From: The Ballarat Courier (Vic: 1869-1884; 1914-1918) Thursday, 19 May 1881, page 3

ROWDYISM AT AXEDALE.

A most disgraceful case of ruffianism has been reported to the Sandhurst police. A tea meeting was advertised to take place at St. Nicholas’ Roman Catholic Church, Axedale, about fourteen miles from Sandhurst, on Saturday. A mob of young toughs, numbering over a dozen, and known as the Back Creek larrikins,.appeared on the scene, and demanded food or blood.

The ladies, who were preparing the tables,” beat a hasty retreat, and the ruffians regaled themselves on the eatables provided. They then proceeded to smash the crockery and damage the place.”

They “next collected a quantity of bushes, and stacked them under the schoolroom. These they ignited, but fortunately the flames were put out before much damage was done. A man in the employment of Mr Craike, a well known vigneron in the neighborhood, who had been sent by his master to the school, with a present of fruit, was savagely set upon by the ruffians, and had his eye badly cut with a knuckleduster, which one of the gang wore.

Another man, had his eye blackened, and was otherwise maltreated. The cowardly gang assaulted old and young alike, and then attempted to steal the money taken for admission. Several of the ruffians are well known to the police, and warrants have been issued. Hopes are entertained that the whole gang will be arrested and severely punished – Herald

**Please note: Punctuation and paragraphs have been added to the above transcription for ease and speed of reading

ROWDYISM AT AXEDALE. (1881, May 19). The Ballarat Courier (Vic. : 1869 – 1884; 1914 – 1918), p. 3. Retrieved July 15, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article249288041

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