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1905

The Tantanoola Tiger

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THE TANTANOOLA TIGER.
OLD SCARE REVIVED.
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.)
Date: Jan 19, 1905
Page Number: 4

SYDNEY, Wednesday. - The Tantanoola tiger scare, of which nothing has been heard for a considerable time, has again been revived. Two children were the other day playing with a cat near a creek on the Merringreen holding at Ungarie, when a large animal jumped out of the scrub, seized the cat and made off with it. The children raised an alarm and the tracks of some strange animal were found. It is stated that for some days previous horses in the district appeared to be in a state of terror.

Queanbeyan Age
Date: Jan 27, 1905
Page Number: 2

It has now turned out that the strange, ferocious animal, that stole the cat from the children the other day at Ungarie, is not the far-famed Tantanoola tiger, as the animal known by that name was captured long ago, and turned out to be a wolf.

THE TANTANOOLA TIGER.
A MAILMAN SCARED.
The Advertiser (Adelaide, S.A.)
Date: Feb 27, 1905
Page Number: 5

Melbourne. February 26.

The Tantanoola tiger has turned up at Varrewrelock about 12 miles from Charlton. A mailman named Simpson states that the animal came out on the three-chain main road between Granite and Glenloth. He pulled up and had a good look at the tiger.

He describes it as 2 ft. 6 in. in height, brown on the back with black stripes on its side, and a long tail. As the animal commenced to growl he considered it wise to beat a hasty retreat. Several parties are out searching the bush in the hopes of coming upon it.

"TANTANOOLA TIGER"
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.)
Date: May 6, 1905
Page Number: 17

DAYLESFORD, Friday. - The tiger reported to have been seen at Bullarto has given rise to a good deal of uneasiness in that quarter. By some the report has been treated as a joke, but there appears to be no doubt as to the authenticity of the assertion that the beast has been seen. Two individuals have had a good look at it, and unhesitatingly state that it is a tiger, full grown. A party of tiger-hunters has visited the spot where it was last seen, and easily found its tracks leading in the direction of Mount Wilson. As that locality has numerous ravines, flanked by almost precipitous ranges and clothed with scrub so dense as to be practically impenetrable. A tiger has every chance of defying capture.

ANOTHER TANTANOOLA TIGER.
The Advertiser (Adelaide, S.A.)
Date: May 8, 1905
Page Number: 6

A scare has been, occasioned among the residents of the Bullarto district, near Ballarat, consequent upon the report that a tiger is prowling about in the adjacent bush. Two residents report having seen it. Superintendent Young has instructed the mounted police to keep a look-out for the tiger and shoot it in the event of its being encountered.

TANTANOOLA TIGER
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.)
Date: Jun 3, 1905
Page Number: 16

CASTLEMAINE, Friday. - School children at Barker's Creek report having seen a large striped animal in that district, and the description given tallies with that of the tiger seen some weeks ago near Glenlyon.

TANTANOOLA TIGER.
ESCAPES A HUNTING PARTY.
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.)
Date: Jun 20, 1905
Page Number: 4

SYDNEY. Monday. - Some excitement was caused at Narrabri when it was reported that a large animal, which seems to be identical with the "Tantanoola tiger," had been seen at Eulah Creek. Two lads out hunting came upon it crouching near a rabbit burrow. They fired, but missed, and the animal then took to the hills. They describe it as being of a formidable size.
A large mounted party set out in search, and came upon the supposed tiger on Saturday afternoon. Shots were fired without effect and the animal disappeared in thickly-timbered mountains 20 miles out.

A STRANGE ANIMAL.
IS IT THE TANTANOOLA TIGER?
The Advertiser (Adelaide, S.A.)
Date: Jul 25, 1905
Page Number: 6

Melbourne, July 24.

A telegram from Kalimna reports that a strange animal, resembling some of the descriptions given of the Tantanoola tiger, is haunting the bush along the lake shore. A man riding home through the bush saw an animal lying by the roadside, and thinking it was a wombat he shouted in order to make it move. To his great consternation the animal leaped at him. The horse was seized with terror, and bolted homewards with its rider. Search parties have been out, but have failed to encounter the animal, although they found the half-devoured carcase of a full-grown sheep.

