The only Woman Hanged in the Adelaide Gaol, South Australia.

On 30 December 1873 Elizabeth Woolcock, at the age of 25, was legally hanged for poisoning her husband and remains the only woman executed in South Australia. Beyond her tragic childhood she was a victim of domestic violence, malicious gossip, negligent doctors, a biased legal system, obstinate government and ultimately paid the price with her life for a crime we believe she did not commit.

My father, Allan Peters, first learned of Elizabeth Woolcock’s story as a boy, captivated by the tragedy of South Australia's only woman to be hanged. His intrigue with Elizabeth's story led him to write 'No Monument of Stone' and 'Dead Woman Walking' after years of dedicated research. It was through my father's profound passion and commitment that I became deeply involved in the case myself, producing stage plays, performing as Elizabeth at Adelaide Gaol, and even donating a permanent memorial sculpture now displayed there.

Elizabeth Woolcock’s conviction and execution occurred within a colonial legal system that failed to meet fundamental standards of fairness, reliability, and integrity.

Grounds for the Petition:

1. Unsafe Conviction – The verdict relied entirely on weak, inconsistent circumstantial evidence; there is no proof Elizabeth administered poison, and the theory of poisoning was based on gossip and speculation.
2. Procedural Unfairness, Prejudice and Gender Bias – Tried before an all-male jury, Elizabeth was barred from giving evidence, and the case was influenced by moral and gender stereotypes affecting interpretation of evidence.
3. Medical Treatment Negligence - The deceased was prescribed mercury by Dr Bull. Dr Herbert diagnosed mercury exposure; Dr Dickie dismissed this, treated for gastric fever, and administered acetate of lead later undetected. Basic diagnostic tests for mercury were never performed.
4. Forensic Analysis Compromised - Analysis identified the presence but not the quantity of mercury, did not establish lethality, and failed to exclude medicinal or occupational sources.
5. Crown’s Case Was Speculative - The prosecution claimed Elizabeth poisoned the dog, changed doctors, possessed advanced toxic knowledge, used lawful medicines for harm, and acted from jealousy or domestic disputes, relying on inference rather than proof.
6. Suppressed Exculpatory Correspondence - Letters from Analytical Chemist William Ey, relevant to Elizabeth’s defence and plea for mercy, were withheld from public circulation and likely never disclosed to the trial judge from the Executive Counsel.
7. Contradictory Witness Evidence – Witness accounts conflicted on substances, timing, and cause of illness; the deceased himself attributed decline to medical treatment and changed doctors, contradicting the prosecution’s theory of manipulation.
8. Inadequate Legal Representation - Defence counsel had minimal experience, conducted limited cross-examination, called no defence witnesses, and failed to challenge medical and forensic evidence.
9. Chemist Testimony Inconsistent with Poisoning Theory - Purchase records and testimony show requests connected to the Petitioner were for morphine and laudanum, not mercury and several sales were refused.
10. Modern Review Outcome - A 2004 mock retrial concluded with a Not Guilty verdict, highlighting evidentiary gaps, forensic uncertainty, and reasonable doubt.
11. Mercy Plea – Executive Counsel proceeded with the execution despite doubt and Jury’s recommendation for mercy on account of her youth.

This petition seeks formal recognition that a grave miscarriage of justice occurred, accountability through lawful judicial review, and the granting of a posthumous pardon as an act of justice, mercy, and integrity by the State of South Australia.

Granting this request would affirm South Australia’s commitment to justice, transparency, and the correction of historical wrongs where compelling evidence demands it.

We respectfully call upon the Governor of South Australia to approve a Posthumous Pardon for Elizabeth Woolcock and refer her conviction to the Court of Criminal Appeal for formal judicial review.

Please sign this petition to ensure that Elizabeth Woolcock receives the justice she deserves and that her story is remembered as one of courage and tragedy, not of a convicted felon.

for more information visit:  https://elizabethwoolcock.net.au/