Kate Leigh
Encyclopedia
Catherine Mary Josephine (Kate) Leigh (10 March 1887 – 4 February 1964) was an underworld figure who rose to prominence as an illegal trader of alcohol and cocaine dealer in Surry Hills, Sydney, Australia
during the first half of the twentieth century. Kate Leigh was a leading figure in the notorious Sydney razor gang
wars.
, Australia
, the eighth child of Roman Catholic parents Timothy Beahan, a boot-maker, and his wife Charlotte (née Smith). After a shaky start with childhood neglect, being in a girls' home at 12, and giving birth to her daughter Eileen May Beahan in 1900, she married James Ernest 'Jack' Lee (or Leigh) on the 2nd May 1902. He was an illegal bookmaker and petty criminal. They separated in 1905 when Lee was imprisoned for assault and robbery. At his trial, Kate lied under oath to protect her husband resulting in her being convicted of perjury and being an accomplice to assault. She was later acquitted at appeal. The marriage broke up soon after although they were not divorced until 1921.
Kate married for the second time on 26 September 1922, to a Western Australian born musician called Edward Joseph 'Teddy' Barry. He was a grog dealer and small time criminal. The marriage only lasted for a few years, and she reverted to her previous surname of 'Leigh'. Teddy Barry died in Kate's home at 2 Lansdowne Street, Surry Hills on the 26 June 1948. He was buried at Botany Cemetery three days later.
During the late 1920's Kate lived with Wally Tomlinson or Thomlinson (c.1899-1968) who she employed as one of her bodyguards. Walter 'Wally' Tomlinson had a tough reputation as a standover criminal in the late 1920's. He was initally charged with Shooting At, With Intent To Murder, at age 16 in 1916.
Later, she had a decade long de-facto relationship with her then business partner, Henry 'Jack' Baker between 1935-1945.
Her third and final marriage was to her old friend and convicted criminal, Ernest Alexander "Shiner" Ryan on 18 January 1950, flying to Fremantle
, Western Australia for the wedding. They separated six months later. Ernest Ryan died in Western Australia in 1954.
Although she made her fortune mainly from the illegal sale of alcohol, it is curious to note that Kate Leigh never drank or smoked.
operator, drug trader and major underworld figure, often known as "Queen of the Underworld." From 1919 to 1955 Leigh's main enterprise was the highly profitable sly-grog trade, which ensued after the New South Wales State Parliament legislated for six o'clock closing as a consequence of the Liquor Act 1916 and the Liquor Licensing Act 1927. At its peak, she ran at least twenty such bootleg outlets She also exploited the arrival of the Dangerous Drugs Amendment Act 1927 in New South Wales, taking advantage of the new found criminalisation of cocaine
to provide illicit criminal distribution networks for that drug. Cocaine had shorter period 'highs' than other drugs, which meant that it required a more continuous and lucrative supply route. Leigh amassed considerable wealth from this revenue stream, derived from her supplier contacts within corrupt networks of doctors, dentists, chemists and sailors.
She was a prominent figure in Sydney's brutal razor gang
wars of the 1920s and 1930s.
From her Surry Hills home she became an organized crime entrepreneur, charging excessive prices for a full range of illicit goods and services, including after-hours drinking venues, sly-grog, prostitution, illegal betting, gambling and, from the mid-1920s, cocaine trafficking. Leigh obtained loyalty and protection from a male network of gangsters, but often had to protect them and was adept with a rifle. Rival gangs eroded her profits from cocaine by standing over and slashing decoys (often working prostitutes) with razors. She was also engaged in a violent feud with her rival Tilly Devine
, a Sydney madam based in Woolloomooloo that lasted for 20 years.
The two women physically fought one another on numerous occasions and their respective gangs conducted pitched battles in Eaton Avenue and Kellet Street, King's Cross
, Sydney
in May and August 1929. In 1936, newly appointed Sydney Police Commissioner MacKay warned them both to tone down the violence or else risk serious imprisonment. However, the New South Wales Police did intensively police incoming vessels for overseas cocaine suppliers in 1938-9. Naval transit restrictions meant that the Second World War saw the exhaustion of Leigh's overseas cocaine supply sources
On 27 March 1930, she shot and killed John William "Snowy" Prendergast when he and other gangsters broke into her home at 104 Riley Street, Surry Hills. She was not indicted for the killing, or for shooting Joseph McNamara at the same address in Riley Street, Surry Hills on 9 December, 1931. In July 1930, Leigh was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment for possession of cocaine. Her house at 104 Riley Street was raided by the drug squad on 1 July 1930 and she was caught with the drug in her possession by Sydney's most famous policewoman, Lillian May Armfield
.