A large mounted party set out in search, and came upon the supposed tiger on Saturday afternoon. Shots were fired without effect and the animal disappeared in thickly-timbered mountains 20 miles out.

"'TANTANOOLA TIGER" SCARE
The Sydney Morning Herald (N.S.W.)
Date: Jul 27, 1905
Page Number: 7

PORTLAND, Wednesday.

A mild scare of the "Tantanoola tiger" brand is now agitating the residents of Portland and vicinity, as some large, strange animal has been very much in evidence lately in the scrub between here and Sunny Corner. Several persons of unquestionable reputation for voracity have either had a fleeting glimpse of the animal or have heard its unearthly noises. It is said to be between 4ft and 5ft long, covered with brown striped fur, and its tracks are undoubtedly tigerish in appearance, and certainly unlike those of any other animal known in the district. A cow and calf and a horse have been the latest victims of this strange animal, whatever it may be, and armed search parties have been formed to explore, so far unsuccessfully, its usual haunts.

ONCE MORE THE TIGER.
Queanbeyan Age (N.S.W.)
Date: Jul 28, 1905
Page Number: 2s

A TELEGRAM from Kalimna (Vic.) reports that a strange animal, resembling some of the description given of the Tantanoola tiger, haunting the bush along the lake shore. A man riding home through the bush saw an animal lying by the roadside. Its eyes were large and protruding, and the animal emitted strange and uncanny sounds. The rider shouted in order to make it move. To his great consternation the animal lept at him. The horse was seized with terror, and bolted homewards with its rider. Search parties have been out, but failed to encounter the animal, although they found the half devoured carcase of a full-grown sheep.

THE TANTANOOLA TIGER.
WILD ANIMALS KILLED.
CHILDREN KEPT AT HOME.
The Advertiser (Adelaide, S.A.)
Date: Jul 31, 1905
Page Number: 5

Melbourne, July 30.

The tiger scare at Kalimna still continues. A number of wild animals have been found lying dead in the scrub. They have apparently been killed by having their necks bitten, and it is surmised that the strange beast is finding more food than it requires and is killing for pleasure. There are general proposals on foot for large organised hunting parties to go through the bush, and drive the beast out. Parents are keeping their children away from school.

IS IT A LEOPARD?
The Advertiser (Adelaide, S.A.)
Date: Aug 1, 1905
Page Number: 4

Some few years ago the appearance of an alleged tiger at Tantanoola caused widespread interest and alarm, and residents of the district still have vivid recollections of the exciting hunts after the animal. However, like the bunyip, he remained a mystery until about a week ago, when he is said to have turned up at Kalimna, Victoria. In that district the animal is causing considerable anxiety, and parties are being organised to track him down. In another column appears a telegram giving an account of a chase of still another Tantanoola tiger in New South Wales. The expedition in this case was successful, and the animal which turned out to be a calf was slain. The latest sensation comes from Cleland Gully, where our Nangkita correspondent says several residents have seen a large animal resembling a leopard. It has been observed on several occasions on the hill opposite to the homestead. Up to the present, however, it has done no damage.

"TANTANOOLA TIGER" SHOT.
FOUND TO BE A CALF.
The Advertiser (Adelaide, S.A.)
Date: Aug 1, 1905
Page Number: 6

An ANIMAL, which has been variously described as anything from a tiger to a bunyip, has been almost scaring the lives out of residents in the district around Sunny Corner. Descriptions of the protruding and glaring eyes and the bloodcurdling cries of the monster have been published in detail.
Several armed parties have been scouring the district, and last evening in the half light it was sighted. Several shots were fired and the animal dropped badly wounded.
Considerable excitement prevailed, and after a consultation the wounded animal was approached and was found to be a bull calf, owned by Mr Alfred Case.

