by Lesley Melody.
In 2014 I was astonished to find an article that placed William Melody in the ring in one of the great bare knuckle fights of the age, in the goldfields of Victoria in the 1850s. More recently I found the following piece - written 40 years later. It is, I believe, by the same unnamed author - much of the text is the same, but in the later story he shares more details as he reminisces about one of the greatest fights of the era.
In the years between the Eureka Stockade Rebellion of 1854 and this event in May 1857, Bill seems to have followed the gold. From the census of 1856 we can place him in Talbot in the central gold mining area about 40 km south of Dunolly.
In that same year there was a major strike in Dunolly, one of the largest rushes that Victoria had witnessed, swelling the town's population to 60,000 in a matter of weeks. This testosterone-fuelled population needed entertainment, and it seems they were willing to pay for it as the purse of £450 was a large fortune for the time (probably about $50,000 in today's money).
The written prose in the article is not always easy to follow - this was the style of the time, written to be read out loud to eager listeners.
William Melody in his later years in NZ
In 2014 I was astonished to find an article that placed William Melody in the ring in one of the great bare knuckle fights of the age, in the goldfields of Victoria in the 1850s. More recently I found the following piece - written 40 years later. It is, I believe, by the same unnamed author - much of the text is the same, but in the later story he shares more details as he reminisces about one of the greatest fights of the era.
In the years between the Eureka Stockade Rebellion of 1854 and this event in May 1857, Bill seems to have followed the gold. From the census of 1856 we can place him in Talbot in the central gold mining area about 40 km south of Dunolly.
In that same year there was a major strike in Dunolly, one of the largest rushes that Victoria had witnessed, swelling the town's population to 60,000 in a matter of weeks. This testosterone-fuelled population needed entertainment, and it seems they were willing to pay for it as the purse of £450 was a large fortune for the time (probably about $50,000 in today's money).
The written prose in the article is not always easy to follow - this was the style of the time, written to be read out loud to eager listeners.
Bell’s Life in Sydney and Sporting Reviewer
The Referee
(Sydney, NSW)
Wednesday, May 11
1898
BATTLES OF THE PAST
------------------------------
The Australian Prize Ring
Joe Kitchen and Bill Melody
Stakes £450 – A Great
Struggle
(No. VI)
(By A “Referee” Special)
For some considerable time (in the year
1857) a great deal of talk had been indulged in regarding the relative merits
of Joe Kitchen and Bill Melody, and many an effort was made to bring the pair
together, but Melody’s big pull in the weights deterred the Kitchenites, until
at last, the heavier mans backers offered to lay 250 to 200 if they were
allowed a limit of 11st7lb.
This the other side at once agreed to, and the articles were accordingly signed at the People’s Hotel, Chinaman’s Flat on February 17th for “a fair stand up fight.” And sporting folk waited with unconcealed pleasurable anticipation, the advent in the same ring of these two doughty knights of the “bare ‘uns.”
This the other side at once agreed to, and the articles were accordingly signed at the People’s Hotel, Chinaman’s Flat on February 17th for “a fair stand up fight.” And sporting folk waited with unconcealed pleasurable anticipation, the advent in the same ring of these two doughty knights of the “bare ‘uns.”
As showing how they did things in the old
days, how the fighters’ favours were distributed, and how interest in the combat
was spread over a very wide field, I might mention that the articles of
agreement provided for the different deposits being cut up into eight sums and
each amount to be lodged as follows:-
First deposit: February 17 at The People’s
Hotel, Chinaman’s; second Junction Hotel, Alma; third, The People’s Hotel,
Chinaman’s; fourth, Golden Gate, Maryborough; fifth, Dan Timmins’ Sportsman’s
Arms, Chinaman’s Flat; sixth, Ballarat Boarding House, Alma; seventh, Flowers’ Marquee Restaurant,
Chinaman’s Flat; eighth, Tom Curran’s Butchers Arms Hotel, Dunolly.
Both fighters made a point of attending at every one of the places named on the nights the deposits were payable.
Both fighters made a point of attending at every one of the places named on the nights the deposits were payable.
