In 1861 Toowoomba lost a lot of convicts but “Scotchy” Lawson refused to join them. I told a version of this story live on Darling Downs radio 4AK.

Amongst the many Toowoomba escapees in 1861 was the convict Dick Austin. In 1856 he committed the biggest robbery in Ipswich history, and in 1861 he was in the Toowoomba lock-up when a mate tried to bribe the constable in charge. That didn’t work, and so on Wednesday the 7th of July 1861, another bribe was attempted when Austin and another prisoner were to be escorted from the Toowoomba lock-up to Brisbane.

That other prisoner was William Boyd Lawson who was commonly called “Scotchy” Lawson. Scotchy had only five days left in his term and was talking of bringing an action for false imprisonment. He was a butcher in Roma and what a character he was.

For example, later in 1867, the civil list for Roma courthouse read something like this: Murphy v Lawson, Lawson v Murphy, Murphy Bros. v Lawson and Co., Lawson and Co. v. Murphy Bros., Lawson and another v Murphy and another, Murphy and another v Lawson and another, and so on. Months later there was actually excitement in the town when a rumour circulated that the civil list did not contain a single case of Lawson v Murphy, but it did of course.

Then the first municipal election was held in Roma, and Scotchy Lawson ran for office. Thomas McEwen became Roma’s first mayor, and Scotchy tied for the sixth and final seat. The police magistrate made the casting vote and Scotchy was cruelly denied his place on the inaugural council. He was given the relatively humiliating job as manager of the town common.

Scotchy couldn’t wait to get his own back and it was six months later in 1868 that he was charged with stealing a black mare, the property of none other than the mayor Thomas McEwen. During Mr. McEwen’s absence from home, Scotchy sold a horse to a Chinaman but the horse was in fact not his own but Mr. McEwen’s. On Mr. McEwen’s return he noticed he horse missing, saw it in some paddock and so took it back. The mayor, the Chinaman, and Scotchy all ended up in court.

In 1872 Scotchy was charged in Roma with cattle duffing on an industrial scale. This was the same year that Harry Readford – the inspiration for Captain Starlight in the book “Robbery Under Arms” – faced the same charges in the same Roma courthouse and was acquited. In response to the verdict, the Queensland government shut down the Roma district court for two years.

It was reported that Scotchy’s mere proximity to town caused double vigilance on the part of the police, and the very sight of him immediately threw the mayor and town council into convulsions. On a number of occasions, Scotchy was only in town a few hours when he was summoned before the magistrates.

Scotchy’s legal challenges reached a crescendo in 1875 when he was committed to trial in Toowoomba for wilful murder. He was behind the bar at Stacey’s Hotel at Burenda (renamed Augathella eight years later), about sixty-five miles outside of Charleville, when a man insinuated that Scotchy was “a loafer.” Scotchy took offence and punched the man who fell to the ground. Four days later the man died. The doctor said it was from concussion having hit the back of his head. Scotchy’s witnesses said the man fell on his side. Scotchy got off.

Now but back to 1861 when Scotchy and the convict Dick Austin were being escorted to Brisbane. Austin’s mate who tried bribe the constable at the lock-up, was successful in bribing at least one of the escorting constables. When the party got to Gatton Creek, Austin was allowed to escape.

In somewhat remarkable scenes, however, Scotchy Lawson was the only one in the party who was eager to recapture Austin. That’s because the escapee had got off with a pocketknife and some other things that belonged to Scotchy who was filthy about the whole affair.

Scotchy became folklore within the Toowoomba and Warrego districts. His legend lived on through one of his children. While Scotchy failed in his bid for the inaugural Roma council, his son Bill was elected onto not one, but three councils at Roma, Gladstone, and Brisbane, which is probably a record.

Scotchy Lawson refused to escape the limelight – even after his death.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO A VERSION OF THIS STORY TOLD ON RADIO 4AK.

Photo credits:
Representation of the Scotchy Lawson story – Copilot image.
Thomas McEwen, first mayor of Roma, 1867 – Western Star and Roma Advertiser, 2nd May 1925, page 7.
Henry Readford – State Library of Queensland.