ANOTHER TIGER SHOT.
The Advertiser (Adelaide, S.A.)
Date: Aug 4, 1905
Page Number: 4

The terrible Tantanoola tiger seems to be ubiquitous. He has been shot nine times, and still turns up in the flesh to frighten the lives out of bucolic bacchanalians at various times and at diverse places. It is true that the last time he was shot he turned out to be a calf, but that only proves that he has a chameleon strain in him and can change his spots at will. This makes it all the more difficult to destroy him finally, and kill him dead. According to the latest accounts the animal has crossed Bass Straits, probably on the back of the sea serpent, and has been disturbing the serenity of the residents of the "fly speck." At all events, the Hobart "Mercury" reports that "a tiger over 5 ft. in length and large in frame was shot by Mr. R. Hughes, at Upper Huon, on July 25. Mr. Hughes had quite an exciting encounter with the beast previous to its death. He was out shooting, and had wandered some distance from his friends. Suddenly his attention was arrested by a low, warning growl. On parting the bushes whence the sound issued, he was astounded to behold the tiger in the act of springing on him. With celerity he raised his gun and dispatched the animal. The skin, which is beautifully marked, has been brought to town." That makes the ninth time, and there is luck in odd numbers.

THE TANTANOOLA TIGER AGAIN.
The Advertiser (Adelaide, S.A.)
Date: Aug 16, 1905
Page Number: 6

That ubiquitous animal, the Tantanoola tiger, has positively been seen in many places at the same time (writes the Ballarat "Echo"), and on Sunday morning it seemed as if he had gathered himself together and let himself loose in the shop of a city butcher. From the fact that the front door was left open on Saturday night, it may be assumed that he did not come down the chimney or through the keyhole. To judge by appearances he put in a good time among the prune mutton; whole carcasses were torn from the hooks and rent in pieces, and the floor littered, with legs and odds and ends. The intelligent animal had brought three bags with him, and had selected some joints for future consumption in his lair in the bush, when he was frightened by a mouse from the mallee. The police have the matter in hand, so the roar of the great carnivora may yet be heard in the City Police Court. When questioned on the matter the police obliquely refer to the fable of the ass in the lion's skin.

Burra Record
Date: Aug 23, 1905
Page Number: 5

Aug 21.

Cold and frosty weather has been the order of the day of late, and it is anything but pleasant to have to call your barque out of blanket bay before good old mother sun gathers in the white sheets which have been put out to bleach. But once out of bed one can enjoy the keen exhilarating air, but not on a disappointing occasion like one resident of the district had a few nights ago. The gentleman in question had occasion to go out during the evening, and on his return heard a strange noise, and saw a strange animal moving about. He at first thought it was the Tantanoola tiger, and then on second thought settled on it being a fox, so arming himself with an empty whisky bottle he set off in pursuit of the intruder till he came to a large rabbit burrow, where the animal had taken refuge, having placed himself in ambush with the empty whisky bottle as a companion to keep off the frost which proved a very feeble preventative. He waited for several hours only to see a large domestic cat come from the lair, where the supposed fox had taken refuge. The gentleman has now promised himself that he will make sure his quarry is genuine before placing himself in a natural refrigerator again.

PIGEON – SHOOTING MATCHES.
A LIVELY DEBATE IN THE ASSEMBLY.
The Advertiser (Adelaide, S.A.)
Date: Dec 7, 1905
Page Number: 8

Speaking in the House of Assembly on Wednesday afternoon on the Pigeon Shooting Match Suppression Bill, the Premier observed that the tendency of modern times was to abolish the element of barbarity from sports. They had got beyond the time when men were butchered to make a Roman holiday. Could any member say a word in favor of pigeon-shooting?