Through alleged personal connections throughout officialdom, she continued business throughout the 1930s and 40s despite frequent police raids and a mass of minor convictions. She was charged on 107 occasions and was sent to prison on 13 occasions. Appearing in courtrooms with flamboyantly expensive clothes and diamonds, her wealth was legendary. When appearing in court, Kate would wear diamond rings on every finger of both hands. During her heyday, Kate Leigh owned and operated more than thirty different sly grog hotels at different locations in inner Sydney that generated thousands of pounds in profit annually.
She lived at a terrace house at No. 2 Lansdowne Street, Surry Hills from 1933 until the house was demolished in 1950. This house was also used by Leigh as her main illegal hotel or Sly-grog shop
during this time and was known in Sydney as the Lansdowne Hotel, not to be confused with the legal 'Lansdowne Hotel' in City Road, Broadway near Darlington, New South Wales
. Her then de-facto husband and bodyguard, Henry George "Jack" Baker, was shot outside this house by the well known Sydney criminal, John Frederick "Chow" Hayes on 19 February, 1938. The house was raided by undercover police on 4 March, 1938 resulting in 48 bottles and 4 kegs of beer being confiscated. Three months later a police witness at Sydney Licensing Court stated that the premises at 2 Lansdowne Street, Surry Hills was "a notorious sly grog shop – The Worst in Sydney". Kate Leigh was sentenced to 6 months' imprisonment on the 7th September 1942 for having sold liquor without a licence at 13 Pearl Street and 2 Lansdowne Street, Surry Hills.
. Her funeral was held on 7 February at St Peter's Catholic Church in Devonshire Street, Surry Hills and was attended by over 700 mourners. She was buried in Botany Cemetery, now known as Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park
in the Roman Catholic Section 29K, Grave 896 as Kathleen Ryan.
She was survived by her daughter, Eileen (1900–1987).
Kate Leigh was remembered for her generous charitable acts to support the unemployed in harsh times and her patriotism during World War Two by the press, who ignored her criminal connections.
television drama on Australia's Channel Nine
network, Underbelly: Razor
, which commenced screening in August 2011.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
during the first half of the twentieth century. Kate Leigh was a leading figure in the notorious Sydney razor gang
Razor gang
Razor gangs were criminal gangs that dominated the Sydney crime scene in the 1920s. With the passage of the Pistol Licensing Act 1927, the New South Wales State Parliament imposed severe penalties for carrying concealed firearms and handguns...
wars.
Personal life
Kate Leigh was born on 10 March 1881 in Dubbo, New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the eighth child of Roman Catholic parents Timothy Beahan, a boot-maker, and his wife Charlotte (née Smith). After a shaky start with childhood neglect, being in a girls' home at 12, and giving birth to her daughter Eileen May Beahan in 1900, she married James Ernest 'Jack' Lee (or Leigh) on the 2nd May 1902. He was an illegal bookmaker and petty criminal. They separated in 1905 when Lee was imprisoned for assault and robbery. At his trial, Kate lied under oath to protect her husband resulting in her being convicted of perjury and being an accomplice to assault. She was later acquitted at appeal. The marriage broke up soon after although they were not divorced until 1921.
Kate married for the second time on 26 September 1922, to a Western Australian born musician called Edward Joseph 'Teddy' Barry. He was a grog dealer and small time criminal. The marriage only lasted for a few years, and she reverted to her previous surname of 'Leigh'. Teddy Barry died in Kate's home at 2 Lansdowne Street, Surry Hills on the 26 June 1948. He was buried at Botany Cemetery three days later.
During the late 1920's Kate lived with Wally Tomlinson or Thomlinson (c.1899-1968) who she employed as one of her bodyguards. Walter 'Wally' Tomlinson had a tough reputation as a standover criminal in the late 1920's. He was initally charged with Shooting At, With Intent To Murder, at age 16 in 1916.
Later, she had a decade long de-facto relationship with her then business partner, Henry 'Jack' Baker between 1935-1945.
Her third and final marriage was to her old friend and convicted criminal, Ernest Alexander "Shiner" Ryan on 18 January 1950, flying to Fremantle
Fremantle
Freemantle is a suburb of Southampton in England.Fremantle or Freemantle may also refer to:- Places :* Fremantle, the port city to the capital Perth, Western Australia...
, Western Australia for the wedding. They separated six months later. Ernest Ryan died in Western Australia in 1954.
Although she made her fortune mainly from the illegal sale of alcohol, it is curious to note that Kate Leigh never drank or smoked.
