Colonial Western Australia was formed not only by adventurous sea captains, governors, and stoic pioneers, but also by murderers, thieves, and rapists and the hangman. More than 150 people were hanged in Western Australia between 1840 and 1964. Some had committed heinous crimes for profit or vengeance; some had killed out of jealousy, misunderstanding, or madness. Others were hanged simply because they were victims of their times prejudices and ill-fated circumstances leading them inexorably towards the gallows. Focusing on the period from Western Australia's first settlement to the eve of World War I, historian Simon Adams reveals the many stories behind the hangings. He skillfully places the circumstances of victims and perpetrators against the backdrop of their era. This is a social history of the dark side of Western Australia's past.