1915-1917

Gippsland Mercury (Sale, Vic.)
Date: October 29, 1915
Page Number: 3

That "wandering lion" has not been brought to book yet near Morwell. Mr T. Savige, on whose property the losses of sheep have occurred, leans to the theory that it is a dog and not a lion. Anyhow, he has laid poison and expects definite results in the near future.

LION IN HAUNTED HILLS.

The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.)
Date: October 6, 1915
Page Number: 10

MORWELL Tuesday.
Mr. Horace Brinsmead a farmer reports that whilst out mustering cattle on the Haunted Hills, about five miles from Morwell he saw a lion. He states that he had a good look at the animal which was about 100 yards distant but could not force his horse any nearer. He is quite positive that the animal he saw was a lion. It disappeared into a belt of dense scrub. Mr Brinsmead adds that there are a number of dead sheep partly eaten in the vicinity. A party has gone out with rifles and dogs to day to hunt for the animal.

The Evasive Lion.

Gippsland Farmers Journal (Traralgon, Vic.)
Date: March 17, 1916
Page Number: 4

The Haunted Hills lion has made its appearance again. A Morwell correspondent states that while out riding after stock on Friday afternoon, on Quigley's Run near the Yinnar rifle butts, Mr. Thomas Keogh suddenly came on a large animal, which he is positive was a lion or a lioness. Mr. Keogh was on a good horse, and quickly put a few miles between himself and the beast. A number of partly devoured sheep have been seen in the locatlity.
This makes the third occasion on which the animal is said to have been seen. It is stated that sheep owners losses have been about £200. Cattle will not stay on the Haunted Hills where the animal is alleged to roam.
It is rather strange that Mr. Keogh is unable to say whether the animal he saw was a lion or a lioness, seeing that the male has a shaggy looking head and shoulders, while the female is clean. If he had had a good look at the beast surely he could tell the difference. Imagination goes a long way. Perhaps he saw some unusally large and dreadful looking creature that he did not stop long enough to see if it was not a calfl! On the other, hand it has to be admitted that Mr. Keogh is a bushman, and has lived in the neighborhood for about 30 years. He knows the district well, and all the native game and farm animals. He is no green horn in this respect. The beast he came upon so suddenly must have been entirely different to the local animals, or Mr. Keogh would not have beat such a hasty and ignoble retreat. There is also the statement that about £200 worth of sheep have been devoured by some animal and that cattle "will not stay in the Haunted Hills." An inasuall savage dog may have killed the sheep, and the cattle may leave these dreary and barren hills in search of sweeter feed feed on the better country. They have done that long before the supposed lion or lioness came to reside there. The Morwell correspondent does not say the horse shared rider's fright, and was also eager to get out of the wet. However, there is something worth considering about in these lonely and remote hills, and as several people are quite certain they have seen the lion, an organised effort should be made to solve the mystery.

THAT LION !

Traralgon Record (Traralgon, Vic.)
Date: April 7, 1916
Page Number: 2

The "Morwell Gazette" writes:—
Mr. L. Taylor from Hurstbridge, has arrived at Morwell, armed with a complete equipment to capture the Gippsland lion. Apropos of this "Torrey" has received a letter from one John Gibbs, of Coonalpyn, S. Aus., willing to come and slay the lion if the sheepowners will pay his travelling expenses and give him a substantial reward. He is well used to hunting, and thinks he will he able to get rid of it. The animal is described by its latest beholder as being 9ft. long and in poor condition. According to this the Morwell lion is in for a bad time, but he seems to have grown in size of late, like the little fish that grew from six inches to two feet in the course of a day. At anyrate Morwell residents will be able to sleep in peace now that the "lion" is to be caught, and no doubt the town will be decorated in due course when this great event comes off—if it ever does !

Supposed Lion in the Gippsland Bush.
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.)
Date: May 3, 1916
Page Number: 10

Residents of Driffield, near Morwell, are much concerned at the loss sustained by Robert Oates, a sheep farmer, who had a number of sheep destroyed by what is supposed to be the lion that has been seen on several occasions by residents. The manner in which the sheep were torn about points to some unusually large beast having killed them.

THE MORWELL LION.

Traralgon Record (Traralgon, Vic.)
Date: May 9, 1916
Page Number: 2

The Morwell "Advertiser" writes :— During the week Mr Robert Oates, of Driffield, had a number of sheep killed and a few worried. It was stated that the "lion" whose lair is reported to be in the Haunted Hills, is the culprit, but Mr Oates himself is satisfied, after investigation, that it is the work of a dog or dogs. He also had several sheep killed, at intervals, a short time ago, which he believes were the victims of a hungry and wily old fox. Mr Oates is further convinced that the strange animal seen by Mr Brinsmead and Mr Keogh is a deer, which he and others have seen. If this be so, the mystery of the lion should soon be cleared up.

