Bill Jenkings
Encyclopedia
William Charles Jenkings (1915 - 1996) was an Australian writer, newspaper reporter and well known Bondi Beach identity.
Jenkings was a news and crime reporter for the Sydney
newspaper The Daily Mirror
, joining the paper in 1944. The Daily Mirror was then owned by Ezra Norton
and was later owned by owned by Rupert Murdoch
's News Ltd. Jenkings worked as reporter for the Daily Mirror until his retirement in 1991 - a remarkable career that spanned 47 years. He covered high-profile cases during the 1950s and 1960s, including the Graeme Thorne kidnapping
, the Bogle-Chandler case
, and the Wanda Beach murders
. One of his sources was Detective Ray "Gunner" Kelly, who benefited from the publicity, becoming one of Australia
's best-known policemen.
Jenkings published two books. Crime Reporter was a pulp-paperback about some of his highest-profile reporting cases. As Crime Goes By.. , his life story, which was mostly ghost-written for him just after he retired, became a best-seller. The book featured interesting accounts of the lives of many famous Sydney criminals such as Kate Leigh
, Tilly Devine
, John Frederick "Chow" Hayes, William "Joey" Hollebone, Nellie Cameron
, "Pretty" Dulcie Markham
, Robert "Pretty Boy" Walker, Richard "Dick" Reilly, "Greyhound" Charlie Bourke, Stewart John Regan and Darcy Dugan
. In it he suggested that he knew the solutions to the Bogle-Chandler
and Wanda Beach cases, although the suspect he named for the latter commenced legal action against Jenkings for the allegation. This litigation was not finalized, and it ceased with Jenkings' death.
Jenkings was also unabashed at his support for several of the men he'd met in his working life. He had known Rupert Murdoch
when Murdoch ran the Daily Mirror, and Jenkings insisted that he was a great boss. He also refused to believe allegations about the involvement of Sydney policemen Ray "Gunner" Kelly, Fred Krahe
and Frank Farrell
in corrupt activities, saying that he had known them personally.
Bill Jenkings married Noreen Cecilia Simpson at St.Anne's Catholic Church, Bondi, New South Wales, on 30 March 1940. He lived with his family for most of his life in Bondi Beach, New South Wales
. Gifted with a sharp mind, Jenkings made and maintained legendary contacts both in the underworld and the police force. He was regarded as the foremost crime reporter in Sydney for over 50 years.
He was known to many people as "Bondi" Bill Jenkings, and was a Life member of the Bondi
Surf Lifesaving Club.
Bill Jenkings died on 12 May 1996. He was later cremated at the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park
at Botany.
He was survived by his wife and four children.
Jenkings was a news and crime reporter for the Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
newspaper The Daily Mirror
The Daily Mirror (Australia)
The Daily Mirror was an afternoon paper established by Ezra Norton in Sydney, Australia in 1941, gaining a licence from the Minister for Trade and Customs, Eric Harrison, despite wartime paper rationing. In October 1958, Norton and his partners sold his newspapers to the Fairfax group, which...
, joining the paper in 1944. The Daily Mirror was then owned by Ezra Norton
Ezra Norton
Ezra Norton was an Australian newspaper baron and businessman.-Early life:Norton was born in the Sydney suburb of Watsons Bay, son of the proprietor of the Truth, John Norton and Ada McGrath , whom he married some weeks later...
and was later owned by owned by Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
's News Ltd. Jenkings worked as reporter for the Daily Mirror until his retirement in 1991 - a remarkable career that spanned 47 years. He covered high-profile cases during the 1950s and 1960s, including the Graeme Thorne kidnapping
Graeme Thorne kidnapping
The Graeme Thorne kidnapping is the name given to the 1960 kidnapping and murder of Graeme Thorne for money that his father, Bazil Thorne, had won in a lottery. A crime which caused massive shock at the time and gathered huge publicity, it was the first known kidnapping for ransom in Australian...
, the Bogle-Chandler case
Bogle-Chandler case
The Bogle-Chandler case refers to the mysterious deaths of Dr Gilbert Stanley Bogle and Mrs Margaret Olive Chandler née Morphett on the banks of the Lane Cove River in Sydney, Australia on January 1, 1963. The case became celebrated because of the circumstances in which the bodies were found and...
, and the Wanda Beach murders
Wanda Beach Murders
The Wanda Beach Murders refers to the case of the unsolved murders of Marianne Schmidt and Christine Sharrock at Sydney's Wanda Beach on 11 January 1965. Their partially buried bodies were discovered the next day....
. One of his sources was Detective Ray "Gunner" Kelly, who benefited from the publicity, becoming one of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's best-known policemen.
