/56),
The Central Queensland Herald, p.3 http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/79267365
“Bomb Explosion Under Car Planned a Month”, 15/8/56, The Canberra Times, p.1,
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/91220388
“Doctor and Sister Killed in Car by Bomb Explosion”, 16/8/56, The Central Queensland
Herald, p.16: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/79267391
“Doctor, Sister Killed in Car Bomb Outrage at Kingsgrove”, 14/8/56, The Sydney Morning
Herald, p.1:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=19560814&id=_XZWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9
-QDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6002,3495642
Funeral notices, 16/8/56, The Sydney Morning Herald, p.18:
pName=2&AW=1400236881527
“Funeral of Bomb Victims, Killer”, 16/8/56, The Sydney Morning Herald, p.3,
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=19560816&id=_3ZWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9
-QDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4148,3144012
Page 49
“Funeral of Victims of Tragedy”, 17/8/56, The Sydney Morning Herald, p.4:
pName=2&AW=1400236881527
“Gas Blast Called ‘Eruption’”, 16/2/56, The Sydney Morning Herald, p.4:
pName=2&AW=1400323687293
“Gas Plant Blow-up Startles Sydney” (16/2/56), The Age, p.2:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19560216&id=z00RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3p
QDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7167,2394198
“He thought for the living as he slew” (25/9/56), The Argus, p.3:
“He turned key and car exploded: Doctor, sister die in bomb outrage”, 14/8/56, The Argus,
pp. 1 and 5, http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/71651639
“Inquest into car bomb murder of Sydney doctor, sister”, 27/9/56, The Central Queensland
Herald, p.26:
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/79269002?searchTerm=publictag:(sydney)&searchLi
mits=l-title=187
“Law Reports: Man Confesses Placing Death Car Bomb”, 25/9/12, The Sydney Morning
Herald, p.5:
pName=2&AW=1400235188621
“Methodist Memorial”, 28/2/59, The Sydney Morning Herald, p.8:
pName=2&AW=1400236881527
“One Funeral for Killer and Victims”, 16/8/56, The Age, p.12
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19560816&id=zIhVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PZ
UDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1700,2188382
“One was mad – so 3 died”, 15/8/56, The Argus, p.5:
“Senior Citizens at Lunch”, 5/5/60, The Sydney Morning Herald, p.39:
pName=2&AW=1400236881527
“Suicide Note Confession to Murders”, 25/9/56, The Canberra Times, p.8:
“Sydney Car Drama: Murderer and Two Victims to be Cremated” (16/8/56), The Central
Queensland Herald, p.7:
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/79267560?searchTerm=Edward
brotchie&searchLimits=
Page 50
“Three Daughters to Become Doctors”, 23/8/56, The Central Queensland Herald, p.10:
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/79267878?searchTerm=Edward
brotchie&searchLimits=
“Two Die in Bomb Outrage”, 14/8/56, The Sydney Morning Herald, p.3:
pName=2&AW=1400236881527
“Two Killed in Car Bomb”, 14/8/56, The Kansas City Times, p.14:
http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/51421928/
“Victim Saw Bomb Put on Car, Police Believe”, 15/8/56, The Sydney Morning Herald, p.1:
pName=2&AW=1400236881527
“Victim’s Wife Had Premonition”, 15/8/56, The Sydney Morning Herald, p.5:
http://archives.smh.com.au/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page
&Skin=Master&BaseHref=SMH/1956/08/15&PageLabelPrint=&EntityId=Ar00500&ViewMod
e=HTML
Other Websites:
1943 Electoral Roll 1, Ancestry.com.au (subscription required):
http://interactive.ancestry.com.au/1207/31242_178956__000300186/31988738?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return&ppvhash=d98c918a555a88c2d161b76
ae301fb64000039c986a6e45c
1943 Electoral Roll 2, Ancestry.com.au (subscription required):
http://interactive.ancestry.com.au/1207/31242_202493__000500259/22417143?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return&ppvhash=0018d614656dab723ed60b
306a673fb7000039c986b2a1c3
1949 Electoral Roll, Ancestry.com.au (subscription required):
http://interactive.ancestry.com.au/1207/31242_202536__600316/24380742?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return&ppvhash=a56c3fd9b62c8c1c176b8e1
3689a79a3000039c986b0516c
1968 census, Ancestry.com.au (subscription required):
http://interactive.ancestry.com.au/1207/33112_202206__0400216/93510653?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.Ancestry.com.au%2fcgibin%2fsse.dll%3frank%3d1%26new%3d1%26MSAV%3d0%26msT%3d1%26gss%3dangsg%26gsfn%3dheather%26gsln%3dbrotchie%26msbdy%3d1944%26sbo%3d1%26uidh%3d2m
2%26pcat%3dROOT_CATEGORY%26h%3d93510653%26db%3dAUSelectoralrolls%26indiv%3
d1%26ml_rpos%3d1&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnRecord
Australian Birth Index, Ancestry.com.au (subscription required):
http://search.ancestry.com.au/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&new=1&MSAV=0&msT=1&gss=angs2014 Ron Rathbone Local History Prize – Therese Murray
Page 51
c&gsfn=edward&gsln=brotchie&msbdy=1905&sbo=0&uidh=2m2&_83004003n_xcl=f&pcat=34&h=1479091&db=AusBirthIndex&indiv=1&ml_rpos=1
Bayor Health, “In memoriam”, 2007,
http://www.baylorhealth.edu/Documents/BUMC%20Proceedings/2007%20Vol%2020/No.%
202/20_2_obituaries.pdf
Brotchie family tree, Ancestry.com.au (subscription required):
http://trees.ancestry.com.au/tree/36523867/family?cfpid=18948477436
City of Canterbury Library (Brian Madden), n.d., “Kingsgrove NSW”:
http://www.canterburycommons.net/index.php?title=Kingsgrove_NSW
Free Dictionary: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Persecution+Mania
“Gas holder”, Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_holder
Google Maps: https://www.google.com.au/maps/@33.944281,151.101954,3a,75y,144.98h,92.56t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sdQvV8bh7K1MvEtiAB
N_msA!2e0
Jones, C., History of Contemporary Mental Health Care,
http://med.monash.edu.au/spppm/research/southernsynergy/mapcd/documents/cathy_th
esis.pdf
Medical Council of NSW, http://www.mcnsw.org.au/page/69/resources/policies/treatingrelatives-and-self/
Microsoft Academic Search website: http://65.54.113.26/Author/5033733
“Relative Effectiveness”, Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relative_effectiveness_factor
UNSW staff search website:
https://myportal.unsw.edu.au/portal/server.pt/community/ods?searchText=heather+brotc
hie
Woronora Cemetery: http://www.woronoracemetery.org.au/finding-loved-ones
Page 52

1956: The Year that Rocked Kingsgrove

Transcription

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