Career
She went on to be a madam, sly-grogSly-grog shop
A sly grog shop is an Australian term for an unlicensed hotel or liquor-store, often with the added suggestion of selling poor-quality liquor; a place where alcoholic beverages are sold by an unlicensed vendor....
operator, drug trader and major underworld figure, often known as "Queen of the Underworld." From 1919 to 1955 Leigh's main enterprise was the highly profitable sly-grog trade, which ensued after the New South Wales State Parliament legislated for six o'clock closing as a consequence of the Liquor Act 1916 and the Liquor Licensing Act 1927. At its peak, she ran at least twenty such bootleg outlets She also exploited the arrival of the Dangerous Drugs Amendment Act 1927 in New South Wales, taking advantage of the new found criminalisation of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
to provide illicit criminal distribution networks for that drug. Cocaine had shorter period 'highs' than other drugs, which meant that it required a more continuous and lucrative supply route. Leigh amassed considerable wealth from this revenue stream, derived from her supplier contacts within corrupt networks of doctors, dentists, chemists and sailors.
She was a prominent figure in Sydney's brutal razor gang
Razor gang
Razor gangs were criminal gangs that dominated the Sydney crime scene in the 1920s. With the passage of the Pistol Licensing Act 1927, the New South Wales State Parliament imposed severe penalties for carrying concealed firearms and handguns...
wars of the 1920s and 1930s.
From her Surry Hills home she became an organized crime entrepreneur, charging excessive prices for a full range of illicit goods and services, including after-hours drinking venues, sly-grog, prostitution, illegal betting, gambling and, from the mid-1920s, cocaine trafficking. Leigh obtained loyalty and protection from a male network of gangsters, but often had to protect them and was adept with a rifle. Rival gangs eroded her profits from cocaine by standing over and slashing decoys (often working prostitutes) with razors. She was also engaged in a violent feud with her rival Tilly Devine
Tilly Devine
Matilda 'Tilly' Devine was an English-born prominent Sydney crime syndicate gangs member figure, involved in a wide range of activities, including sly-grog and razor gangs, but most notable as a madam.-Early life:...
, a Sydney madam based in Woolloomooloo that lasted for 20 years.
The two women physically fought one another on numerous occasions and their respective gangs conducted pitched battles in Eaton Avenue and Kellet Street, King's Cross
Kings Cross, New South Wales
Kings Cross is an inner-city locality of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately 2 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Sydney...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in May and August 1929. In 1936, newly appointed Sydney Police Commissioner MacKay warned them both to tone down the violence or else risk serious imprisonment. However, the New South Wales Police did intensively police incoming vessels for overseas cocaine suppliers in 1938-9. Naval transit restrictions meant that the Second World War saw the exhaustion of Leigh's overseas cocaine supply sources
On 27 March 1930, she shot and killed John William "Snowy" Prendergast when he and other gangsters broke into her home at 104 Riley Street, Surry Hills. She was not indicted for the killing, or for shooting Joseph McNamara at the same address in Riley Street, Surry Hills on 9 December, 1931. In July 1930, Leigh was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment for possession of cocaine. Her house at 104 Riley Street was raided by the drug squad on 1 July 1930 and she was caught with the drug in her possession by Sydney's most famous policewoman, Lillian May Armfield
Lillian May Armfield
Lillian May Armfield ISM was a pioneering Sydney female police detective, one of the first women to serve in that role.-Early life:...
.
Through alleged personal connections throughout officialdom, she continued business throughout the 1930s and 40s despite frequent police raids and a mass of minor convictions. She was charged on 107 occasions and was sent to prison on 13 occasions. Appearing in courtrooms with flamboyantly expensive clothes and diamonds, her wealth was legendary. When appearing in court, Kate would wear diamond rings on every finger of both hands. During her heyday, Kate Leigh owned and operated more than thirty different sly grog hotels at different locations in inner Sydney that generated thousands of pounds in profit annually.
She lived at a terrace house at No. 2 Lansdowne Street, Surry Hills from 1933 until the house was demolished in 1950. This house was also used by Leigh as her main illegal hotel or Sly-grog shop
Sly-grog shop
A sly grog shop is an Australian term for an unlicensed hotel or liquor-store, often with the added suggestion of selling poor-quality liquor; a place where alcoholic beverages are sold by an unlicensed vendor....
during this time and was known in Sydney as the Lansdowne Hotel, not to be confused with the legal 'Lansdowne Hotel' in City Road, Broadway near Darlington, New South Wales
Darlington, New South Wales
Darlington is a small, inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Darlington is located about 3 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney and is part of the region of the Inner...
. Her then de-facto husband and bodyguard, Henry George "Jack" Baker, was shot outside this house by the well known Sydney criminal, John Frederick "Chow" Hayes on 19 February, 1938. The house was raided by undercover police on 4 March, 1938 resulting in 48 bottles and 4 kegs of beer being confiscated. Three months later a police witness at Sydney Licensing Court stated that the premises at 2 Lansdowne Street, Surry Hills was "a notorious sly grog shop – The Worst in Sydney". Kate Leigh was sentenced to 6 months' imprisonment on the 7th September 1942 for having sold liquor without a licence at 13 Pearl Street and 2 Lansdowne Street, Surry Hills.