Jenkings published two books. Crime Reporter was a pulp-paperback about some of his highest-profile reporting cases. As Crime Goes By.. , his life story, which was mostly ghost-written for him just after he retired, became a best-seller. The book featured interesting accounts of the lives of many famous Sydney criminals such as Kate Leigh
Kate Leigh
Catherine Mary Josephine Leigh was an underworld figure who rose to prominence as an illegal trader of alcohol and cocaine dealer in Surry Hills, Sydney, Australia during the first half of the twentieth century...
, Tilly Devine
Tilly Devine
Matilda 'Tilly' Devine was an English-born prominent Sydney crime syndicate gangs member figure, involved in a wide range of activities, including sly-grog and razor gangs, but most notable as a madam.-Early life:...
, John Frederick "Chow" Hayes, William "Joey" Hollebone, Nellie Cameron
Nellie Cameron
Nellie Cameron , known as "The Kiss of Death Girl", was a notorious Sydney prostitute in the 1920s and 1930s, who was featured extensively in the 2011 Australian television mini-series Underbelly: Razor...
, "Pretty" Dulcie Markham
Dulcie Markham
Dulcie May Markham was a prominent Sydney prostitute and associate of gangland figures in Sydney during the 1930s, 1940's and 1950s, when she was closely involved with the razor gang milieu of that era of organised crime within that city...
, Robert "Pretty Boy" Walker, Richard "Dick" Reilly, "Greyhound" Charlie Bourke, Stewart John Regan and Darcy Dugan
Darcy Dugan
Darcy Ezekial Dugan was an Australian bank robber and New South Wales' most notorious prison escape artist.Darcy Dugan grew up in the inner suburb of Annandale in Sydney. During his criminal career, he committed numerous armed holdups, robbing banks and even a hospital...
. In it he suggested that he knew the solutions to the Bogle-Chandler
Bogle-Chandler case
The Bogle-Chandler case refers to the mysterious deaths of Dr Gilbert Stanley Bogle and Mrs Margaret Olive Chandler née Morphett on the banks of the Lane Cove River in Sydney, Australia on January 1, 1963. The case became celebrated because of the circumstances in which the bodies were found and...
and Wanda Beach cases, although the suspect he named for the latter commenced legal action against Jenkings for the allegation. This litigation was not finalized, and it ceased with Jenkings' death.
Jenkings was also unabashed at his support for several of the men he'd met in his working life. He had known Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
when Murdoch ran the Daily Mirror, and Jenkings insisted that he was a great boss. He also refused to believe allegations about the involvement of Sydney policemen Ray "Gunner" Kelly, Fred Krahe
Fred Krahe
Frederick Claude "Fred" Krahe was a New South Wales police officer and detective.Krahe is often referred to as having been one of the most feared NSW police officers of his day. He made many successful arrests for which he received commendations and awards for bravery and outstanding detective...
and Frank Farrell
Frank Farrell (rugby league)
Francis Michael "Bumper" Farrell was an Australian premiership winning and national representative rugby league footballer. A prop forward, his long club career was with the Newtown Bluebags from 1938 to 1951 with four Test appearances for the Australian national side between 1946 and 1948...
in corrupt activities, saying that he had known them personally.
Bill Jenkings married Noreen Cecilia Simpson at St.Anne's Catholic Church, Bondi, New South Wales, on 30 March 1940. He lived with his family for most of his life in Bondi Beach, New South Wales
Bondi Beach, New South Wales
Bondi Beach is a popular beach and the name of the surrounding suburb in Sydney, Australia. Bondi Beach is located 7 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council, in the Eastern Suburbs...
. Gifted with a sharp mind, Jenkings made and maintained legendary contacts both in the underworld and the police force. He was regarded as the foremost crime reporter in Sydney for over 50 years.
He was known to many people as "Bondi" Bill Jenkings, and was a Life member of the Bondi
Bondi
Bondi could refer to:-Places in Australia:* Bondi Beach, New South Wales, a beach and suburb in Sydney, Australia* Bondi Junction, New South Wales, a suburb and commercial centre in Sydney, Australia* Bondi, New South Wales, a suburb in Sydney, Australia...
Surf Lifesaving Club.
Bill Jenkings died on 12 May 1996. He was later cremated at the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park
Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park
Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park is a cemetery and crematorium at Matraville, in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Land was dedicated as a cemetery site in 1888, with the first interment recorded on 21 August 1893. Since then, more than 65,000 people have been buried there...
at Botany.
He was survived by his wife and four children.
Further Reading
- N.Lipson & T.Barnao. As Crime Goes By.. The Life and Times Of "Bondi" Bill Jenkings. published by Ironbark Press, 1992, Australia. (ISBN 1875471 146).
- David Hickie. Chow Hayes, Gunman published by Angus & Robertson Books, Australia,1990. (ISBN 0 207 16012 0)
- Larry Writer. Razor. published by Pan Macmillan Books, Australia,2001. (ISBN 0732910749).