THE MEN
Joe Kitchen was then in his twenty-eighth year,
stood 5ft 8 1\2 in high, and weighed 10st 10lb. Joe’s previous deeds need not
be recapitulated here. Many of them were referred to in the account I
published (the first one of this series) of his fight with Harry Sellars –
Boxiarn recounts the whole of them. Twelve months before the engagement under
notice Kitchen had lowered the colours of Joe Delaney, at Hard Hills,
Buningyong, after a battle of forty minutes duration.
Bill Melody was but little known in the
prize ring up to the time of meeting Kitchen, although he had distinguished
himself times out of number in the rough and ready way. His principle achievement was the defeat of
Tom Able, the blacksmith on the Eureka, Ballarat. This fight went to Melody on a
foul blow. Bill had the advantage over Kitchen of 2 inches in height, and, for
the extra £50 staked by him, had
the benefit of 11lb additional advantage. Melody tipped the beam at 11st 7lb.
SCENE AT THE CONVINCING GROUND.
The day being beautifully fine, thousands
of people from all the surrounding districts attended. Vehicles of every
description were at an early hour wending their way towards the convincing
spot about 2 miles from Dunolly, on the road to Jones’s Creek. Choice of the
ground fell to Melody who, on Saturday evening at Tom Carrans, won the toss.
The stands erected lent an amphitheater-like appearance to the scene. Every
seat was occupied.
THE PRELIMINARIES.
At a quarter to twelve Kitchen entered the
arena, attended by Mat Hardy and Tom Wren (Big Tom), and accompanied by his
chief backers, Messrs Rigby and Greville
of Piccadilly. Chinaman’s Melody was not long in following suit, with his
seconds Tom Curran and Davis. Joe sported the old blue bird’s eye and Bill the
green kinsman as his distinguishing colours.
Odds – 25 to 20 on Melody.
Much time was lost choosing a referee; but
ultimately a well known sporting journalist of the time was selected.
At twenty-eight minutes to one the men
peeled. Their appearance gave general satisfaction – both were in first rate
condition - a fact for which the two
trainers ,Tom Carran (Melody) and Tom Wren (Kitchen) received a large amount of
praise. After the usual preliminaries the men toed the scratch and
THE FIGHT BEGAN
Round 1.- Only a short time was consumed in
sparring as business was the order of the day. Bill lead off with his left but
was neatly stopped by Joe, who planted one on the mouth; ditto repeated; after
a little finesse Joe got home with a one-two on the mug; a close ensued, and
Bill was thrown.
“FIRST BLOOD FOR KITCHEN” said the referee
The second time of getting together opened
up with a little ‘feeling’ work, then Joe reached Bill’s nasal organ. William
countered, but was short. Melody lead off, was stopped by Kitchen, who replied
with a couple of quick ones and got away, followed as usual by Bill. Joe
planted a severe round hit under the lug, and floored his man.
FIRST KNOCK DOWN BLOW FOR KITCHEN.
Vis-à-vis for a third time, Melody come up
to scratch bleeding, his opponent deposited one, two on his knob, retreated
cleverly, Bill after him. Further sparring and Joe reached the bread-basket.
In- fighting supervened, followed by a severe struggle at the ropes, when Joe
got down cleverly.
Round 4.-
Kitchen set one plumb on the proboscis and jumped away. Working in again
he touched the big chaps ribs up. This was repeated. Bill pluckily followed his
tormentor to his corner so as to have a hand in the business. Some good
infighting resulted, out of which Joe went down.
Once again he faced the music and Kitchen
set about Melody in the most businesslike fashion. A couple on the latters
left pepper and conk, and another on his ribs, supported by ditto and ditto; a few feints on both sides. Joe then got home on Bills ribs again, a close
followed; then came an exciting struggle on the ropes, which ended in Kitchen
appealing to the referee, who decided that the fight should proceed.
ANY ODDS ON KITCHEN.