Mr. Rounsevell - Yes.
Mr. Price remarked that at a pigeon shooting match the "sportsman" stood ' about 100 yards from the traps with a gun in his hand.
Mr. Rounsevell - From 25 to 33 yards.
Mr. Price replied that that made it all the worse. Pigeon-shooting had developed into a very cruel sport. He could see some sport in shooting at wild birds in the open country, but in pigeon-shooting matches there was no sport at all, for it was impossible to help hitting the birds. There was some sport in it once, when the birds were given a chance to "mount" before being shot at, but those conditions had lapsed. He proposed to move in committee to strike out clause 4. as hundreds of boys bred pigeons, and the clause would interfere with that industry.
Mr. Livingston - You would not want pigeons if there were no matches.
Mr. Price - Do you believe in the system of killing pigeons as it exists now? We should put this sport in the same position as cock-fighting.
Mr. Solomon - You have never seen a pigeon match in your life, or you would not talk about the traps being 100 yards from the guns.
Mr. Price - I am not good at judging distances. If you had to fire at the birds with a pea-gun it would give them a chance, but with shot that scatter five or six yards they have no chance at all.
Mr. Solomon - How many would you kill out of a dozen birds at 25 yards?
Mr. Price - I don't want to kill any. All I want is to be able to use a gun to defend, my country, if occasion arises. I thought there would not be a member in the House who would oppose this Bill.
Mr. Rounsevell said a lot of schoolgirl talk had been expended on the Bill, which had been suggested by a maudlin sentiment, and not by the manly spirit they wanted to cultivate. They did not want to be led by milk-sops and school-misses. The mover and seconder of the Bill were crassly ignorant of the sport.
Mr. Price - It was only a matter of distance.
Mr. Rounsevell said the merest tyro could hit a pigeon when it was circling. It was much more difficult to shoot a good pigeon out of a trap than to shoot almost any other bird on the wing in its natural state. As a rule the bird in the field had a specific flight, whilst no two pigeons left the trap in precisely the same way. Pigeon matches were desirable, as there was very little sport in Australia unless they went into the back country. It was nonsense to talk about the cruelty of pigeon shooting. To eat and be eaten in return was a law of nature. There was more cruelty in out day in bringing down a heavily-laden stock tram to the city than in all the pigeon matches in Australia in a year.
Mr. Paech-Look how the poor rabbits are poisoned.
Mr. Solomon-And the sparrows.
Mr. Vaughan-They are vermin.
Mr. Rounsevell said if sheep and cattle were not killed they would become vermin. He could understand a vegetarian objecting to any killing at all, but there was no logic in a meat-eater taking the same position. He supposed the next step would be to stop fishing. What had English sport done for Great Britain?
Mr. Price - Yes, what has cock-fighting and bull-baiting done?
M. Rounsevell said cock-fighting was very pretty sport, and the cockerels knocked, themselves about in the farmyard more than the spurred roosters in the ring. Manly sport had developed infinite patience and endurance in the British character. If Parliament wiped out this sporting instinct it would eliminate one of the finest characteristics of the British race.
Mr. Price - Shooting kangaroos is all right.
Mr. Rounsevell - Shooting kangaroos is as easy as falling off a log.
Mr. Coneybeer - How about the Tantanoola tiger? (Laughter.)
Mr. Rounsevell - The Tantanoola tiger would have given Mr. Coneybeer a bad time.
Mr. Solomon - He would have made a speech, and the Tantanoola tiger would have collapsed. (Laughter.)
Mr. Coneybeer - People who want to shoot can go to the targets.
Mr. Rounsevell - You can't get up any enthusiasm over a target. You can't get teeth into it. The only thing that makes a man go to the targets is a spirit of rivalry. We want to breed a race of men, and not of namby-pamby milksops. We cannot get away from our environment.
Mr. Roberts - We have not got the votes to free us from it. (Laughter.)
Mr. Rounsevell - We cannot all live on the smell of a rose or the fragrance of a lily.
Mr. Coneybeer - Nice, but not nourishing.
Mr. Solomon suggested that the Bill should be adjourned till Boxing Day, and that there should be a pigeon match to celebrate it.
Mr. Rounsevell obtained leave to continue his remarks next day.

THE TANTANOOLA TIGER.
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.)
Date: Dec 26, 1905
Page Number: 6

ST ARNAUD, Wednesday. - The residents of St. Arnaud East report that a strange-looking animal has been seen in that locality. Those who have seen it say that it leaves footprints somewhat resembling those of a tiger. Its cries have been heard at night by residents on their way home.

"THINGS WE SEE WHEN WE'RE OUT WITHOUT OUR GUN."
The Advertiser (Adelaide, S.A.)
Date: Dec 29, 1905
Page Number: 7

Mount Gambier, December 26.

Mr. Jones, who a few days ago saw the "Tantanoola tiger" about two miles east of Tantanoola, is rather indignant that the Mount Gambier people do not regard the report made by himself and Mr. Lewis, his companion, with much seriousness, and that they are not organising search parties. Mr. Jones is able to give a clear description of the tiger, which he saw when it was only ten yards from him. He usually carries a gun with which to shoot rabbits, but on this occasion be unfortunately did not have it. Previous to this last occasion it was several years since the "tiger" was last seen at Tantanoola.