NOTES

1 By early February 1949, there had been eight different ‘positive’ identifications of the body. Some thought it was a missing stable-hand; two men from Darwin thought the corpse was that of a friend of theirs; and others suggested he was a sailor or a Swedish man. Police from Victoria suggested the man was from their state, as his the laundry marks were similar to those of dry-cleaning firms in Melbourne. Following publication of the man’s photograph in Victoria, 28 people claimed they knew his identity.

2 Retired detective Gerald Feltus interviewed Jestyn in 2002 and found her to be either “evasive” or “just did not wish to talk about it”. He agreed not to disclose her identity or anything that might reveal it. Feltus believed that Jestyn knew the Somerton man’s identity.

3 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/result?lpublictag=Taman+Shud. This site offers a selection of press coverage on the case.

4 Often mis-named as ‘Stanford Hicks’, Sir Cedric Stanton Hicks came to Adelaide in 1926 after an outstanding student career at the University of Otago in New Zealand, war service and a research studentship at Cambridge. He was appointed Professor of Human Physiology and Pharmacology in 1927, a position he retained until 1958 when he became Emeritus Professor. He was knighted in 1936 for his services to medical science.

5 A sufficiently concentrated ouabain dart can fell a Hippopotamus, causing respiratory and/or cardiac arrest. Only one creature is immune to its effects – the Galapagos Tortoise.

6 Inside Story, presented by Stuart Littlemore, ABC TV, 1978.