How James Became King: The True Story of James ‘King’ O’Malley
Brian O’Malley.
‘King’ O’Malley is known to history as a ‘larrikin’ and maverick politician, member of the first Australian Federal Parliament and Federal Minister, whose political career spanned two decades.
Arriving from America in the late 1880s he quickly drew attention through his public shenanigans; his theatrical storytelling, fashionable accoutrements, and ‘larger than life’ Yankee persona. However, his past remained shrouded in mystery. Yet, on the other side of the Pacific another mystery remained unresolved.
Following the notorious 1882 New Haven, Connecticut, trial and acquittal of James Malley, main suspect in the death of Jennie Cramer, Malley disappears from official records in the north east United States, and the saga begins. This is the story of how James became ‘King’.
Our library stands on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.
