Best known as a folk hero and a robber.
Ernest was known by the nickname 'Shiner' he was born (circa) 1886 in Adelaide. By the time he was 15 he had been flogged for larceny. His inventive mind soon made him Sydney's top planner of 'jobs'. 1914 saw him and an accomplice become the first Australian criminals to make use of a motor vehicle in a payroll hold up.
He became an expert at picking locks, it was said his brains were in his fingers. He finally ended up paying for his crimes, spending much of his life in Fremantle Prison, where he repaired toys and watches. He also kept the prison clock maintained. He made counterfeit florins which were passed on by a senior prison officer.
During World War 2 he behaved himself. His help for the out of luck residents made him a Fremantle folk hero. There was a media sensation in 1950 when he married Kate Leigh, Sydney's queen of the underworld, at Saint John's Church in Fremantle. Sadly the marriage ended soon after. Shiner spent his last years living at one of the many racing stables among the sand dunes of South Fremantle. He made battery whips for trainers in order to pay his rent until his death in 1957 aged 71.
Ernest was known by the nickname 'Shiner' he was born (circa) 1886 in Adelaide. By the time he was 15 he had been flogged for larceny. His inventive mind soon made him Sydney's top planner of 'jobs'. 1914 saw him and an accomplice become the first Australian criminals to make use of a motor vehicle in a payroll hold up.
He became an expert at picking locks, it was said his brains were in his fingers. He finally ended up paying for his crimes, spending much of his life in Fremantle Prison, where he repaired toys and watches. He also kept the prison clock maintained. He made counterfeit florins which were passed on by a senior prison officer.
During World War 2 he behaved himself. His help for the out of luck residents made him a Fremantle folk hero. There was a media sensation in 1950 when he married Kate Leigh, Sydney's queen of the underworld, at Saint John's Church in Fremantle. Sadly the marriage ended soon after. Shiner spent his last years living at one of the many racing stables among the sand dunes of South Fremantle. He made battery whips for trainers in order to pay his rent until his death in 1957 aged 71.
Best known as a folk hero and a robber.
Ernest was known by the nickname 'Shiner' he was born (circa) 1886 in Adelaide. By the time he was 15 he had been flogged for larceny. His inventive mind soon made him Sydney's top planner of 'jobs'. 1914 saw him and an accomplice become the first Australian criminals to make use of a motor vehicle in a payroll hold up.
He became an expert at picking locks, it was said his brains were in his fingers. He finally ended up paying for his crimes, spending much of his life in Fremantle Prison, where he repaired toys and watches. He also kept the prison clock maintained. He made counterfeit florins which were passed on by a senior prison officer.
During World War 2 he behaved himself. His help for the out of luck residents made him a Fremantle folk hero. There was a media sensation in 1950 when he married Kate Leigh, Sydney's queen of the underworld, at Saint John's Church in Fremantle. Sadly the marriage ended soon after. Shiner spent his last years living at one of the many racing stables among the sand dunes of South Fremantle. He made battery whips for trainers in order to pay his rent until his death in 1957 aged 71.
Ernest was known by the nickname 'Shiner' he was born (circa) 1886 in Adelaide. By the time he was 15 he had been flogged for larceny. His inventive mind soon made him Sydney's top planner of 'jobs'. 1914 saw him and an accomplice become the first Australian criminals to make use of a motor vehicle in a payroll hold up.
He became an expert at picking locks, it was said his brains were in his fingers. He finally ended up paying for his crimes, spending much of his life in Fremantle Prison, where he repaired toys and watches. He also kept the prison clock maintained. He made counterfeit florins which were passed on by a senior prison officer.
During World War 2 he behaved himself. His help for the out of luck residents made him a Fremantle folk hero. There was a media sensation in 1950 when he married Kate Leigh, Sydney's queen of the underworld, at Saint John's Church in Fremantle. Sadly the marriage ended soon after. Shiner spent his last years living at one of the many racing stables among the sand dunes of South Fremantle. He made battery whips for trainers in order to pay his rent until his death in 1957 aged 71.
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