The Edward Street Baby Farm by Stella Budrikis

Author:Stella Budrikis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fremantle Press
Published: 2020-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

Seventeen: Interlude

“Tempted by the delightful weather that prevailed, something like seven-eighths of the population of Perth and suburbs must have spent the Easter holidays out of doors. All the popular home resorts, such as King’s Park, the Zoological Gardens, and the banks of the Swan River, were patronised to a noteworthy extent, while excursion trains and steamers went away with crowded freights.”

“The Easter Holidays”, The West Australian, 3 April 19071

In the four weeks between the inquest and the trial, the press gradually fell silent about the case. Those who had been involved in the inquest did their best to resume their normal lives as they waited for Alice Mitchell’s trial to take place.

During this time, Police Corporal O’Halloran’s wife, Kitty, gave birth to a healthy baby girl. No announcement appeared in the newspapers, as it had after the births of their other two children. The couple had good reason to avoid any publicity after the corporal’s name had been so much in the news recently. They named their daughter Ruby.

Dr Officer took the opportunity to buy ‘Landon’, a fine brick-and-stone residence overlooking the natural bushland and tennis courts of Kings Park. The ten-roomed house, described as “one of the most desirable properties in Perth”, had a slate roof and wide verandahs. Stables and a coach house provided a place to house the doctor’s car. A windmill helped to pump the water needed for the extensive lawns, flowerbeds and fruit trees.2 Dr Officer paid 3,500 pounds at auction for his new family home.3 It is difficult to translate this into today’s equivalent because of changes in property values relative to average incomes over time. Suffice to say that the chief medical officer of the Central Board of Health earned 850 pounds and Police Magistrate Mr Cowan 700 pounds per annum in 1907. A house in Edward Street could be rented for one pound per week.

The property had belonged to Officers’ late partner, Dr George F. McWilliams, who died from complications of gastroenteritis in February. Ned Officer had attended his colleague during his illness, but called for a second opinion when Dr McWilliams took a turn for the worse with pneumonia and heart failure. Nothing could be done for him. He died on the same day as baby Ethel Booth. The government gave McWilliams an impressive military funeral in honour of his position as colonel in the state’s armed forces.

A week of showers at the end of March was a welcome sign that the summer heat was coming to an end, though not so welcome to those who planned to go boating, fishing, camping or picnicking over the Easter weekend. They were relieved when cool but clear weather, typical of Perth at that time of year, prevailed.

Alice Mitchell had no opportunity to enjoy the freshness of the Perth autumn. She remained in Fremantle Gaol, in her narrow, sparsely furnished cell with its high window, waiting for a trial date to be set. On Monday 1 April, she received news that her trial for wilful murder was to begin in the Criminal Court the following Monday.

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