Bankruptcy
Although Kate Leigh was undoubtedly one of Sydney's wealthiest women during the 1930s and 1940s, the Taxation Department sent her into bankruptcy in 1954 for unpaid income tax and fines dating back to 1942. Leigh's Statement of Affairs was given at a Bankruptcy Court hearing in Sydney on 30 September 1954 as : Assets of £1960 consisting of furniture and three properties in Devonshire Street. Her Liabilities were shown as £7130. In 1955 the New South Wales Government changed the law to allow legal hotels to trade until 10 p.m. which virtually killed off the Sydney sly-grog trade and putting the likes of Kate Leigh out of business. Leigh was famously quoted in the Australian media as stating " The bloom has gone off the grog".Decline
At the time of her death, aged 77, Kate Leigh was living in virtual poverty in a small room above one of her old illegal hotels at 212 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills and was financially dependent on her nephew, William John Beahan, who ran a mixed business in the shop in the downstairs part of the premises. She resided at 212 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills from 1951 until her death in 1964.Death
Continuing to live at Surry Hills, she suffered a severe stroke on 31 January 1964 at her residence at 212 Devonshire Street and was rushed to hospital. She died on 4 February 1964 at St Vincent's Hospital, SydneySt Vincent's Hospital, Sydney
St Vincent's Public Hospital, Sydney is located in the inner city suburb of Darlinghurst. Though part of the New South Wales state public health system it remains under the auspices of the Sisters of Charity.-History:...
. Her funeral was held on 7 February at St Peter's Catholic Church in Devonshire Street, Surry Hills and was attended by over 700 mourners. She was buried in Botany Cemetery, now known as Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park
Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park
Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park is a cemetery and crematorium at Matraville, in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Land was dedicated as a cemetery site in 1888, with the first interment recorded on 21 August 1893. Since then, more than 65,000 people have been buried there...
in the Roman Catholic Section 29K, Grave 896 as Kathleen Ryan.
She was survived by her daughter, Eileen (1900–1987).
Kate Leigh was remembered for her generous charitable acts to support the unemployed in harsh times and her patriotism during World War Two by the press, who ignored her criminal connections.
Popular culture
Leigh and Devine's criminal feud is the subject of a true crimeTrue crime
True crime is a non-fiction literary and film genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people.The crimes most commonly include murder, but true crime works have also touched on other legal cases. Depending on the writer, true crime can adhere strictly to...
television drama on Australia's Channel Nine
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
network, Underbelly: Razor
Underbelly: Razor
Underbelly: Razor is a 13-part Australian television mini-series detailing real events that occurred in Sydney between 1927 and 1936. The series depicts the "razor gangs" who controlled the city's underworld during the era and the violent war between the two "vice queen" powers, Tilly Devine and...
, which commenced screening in August 2011.
Further reading
- http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100063b.htm Biography. Kate Leigh- Australian Dictionary of Biography Online.
- http://www.razorhurst.com.au/tour_1.html Razorhurst. Kate Leigh bio.
- V. G. Kelly, Rugged Angel, The Story Of Lillian Armfield., Angus & Robertson Ltd. Sydney, 1961
- A. W. McCoy, Drug Traffic, Narcotics and Organised Crime In Australia, Harper & Row Publishers. Sydney, 1980. (ISBN 0 66 312031 3).
- G. Blaikie, Wild Women of Sydney, Rigby Press, Australia. 1980 (ISBN 0 7270 1394 7)
- L. Writer, Razor: A true story of slashers, gangsters,prostitutes and sly grog. Pan Macmillan Books. Sydney.2001(ISBN 0 7329 1074 9)
- D. Hickie, Chow Hayes, Gunman'. Harper Collins. Australia. 1990 (ISBN 0 207 16012 0)
- N. Lipson and T. Barnao, As Crime Goes By. Ironbark Press. Australia. 1992. (ISBN 1 875471 14 6)
- C. Keating, Surry Hills. The City's Backyard. Halstead Press. Australia. 1991 (ISBN 978-1-920831-49-3)
- J. Morton & S.Lobez, Gangland Australia. Melbourne University Press. Australia. 2007 (ISBN 978 0 522 85273 8)
- E. Butel & T.Thompson, Kings Cross Album . Atrand Press. Australia.1984. (ISBN 0 908272 024)
- 'Kings Cross. 1936–1946' . Published by Kings Cross Community Aid and Information Service. Sydney, 1981. (ISBN 0 9594116 0 7).