Lord Byron was once famously described as ‘mad, bad and dangerous to know’. It’s not clear if any of Haynes’ rogues’ gallery would fit that description. But reading about them may while away a lazy afternoon.

Haynes has churned out a remarkable number of books on various subjects.These include Australian war stories, drinking, bush, sea, trucking, racing. And even unknown stories, as well as those about scams and cons, limericks, Gallipoli, furphies and yarns.

For this volume about some of Australia’s most colourful criminal characters, he presents some characters already known to readers. Serial offender James Hardy Vaux; cattle thief Harry Readford (or Redford); the murderous woman who lived as a man, Eugenie Fallini; and the queen of crime, Kate Leigh.

Others may not be so well known. Haynes professes some admiration for a couple of his subjects, with the ‘rascals’ less evil than the ‘rogues,’ who are among the least likeable characters he has ever written about.

He found his ‘ratbags’ the most interesting, as their lives were unusual, some were mentally ill, and their crimes often farcical or comical.

One of the most despicable characters in the collection, coming under the ‘rogues’ banner, was utterly dishonest Tom Skeyhill. He was a fake hero from World War I. He made lots of money writing poetry and lecturing around the world about his exploits, apparently faking blindness.

The town of Mildura did not take kindly to one George Henry Cochrane, once described by a judge as a ‘past master in scoundrelism’ when he proposed a new state to be settled by 100 000 returned servicemen. Eventually he went too far with accusations in the newspaper he established and was tarred and feathered by a group of outraged citizens.

More contemporary ‘ratbags’ include the instigators of the Fine Cotton racing scandal, and we all know that enterprise did not end well.

Reviewed by Jennifer Somerville

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jim Haynes OAM is an Australian writer, entertainer, broadcaster, humorist, songwriter and historian. In 2016 he received a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the performing arts.