The Piano that Played a Murderer

In today’s world, we can play our favourite music with a tap or a voice command—but back in the early days of Western Australia’s goldfields, music was something people made themselves. If you couldn’t play an instrument, you might whistle or sing while working. And when it came to socialising, standing around a piano and singing was the highlight of many an evening.

Of course, pianos weren’t exactly easy to come by in young mining towns—especially when everything had to be hauled by horse or wheelbarrow. But one old piano, long past its prime by the turn of the century, found itself at the centre of not just one, but two remarkable stories. 

 It’s believed this piano was the first in both Southern Cross and Coolgardie — and it's said to have been played by none other than the infamous Frederick Deeming, also known as Baron Swanston and Albert Williams. In Southern Cross, Deeming was known not for his crimes but for his charm and piano playing. 

Locals gathered around to enjoy the music he played, unaware of the dark past he had brought with him. But those pleasant evenings came to an abrupt end. 

 On March 11, 1892, Constable Evan Williams—who had set up the first police station in Southern Cross—received a telegram from Perth. It read: 

"A provisional warrant has been issued here today by J.C.H. James, one of His Majesty’s JPs for this Colony, for the arrest of Albert Williams, alias Baron Swanston, who is charged with the wilful murder of Emily Williams at Windsor, Victoria... Arrest him at once and wire when affected." — George Gurney,

 Detective Deeming was arrested at Fraser’s Gold Mine, where he was working under a false name. At first, he laughed off the charges, but once extradited to Melbourne, the evidence began to pile up—and there was nothing funny about it.

 The case shocked Australia and the world. Investigators discovered that Deeming had murdered Emily Williams in Victoria and buried her under a kitchen hearth. But that wasn’t all. Before arriving in Australia, he had killed his first wife and their four children in England, burying them in cement beneath a house.

 At the time of his arrest, his next intended victim—his third fiancée—was already en route to join him in Southern Cross. Deeming was eventually convicted and hanged for his crimes.

 Strangely enough, it was claimed that his piano playing had helped police identify and track him down. A minor detail, perhaps—but one that kept the piano in local legend.

Deeming-

The Piano That Saved a Life

 But that piano’s story didn’t end with Deeming. In August 1893, the piano was sold to someone in Coolgardie, and it was loaded onto a swamper’s wagon—basically, a cart hauled by horses, with men walking beside it. Each night, the travelling party camped beside the wagon, removed the boards protecting the piano, and held a good old-fashioned singalong under the stars.

 One night, while camping on the Boorabin sand plain, their music drew a very unexpected audience. As the travellers played and sang around the campfire, a half-naked elderly man stumbled into the clearing, gasping, gibbering, and clearly near death. He motioned desperately for water.

 It took a full day before he could tell his story properly. He and his mate had been travelling ahead of the piano wagon when he wandered off the track and got hopelessly lost. His so-called expert bushman companion didn’t go back to search—he just kept going. The old man was near delirium from thirst when, in the silence of the bush, he heard the faint sound of a piano. He followed the music and was saved.

 Once they reached Coolgardie, the swampers took the man to the tent hospital and then went looking for his irresponsible mate. Let’s just say they found him—and delivered a bit of old-fashioned bush justice before sending him on his way.

 A Piece of Goldfields History

 The piano eventually ended up at Faahan’s Club Hotel in Coolgardie. According to Arthur Reid’s Those Were the Days, Faahan bought the town’s first piano. His hotel became a hub for the goldfields’ more artistic crowd—the “Bohemians.”

 The poet Edward Greenslade “Dryblower” Murphy was a regular performer, playing Scottish and Irish ballads on the piano and singing in what was described as a “nice silvery tenor.” Surprisingly, the outback had no shortage of musical talent. One local pianist, Albert Waxman, went on to fame in London under the name Albert Whelan.

 Other entertainers included Ben Strange, and the beloved “musical twins,” Billy Hansen and Sam Bennett, who were in high demand at social gatherings.

By 1900, the old piano had been played so much that Faahan replaced it. The well-worn instrument was sold to a new owner who wasn’t just buying a piece of furniture—but a true piece of Eastern Goldfields history. ---