"Pyjama Girl" killer's prison record among files opened 1 Jan 2020

Every year on the 1st of January, hundreds of state archives are made public as part of Public Record Office Victoria’s annual Section 9 openings. Under Section 9 of the Public Records Act 1973, files of a personal or private nature are closed to prevent the violation of personal privacy. 

A broad guide to time periods for closure under Section 9 is as follows:
•    Records primarily concerning adults may be closed for 75 years from the year in which the records were created.
•    Records concerning children as the primary subject may be closed for 99 years.
•    Records such as staff records where the individuals concerned may still be in the workforce may be closed for a lesser period such as 30, 40, or 50 years as appropriate.

See below for a snapshot of some of the stories you can find within the pages of this year’s openings. Or scroll to the bottom of this page for a full list of records.

Warning some of these records relate to violence and death and may be upsetting for some readers. 

Central Register of Male Prisoners 
1943-1944

Among the files made public for the first time in 2020, is the 1944 Central Register of Male Prisoners which includes Antonio Agostini, the killer and husband of Linda Agostini also known as “Pyjama Girl”. 
 

The Central Register of Male Prisoners was a register of prisoners received at Melbourne area prisons. Photos were taken for prisoners serving longer than six month terms, and were routinely taken when the prisoner was first received and just before release.  

The “Pyjama Girl” case first captured the country’s attention back in September 1934 when a young woman’s body was found by a farmer in Albury. The woman, brutally murdered, was wearing her pyjamas and so, with police unable to identify her, that’s how she became known. The case was re-examined in 1944 and an inquest concluded her identity. Antonio confessed to killing Linda in their home in Melbourne. He was convicted of manslaughter and gaoled at Pentridge before being deported to Italy in 1948.

Agostini’s prison register includes a photo of him taken just before his deportation. He is described in the record as being born in 1902 in Italy, 5 feet 6 ¼ inches tall, medium build, fresh complexion with hazel eyes. 

Registers of Military Patients 
Oct 1915-Nov 1944

This Register spanning October 1915 to November 1944 contains admission details of patients received for treatment under the Mental Treatment Act 1915. The Act was proclaimed to facilitate treatment for those affected by wounds, shock and other injuries of World War 1 and 2. The listings include date, name, age, marital status, address of relatives, and condition details. 
 

Register of Charges Heard Before the Governor 
Sept 1907-Nov 1944

Adorned with the label “Prisoners Offence Book” on the cover, this volume is the first in the series to be opened and spans 1907 to 1944 of the female prison Coburg (Pentridge). Offences listed throughout the book include quarrelling, possession of prohibited articles, making false statements, attempting to communicate in writing to other prisoners, concealing tobacco and damaging government property. It also seems an attempted escape may have been thwarted with Daphne Stewart’s listing describing her as opening her cell, and the cells of four others, with a spoon. 
 

Also included in the Register is Edna Hill. You can find her story in last year's blog post 'Excitement of the Game'.

 
Bound Circulated Photographs and Criminal Offences of Convicted Persons 
Apr 1943-Aug 1944

These bound volumes contain pages related to Victorian criminals, compiled by the Victoria Police and distributed to interstate police offices. Each page contains a photograph, list of offences, place and date of birth, and education details. 
 

The pages are also often marked at later dates when the criminal is known to have died. For instance, this page for Kevin Albert Joiner states:

“Deceased. Shot whilst escaping from Pentridge Gaol 25/4/52.”

In fact, when cross checking Kevin’s name on NLA Trove, it appears his death occurred a little earlier than indicated on the file, making the front page of The Herald on the 14th of April.

“Armed convict, Kevin Joiner, 25, was shot dead by a warder, after he had broken out of Pentridge gaol about 11am today. Joiner was shot in the back just after he had scaled a 12ft wall of the gaol near Sydney Road and Church Street.”

See below for the full list of records opened on 1 January 2020.

Due to ongoing digital archive work, these records will not be available to order via our online catalogue until mid 2020. In the meantime, if you would like to order and view any of these records in our Reading Room, please contact us via this contact form.