THE HAUNTED HILLS LION. RESEMBLES A DEERHOUND.

Traralgon Record (Traralgon, Vic.)
Date: May 9, 1916
Page Number: 2

Mr H. Curtis, a commercial traveller, while on a visit to the Morwell district quite recently, and travelling on a motor-cycle along a road near the Haunted Hill, was greatly surprised while mending a puncture to see a wild animal, which he took to be a deerhound, making towards him. Luckily he had just finished mending the puncture, and quickly mounted his machine and rode off. Mr Curtis had previously heard of a wild animal killing sheep in the district, and on one occasion attacking a man on horseback. Possibily this hound seen by Mr Curtis is what caused the lion scare.

SHEEP KILLER DISCOVERED

The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.)
Date: June 14, 1916
Page Number: 10

MIRBOO NORTH, Tuesday. — For some weeks past farmers and graziers throughout this district have had sheep killed, on the average one nightly, by some animal. Residents were beginning to think that the notorious Morwell "lion" had wandered here, but the mystery was solved last night, when Mr. Gilfedder, who had lost a sheep each night for nearly a fortnight, found poisoned a large dingo. The animal was discovered within a mile of the township. It is a great many years since a dingo had been seen in this district.

Is it the Morwell Lion?

Morwell Advertiser (Morwell, Vic.)
Date: June 23, 1916
Page Number: 2

The sheep killing animal that was found poisoned in Mr. J. Gilfedder's paddock close to the Mirboo North township on Sunday night week does not appear to be either a dingo or a fox. It was two or three times as large as either of these animals. It had the legs, paws and nails of a dog, and the snout and tail of a fox or a dingo. Its mode of killing sheep was to worry their rumps and pull away some of the entrails. Residents who saw it say that it was a cross between a dingo or fox and a dog. To ascertain if possible what the animal was Mr. Gilfedder intends sending the skull, claws, and tail to the Director of the Melbourne Zoo, who is recognised as an authority on animals. Some people at Yinnar who had sheep destroyed in the way described poisoned the carcases, but the animal would not take the bait. A successful way to destroy any other of such breed as turn up among sheep is to skin rabbits and put them in a fire and thus destroy the smell of the hands and use one as a trail, and cut others and lay the baits along the trial without touching them with hands. This was the method Mr. Gilfedder used. Since the death of the animal we have not heard of any sheep, being worried around the district
Mr. Gilfedder received the following letter yesterday from Mr. D. Gibson, National Bank, Maffra:—
Dear Sir,—I saw in the paper some few days ago that you had poisoned an animal, somewhat like a dingo, but larger, that had been destroying your sheep. I enclose a rough sketch of the Tasmanian Zebra Wolf in the hope that it may enable you to identify it with that animal. I and others have seen them up in the mousntains, but the fact of their being indigenous to Victoria has never been established by their capture. Probably they are the animal vaguely called the "Tantanoola Tiger" and the "Morwell Lion," which has been seen in so many localities. The Zebra Wolf is a marsupial, colored from french gray to russett-brown according to the season and striped with dark brown to black on back and tail, and less conspicuously on the legs. The coat is short and close; build very strong ; pads especially large for its size; powerful hind quarters; progresses either at a trot or by long bounds; height at shoulder 2ft 6in to 3ft; have seen one in captivity which stood on its hind legs over 5ft high. They are night prowlers ; carry their young in a pouch. They use hollow logs, etc., to camp in, and cover long distances; rarely coming out in the day ight ; this is the reason why they have escaped capture so long. The skin or cleaned skeleton would be eagerly purchatsed by either the Melbourne Zoo, (D. Le Seuf,) or the National Gallery Museum, probably they would fetch £20 or so, so they are worth saving.

William Henry Le Soeuf (1856–1923)

Cultural Heritage: English

Occupation: ornithologist, public lecturer, public servant, public service head, zoo director

Thylacine aka "Tasmanian Zebra Wolf"

IS THIS THE MORWELL LION? Strange Animal Poisoned at Darlimurla.

Morwell Advertiser (Morwell, Vic.)
Date: May 11, 1917
Page Number: 3

Our Darlimurla correspondent writes to the effect that the great sheep killer is caught at last. The animal has caused sheep owners a lot of anxiety having killed a number of sheep in various parts of the district. Although it was seen at different times, no one was able to shoot or poison it. Mr Tomlinson tried different ways to poison the animal but without success till the other day when he half roasted some rabbits over the fire, then poisoned them and laid them about the paddock, and by this means caught the brute. Its length from nose to tip of tail is 4ft 6in ; height 3ft 9in, and weight 50lb; the fore part of the face is like a fox; the forehead and chest like a bulldog ; the body and legs are like a stag hound ; the legs and feet are very large and its color is red. The animal is large enough to kill a bullock or a horse.