Devonport’s history begins with the joining of two settlements, Torquay and Formby, on either side of the Mersey River. These small communities, founded in the 1850s, were independent at first. In 1893, the towns merged to become Devonport. The joining of these two settlements was meant to symbolize unity. But in truth, rivalry remained beneath the surface for many years.
On the east bank, Torquay was built by the hands of fishers and farmers. Their focus was always on the river, where the fish were plentiful, and the land was rich for crops. Formby, on the west bank, grew from merchants and traders, who saw the river as a route for business. Devonport, therefore, was born from a union of necessity, not necessarily of shared values.
In 1907, Devonport became a municipality. It was the first step towards modernity, but it wasn’t until Prince Charles of Wales visited in 1981 that Devonport was declared a city. By then, it had grown into Tasmania’s third-largest city, with a population that reflected its newfound urban status.
Despite its small size, Devonport’s people were innovative. Around 1901, the Finlayson family made history by building what many believe to be the first steam car in the southern hemisphere. Their foundry, small and modest, soon gained a reputation across Tasmania for its forward-thinking designs.
Later, in 1934, the Holyman family established a shipping business that would eventually evolve into Australia’s first airline to connect the mainland with Tasmania. Their story is still told today, a testament to Devonport’s pioneering spirit.
But Devonport’s mark on history wasn’t just industrial. It was also political. The town became the birthplace of Joseph Lyons, Australia’s tenth Prime Minister, and his wife, Enid Lyons, the first woman elected to the House of Representatives. Enid’s achievements were monumental. After Joseph’s death, she continued to serve her country, inspiring generations of women to follow in her footsteps. Today, their home, “Home Hill,” stands as a museum, a symbol of Devonport’s place in Australian political history.
But the most remarkable story in Devonport belongs to a woman whose name has largely been forgotten, though her deeds were far from ordinary.
The Story of Alice Gurney
Alice Gurney was a local shopkeeper. She ran a small general store that sat on the corner of Torquay Road. By all accounts, she lived a simple life. No one would have expected her to play a key role in solving a crime that gripped Devonport in the 1950s.
One evening, a young boy went missing. His name was Matthew Reid. He had gone to the riverbank to fish, as many boys did back then, but he never returned. The town searched for him for days. The police, the townspeople, even those from neighboring communities came to help. But there was no sign of Matthew.
Alice watched all this from her shop. She saw the men leave each morning with hope in their eyes, only to return at night with nothing to show for their efforts. On the fifth day, Alice noticed something. There was a man, a stranger, who had arrived in town the day Matthew disappeared. He had claimed to be a traveling salesman, but something about him made Alice suspicious.
She watched him carefully. He would sit at the local pub each night, talking with whoever would listen. But he never seemed interested in selling anything. Instead, he asked about the search for Matthew. Alice found this odd. She kept her distance, listening, observing, until one night, the man said something that caught her ear. He mentioned the riverbank, describing a detail about the rocks there that only someone who had been at the exact spot where Matthew was last seen would know.
Alice went to the police the next day. She told them about the man. At first, they dismissed her. After all, she was just a shopkeeper. But Alice insisted. “Watch him,” she said. “He knows something.”
Reluctantly, they agreed. The police began to follow the man, watching his every move. And sure enough, he led them to Matthew’s body, hidden in a shallow grave near the river. The man had killed the boy over a petty argument and had been pretending to help with the search all along.
The town was in shock. No one had suspected the stranger. But Alice had trusted her instincts. When the man was arrested, the townspeople couldn’t believe it. Alice had solved the crime.
Years later, people would still talk about the boy who went missing. They would speak of how he had been found, and how a quiet woman had been the one to bring justice to his family.
The Twist
But there was one thing Alice never told anyone. Not even the police. She had known the man from long ago. He wasn’t just a stranger. He was her cousin, a black sheep of the family who had left town years before. She had recognized him the moment he walked into her shop, but she had kept quiet. She had waited, biding her time, knowing that eventually, he would reveal himself.
And when he did, she made sure justice was served.
Alice’s secret died with her. She never spoke of it to anyone. But in her quiet way, she had protected her town, all while hiding the truth that would have made her part of the very crime she helped solve.
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