New York Times article

A small town (Larrimah, NT) mystery, a bit like a murder mystery novel book...


The teahouse owned by Fran Hodgetts. Ms. Hodgetts and Mr. Moriarty (the missing person) were neighbours who often quarreled.

This above town looks somewhat similar to the small town, Mt Ebenezer, my tour bus stopped at for lunch, between Ayer's Rock and Alice Springs, NT back in April 1986. Similar menu choices at the restaurant there..

The Northern Territory is a unique place, that is for sure. I don't know whether it is true or not but there are countless tales of criminals that are on the run from police hiding out in various parts of the Northern Territory because it is one of the most isolated places on earth. Because of this it is often recommended that people don't drive at night on their own on the NT's highways. When Peter Falconio was murdered some years ago, the Northern Territory police didn't muck around when asked to find the killer. Just about every copper that was available was put on the job and they had the whole territory shut down, each copper armed with a machine gun. No-one came into or out of the NT without having their boot inspected and ID checked. The killer was found and sentenced to 28 years in gaol. Not a bad effort for a territory larger than half the countries in the world and only 1,300 sworn police officers.

I remember a song By Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band describing a rogue barber whose victims were 'converted' into pies.

Have they found Moriarty yet?

I love how police entered his house and found “a barbecue chicken in the microwave... Authorities expect foul play” 😂

Now it should be obvious from the news that if there is doubt, the Police nearly always initially blame the Chooks & call it fowl play.

Rumours of a short fortune teller running from the law last seen near the tea house about the same time produced the headline;

"Small Medium at Large"

The Captain Matchbox song was "Sweeney Todd the Barber". His pies were such a treat and chock full of meat!!

I have to say that for their era, Captain Matchbox were extraordinary. The 70's gave us Hendrix, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Cream,
Jefferson Airplane, Santana and many more tremendous R&B bands. Also, Aussie bands such as The Zoot, Ayres Rock, Masters Apprentices, etc. held up the flag of grand R&B from this side of the world.

And yet, just about everyone I knew who was into this great music (myself included) had a Captain Matchbox album in their collection.

Amazing! No wah wah pedals, no fuzz boxes, no phasers or tone benders (wammy bars to the younger folks). Those guys played music
from a bygone era with piano, violin, gazoo and even blew into jugs----and we loved them! (Still do)

Go figure, as our American friends would say.

I've got Wangaratta Wahine on CD which I still listen to. Saw Mick Conway in concert at a small venue in Ocean Grove called the Red Hot Chicken Shop a few years ago. He's still got it.