Henry John Stokes (1882–1945)
The death occurred on Friday of 62-year-old Henry John Stokes, known in recent years in Melbourne as “The Baccarat King.” Stokes who had been in ill-health for two years, collapsed. It is believed that Stokes amassed a fortune from his many interests, which included sports clubs where games of chance were played nightly, often for large stakes. The winners of large sums were provided with escorts and losers often obtained substantial accommodation to tide them over. Stokes was sentenced in 1935 to four years imprisonment for having conspired to rob the Ballarat branch of the Commonwealth Bank, which held about £80,000 at that time. About 20 years ago Stokes was involved in a feud with the notorious "Squizzy" Taylor gang.
Original publication
Additional Resources and Scholarship
- is fined 5 pds for unlawfully carrying a firearm, Argus (Melbourne), 10 April 1919, p 7
- is charged with shooting, with intent to murder, Henry Slater, Argus (Melbourne), 22 May 1919, p 6
- 48 men were arrested in a police raid on a gambling house run by Stokes, Argus (Melbourne), 7 October 1919, p 6
- loses his appeal against his conviction for operating a two-up school, Argus (Melbourne), 27 November 1919, p 8
- is fined 20 pds after being found guilty of street betting, Kalgoorlie Western Argus (WA), 18 July 1911, p 41
- is charged with threatening to do grievous bodily harm to John McShane, Argus (Melbourne), 17 September 1919, p 13
- is remanded for trial, Argus (Melbourne), 18 September 1919, p 5
- is charged with stealing cloth from a tailor's shop, Argus (Melbourne), 1 July 1920, p 5
- is remanded for trial on a charge of possessing stolen goods, Argus (Melbourne), 6 August 1920, p 9
- is found guilty of possessing stolen goods, Argus (Melbourne), 17 August 1920, p 9
- is found guilty of discharging a firearm in a public place without permission, Argus (Melbourne), 15 September 1921, p 7
- loses his appeal against his conviction for illegally discharging a firearm, Argus (Melbourne), 14 October 1921, p 11
- is released from gaol after serving two months of a six-month sentence, Argus (Melbourne), 22 December 1921, p 7
- is currently living in Tasmania, Recorder (Port Pirie, SA), 5 January 1922, p 3
- the Vic Attorney-General defends his decision to release Stokes from gaol, Argus (Melbourne), 7 January 1922, p 17
- appears in court as a witness for the Crown, Argus (Melbourne), 6 July 1922, p 4
- the Vic Licensing Court is debating whether to renew the license of the Castlemaine Hotel, South Melbourne, owned by Stokes and his wife, Argus (Melbourne), 5 February 1932, p 5
- is sentenced to four years' gaol for conspiring to rob a Ballarat bank, Argus (Melbourne), 14 September 1935, p 24
- is charged with running a gaming house on a yacht moored in the Yarra River, Argus (Melbourne), 20 December 1938, p 9
- is fined 2 pds for using indecent language, Northern Star (Lismore, NSW), 12 February 1944, p 5
- his estate is being sued for repayment of a loan, Argus (Melbourne), 24 June 1947, p 6
- a large yacht, built by Stokes, who intended to use it as an offshore casino, has been bought by three fishermen, Argus (Melbourne), 1 December 1952, p 3
Related Thematic Essay
- Chris McConville, Melbourne Crime: From War to Depression, 1919-1929
Related Entries in NCB Sites
- Taylor, Joseph Leslie (rival)
Citation details
'Stokes, Henry John (1882–1945)', Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/stokes-henry-john-16359/text28319, accessed 22 December 2024.