CW: mention of homophobia and murder
The year 2022 is a landmark year in relation to the untimely death of law academic, Dr George Ian Ogilvie Duncan. It marks the 50th Anniversary of his passing, after being maliciously and deliberately targeted on the banks of the River Torrens, a well-known “beat” for Adelaide’s gay community.
In commemoration of this milestone, two works were commissioned—one theatrical and one literary; both involving Tim Reeves, author and (one might say, including himself) accidental historian of the life and death of Dr Duncan.
The first piece is Watershed: The Death of Dr Duncan—an oratorio crafted by Alana Valentine and Christos Tsiolkas (libretto), Joseph Twist (composer), Neil Armfield (director) and Christie Anderson (conductor), which saw Tim Reeves provide historical consultancy. The second is his own literary work which shares the oratorio’s subtitle.
Having read and reviewed this powerhouse piece of literary biography, I was keen to speak with Tim about how it came about.
“As a mature-age student, I encountered the impact of Dr Duncan’s death from a fellow student’s thesis on gay law reform. When, a few years later, I had the opportunity to write my own thesis, I wanted to write on the treatment of homosexuals in concentration camps, but changed to Duncan, on advice from my thesis supervisor. I was not, however, interested in an investigative journalist approach; it was an academic history approach. I was resolute about that.”
Tim has gone on to contribute to a number of major publications—including the Australian Dictionary of Biography, Wakefield Companion to South Australian History and the international Who’s Who in Contemporary Gay and Lesbian History—about Dr Duncan and this has culminated (to date) with the realisation of the first major book on the man whose passing sparked national headlines and gay law reforms.
I asked Tim about the title: why death and not murder?
“There were three reasons why I went with that title. First, the alliteration of The Death of Dr Duncan; secondly, it came from the subtitle of the oratorio, Watershed: The Death of Dr Duncan, because I see it very much as being a companion piece. Finally, I think the title is more alluring and intriguing; it is a more definitive title,” Tim tells me.
Tim goes on to say that it also defines why the case “exploded in the media.” It wasn’t that a homosexual had been murdered; it was the status of the homosexual who had died. “Academics were highly respected, at the time. I don’t believe, if he’d been a welder from Elizabeth, there would have been anywhere near as much attention on the case.”
It was while working on the development of the oratorio that Tim came to realise the depth of detail that needed to be put across. He waded through the hundreds of pages of Coroner, SA Police and New Scotland Yard reports, realising what an incredible story Dr Duncan’s was and approached Wakefield Press with the idea of the book. He would then spend 10 weeks developing the manuscript. It was while doing so that Tim identified the inconsistencies in the various reports.
Tim goes on, “I have tried to write the book simply, but punchily, making it easy to follow and see how the case came into play, and the legal journey. It’s a rich and extraordinary journey.
“It’s also a fascinating story. I can’t really answer if it was ineptitude or corruption that meant no one has ever been convicted. You had the impact on whistle-blower Mick O’Shea, which was devastating. The cover-up of the New Scotland Yard report and the impact of the officers’ own criminal activity, which was unrelated to murder, but overshadowed the effectiveness of their report. There was even the treatment of Duncan’s body, which was dismissed as demonstrating the lack of sophisticated policing, at the time.
“Don Dunstan said, in his opinion, only a deathbed confession would truly close this case. Sadly, I don’t see that ever happening.”
Another aspect of Tim’s book is its capacity to be adapted into a further accessible genre, that of the cinematic variety. When I asked about this, Tim said, “I am in discussions to do just that. There are several ways the story could be told on the screen. It is, of course, dependent on money.” It is an integral aspect of South Australian and, indeed, Australian history, as it relates to same-sex couples. I, for one, hope that a cinematic outlet can be realised.
In closing, I enquire as to how he feels Dr Duncan would view all this attention, five decades after his death: “I think he would be horrified. He was a man of his time. He was, shy, private, and taciturn—he would be appalled with titles such as Gay Martyr and Queer Icon. To see himself depicted in the oratorio and the book would be too much for him.”
As much as it may appal Dr Duncan, he deserves no less than to be remembered, especially as the unintentional catalyst for much needed law reform.
Interviewed by Glen Christie
Read Glen’s review of The Death of Dr Duncan here.
The Death of Dr Duncan was published by Wakefield Press in 2022. RRP: $32.95.
More News
