THE MALONEY SCRAPBOOK

  1767-1856: “INEVITABLE? OR THIRD TIME UNLUCKY? OR LUCKY IN HINDSIGHT?” Lydia Letitia Munro [1] was born deep in Poverty in London 1767. By an early age, probably less than 6 years, she was “living on the streets”, assisting in petty thefts. Both her parents had died by the time she was 5. By 12 years, she earnt some of her living through street prostitution. By 17 years, she spent some time in the Brothels for young children (then named “lodging houses”), and other time with a gang of young females who shared the earnings from shop-stealing. Lydia was tried for 3 offences in 1787. None of them related to Prostitution as this was not a Transportable offence. But stealing bolts of cotton or lace was! The first 2 cases were dismissed for lack of reliable witnesses. The last (before the same Judge) hit the jackpot and Lydia was given 14 years Transportation. The next 3 years were undoubtedly “living Hells of survival” in the Newgate Prison, the Convict hulks, the 8 months vo...

  “ HAVE YOU TIME FOR A CUP OF COFFEE? ” Tom Frank [1] taught me to Fish. Tom Frank taught me to understand the relentless Terror of living under the Nazis and then the Russian Communists. And Tom Frank taught me how to enjoy “ coffee with a friend ”. As often as we could in the late 1980s/early 1990s, Tom and I, accompanied by my Labrador, Sam, would wander down from Tom’s Kew home to the banks of the Yarra River to fish. Well, only one of us fished as Tom was very insistent on my learning the correct way to knot sinkers ‘n hooks, the best way to hold a rod whilst watching the water surface, the best way to hook a fighting fish, and what recipes were to be used for its cooking, and so it went. Sam adored Tom. Tom loved dogs, indeed all living things except Humans. So, Sam would leave my side and rest his head on Tom’s gumboots and listen attentively to all the instructions.   After Tom’s appointed “ sufficient ” t...