Matilda Mary Devine, an infamous Sydney crime figure known as ‘Tilly Devine’, portrayed in the TV series Underbelly, had links to Kalgoorlie Boulder after being arrested and jailed on the Goldfields.
Matilda ‘Tilly” Devine, was born in England in 1900 and became a prominent crime syndicate crime figure involved in sly grog dealing and razor gangs, but most notably as a madam. She was born Matilda Mary TWISS and was born into a criminal family in London. By 1915 she was working as a prostitute and at 16 she married an Australian soldier, James ‘Jim’ Edward DEVINE. They had a son born in 1919.
James ‘Big Jim’ Devine – Photo TROVE
She arrived in Sydney on January 13 1920 after leaving her son with her parents in London. Both Tilly and Jim Devine became prominent illegal narcotics dealers, brothel owners and crime gang members in Sydney. Tilly became infamous as a prostitute and then as a brothel owner and an organised crime entrepreneur. Her wealth was legendary across Sydney and she owned a huge portfolio of real estate, luxury cars, gold and diamond jewellery and she always travelled first class.
Her wealth paid bribes to police as well as numerous court fines over a criminal career which was to last over 50 years. She was convicted 204 times and served several jail sentences. She was known to always carry a gun. Her husband was a violent man and a convicted thief, pimp and drug dealer. He was know to have committed several high profile murders in Sydney between 1929 and 1931. After being charged several times he was always acquitted. The Devine’s marriage was marred by domestic violence and in 1931, Jim was charged with the attempted murder of his wife after firing shots at her during an argument. He was acquitted after Tilly refused to testify
On July 5th 1934 the Kalgoorlie Miner newspaper reported that Tilly Devine had been arrested and charged as being an idle and disorderly person. The heading ran
‘Underworld Character – Conviction at Kalgoorlie’.
The story read; “amid an outburst of weeping and cries that she would leave the town, Matilda Devine (34), who was yesterday identified as Tilly Devine, a notorious underworld character was today convicted on a charge of vagrancy in the Kalgoorlie police court and sentenced by Magistrate E McGinn to six months imprisonment.
Tilly Devine – Photo Find a Grave
The accused arrived in Western Australia a month prior in company with her husband, Jim Devine. Jim Devine has not been heard of since but is believed to be in the Kalgoorlie area. The accused was arrested in a house of ill fame by Detectives Trait and Smith. She had been disorderly while there, and was suspected of being involved in a robbery. The Magistrate said she was an undesirable person and a menace to society.
Tilly Devine in 1929 – Photo Find a Grave
Solicitor, Mr F J O’Dea, who appeared for the accused, claimed Devine was being convicted solely on her past record and asked that a suspended sentence be made and she would undertake to leave town. The Magistrate said that he would not pass on his responsibility to another and said with 66 convictions behind her she had exceeded the bounds of toleration. The accused was taken from the court sobbing loudly.
The Devine’s were to separate in the early 1940’s and they divorced in 1944. In 1945 Tilly married an ex serviceman, Eric John PARSONS. Tilly famously shot Parsons in the leg during an argument shortly before they married. They were to remain married for 13 years until he died of cancer in 1958. Tilly lived in a house in Maroubra for 30 years, it is where it is said a number of murders were committed. In 1955 the Taxation Dept ordered Tilly to pay £20,000 in unpaid taxes which sent her close to bankruptcy. In 1953 she was know to have claimed
‘I’m a lucky lucky girl, I have more diamonds than the Queen of England, and better ones too”.
She sold her last brothel in 1968 and died in 1970. Tilly Devine, the Queen of Woolloomooloo, is dead.
Moya Sharp
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An extraordinary story!