Kitchen came to scratch fresh as a daisy,
Melody a bit down. Any odds on the former. Some sparring then Joe visited
Bill’s snuff box and mouth, and got away. Melody countered but with little
effect. Kitchen planted one on the ribs, repeated on Williams tater trap and
got away. Another loud sounding, if not
melodious, thump on Melody’s ribs. Good
countering on both sides, Kitchen retreating, Bill followed, but hit short and napped
a beauty on the frontis-piece. Joe broke ground again with his adversary still
pursuing. Kitchen put in a right-handed hinger under the advancing chaps left
ear and fell. Loud cheers from the little man’s friends. A first rate round.
Shaping up for the seventh time Melody
appeared out of tune. A little introductory light countering and Bill’s
knowledge box got a shaking from a beautifully-timed left. Both men eyeing each
other. Melody rubbing his thighs, apparently lost in wonder. Jabbing out with
the left by each took place here, but no damage was done. Kitchen paid the usual
attention to Bill’s left ear, and then ran around the ring laughing, gallantly
chased by his much-battered foeman. Joe suddenly pulled up and delivered a
heavy punch on Melody’s sniffer the effects of which the recipient endeavoured in vain to rub off with his hand. Melody hit short : some sparring : Bill once
more attempted, but without success, and received in return one on the lug and
another on the left visual organ, which was rapidly putting up shutters. A
close,
A DESPERATE STRUGGLE, A SWAYING OF BODIES
Great cheering from the onlookers from all
sides, and Kitchen slipped down. The applause was deafening at this stage.
At it right on time. Melody showed up with
one peeper eclipsed. Kitchen got home on the ribs, and again touched the
damaged optic. Bill hit short: Joe retreated; Bill followed; Joe brought
himself up, and again got home on Melody’s sinister squinter and smelling
organ. A close and sharp struggle at the hempen boundary, and Kitchen went to
grass cleverly.
Betting 30 to 10 on Joe offered.
The ninth round saw Kitchen full of
confidence, and laughing but bleeding slightly from the nut. He got a nice one
on the ribs and retreated; Melody went after his man but hit short. Joe
countering under the sinister listener. Good infighting succeeded. Kitchen
threw his man and walked to his own corner.
“CHINAMAN’S FLAT TO A CHINA ORANGE ON JOE" screeched out a popular digger.
Round 10:- Joe visited Bill’s ribs, a sharp
rally at the ropes and Melody was again thrown.
Round 11(and last). Melody tried to smile
but failed in the attempt bleeding from the mouth nose and eye; however he led
off but was short-stopped by Kitchen, who jabbed on the nose and broke away,
followed by Bill. Joe practiced his old dodge of turning sharply, lodged a
smart blow under one ear, and one on the nose. A lively rally – Melody thrown,
and, on being removed to his corner, vomited blood. On time being called –
‘All the King’s horses and all the King’s men,
Couldn’t bring Bill to the scratch again.’
Tom Curran threw up the sponge and Joe Kitchen was declared the
winner. The fight lasted forty two minutes, and Joe was triumphantly
carried, amidst loud cheering to Greville’s stand.
Bill’s friends looked sadly disappointed but bore their ill-fortune like good sporting men.
For the original text see:
Notes.
It is
not known if William Melody went on to fight again but he is reported in
‘Bell’s life in Sydney and Sporting Reviewer’ , April 7 1860 as acting as
second (I believe this role is also of coach) for Jemmy McCallam in a fight
with Dan Timmins for a purse of £300 at Lucky Woman’s Flat. Unfortunately for Jem (and Bill) Timmins
was the victor after 47 rounds and 1h and 50 mins.
Joe
Kitchen was clearly a very talented pugilist. He went on to win various
matches, one later the same year, Dec 5 1857, against Bob Fee where he was
victorious to the tune of £400. The following year Kitchen beat Harry Sellars (aka the American
Strangler, also described as “the Darkie”) for £600 in an epic 110 round fight that lasted 4
hours and 12 minutes.
In 1869, 12 years after the fight, Dunolly became famous as the location of the "Welcome Stranger" nugget , the largest ever found in the world, weighing 69kg. The record that still stands.
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