The Serpents Artist: Rocky Vanes dance with death
Lindsay “Rocky” Vane, commonly known as Rocky Vane, is a name that has circulated Australia’s tattoo myths and stories for some time. Particularly in Western Australia where many of the images of a smartly dressed Rocky calmly eyes the deadly tiger snake he holds in his outstretched hand, only centimetres from his face, were taken.
Little has been documented about the man, and specifically about his tattoo career, as the central legend lies in Rocky being the infestation source of deadly tiger snakes inhabiting Carnac Island, a tiny island located 10km from the shores of Fremantle, Western Australia. In the 1930s Lynn allegedly rowed out to the island and dumped his personal collection of snakes there following the deaths from snake bite of his wife, Annie, as well as his carnival snake show assistant, Harry.
Carnac island now hosts around 3 tiger snakes for every 25 square meters of rocky island floor. Most of the male snakes are blind because defensive seagull parents have pecked their eyes out protecting their chicks. There are so many snakes and so many seagulls that the blinded snakes are still able to catch enough food to survive. They simply crawl around until they bump into a seagull and then eat it.
A recent discovery has unearthed some new insights into Rocky’s tattoo history that we feel we can put other this article for you. We hope you enjoy the insight into the man, myths and facts of Rocky Vane.
A big shout out to Ricky Luder who has been working with the conservationists for the recently found Rocky Vane history items as well as being an incredible source of knowledge and insight into Australia's, and the worlds, tattoo history, and for sharing his recollections and perspective. The Archaeology team at Fremantle Prison have done a fantastic job at preserving and investigating the new find and provided so many of the news articles used in this blog. Also, to MJ Forrest whose previous research and video chat were a great source for this article. Thanks to all for their permission to use their knowledge in the writing of this article.
You can enjoy MJ Forrest’s discussion on Rocky Vane and other Aussie tattoo yarns on the Beneath the Skin podcast episode here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxS5VxKPdvY&list=PLr2pMQ1eLFIF78DsFuSgMCTLdOMdiLRpJ&index=10
🐍 Smoke and Mirrors 🐍
Little is documented about Rocky Vane, particularly his career as a tattooist leading some to question whether he even was one. His tattoo business cards from Melbourne do exist and until recently, to our knowledge, that is the only record of his tattoo history, until now.
Aside from the lack of general records of people in the absence of the digital cameras and phones, YouTube, blogs and social media that ensures every day of our own lives is imprinted into facebooks archives, one the more significant hurdles in researching the history of Rocky Vane is his name, or perhaps lack of a specific one. Lindsay Vane, Lynn Vane, Lyn Vane, Rocky Vane, were all names we were given when suggested to put something together on the man. Scant details can be found when googled, mostly relating to Lynn’s snake show and its consequences.
Lindsay Herbert Vagne
That’s the full, correct name. We have this from his enlistment and subsequent court-martial papers recorded from his military trial on 8th August 1917. Knowing this has enabled significant more success into the personal history of the man. We also know that his preferred tattoo name was “Lynn Vane”, but more on that later.
🐍 A Rocky Road 🐍
So, for the facts of Rockys life, maybe. Rocky Vane was born in Nowra, NSW July 1896 (Source: Military enlistment document showing him 23 years and two months as at 28 Sept 1916) and died in 19th February 1946 at the age of 50 in Tasmania. He is buried in Melbourne at Burwood Cemetery, Presbyterian section 9 grave 643.
NSW government records that Rocky was born in 1891, where his name record is recorded as Lyndsay H ‘Vogue’. The reason for this 5 year age difference is unknown.
On 28th September 1916 Rocky joined the army infantry from Lismore, NSW. He stated his occupation at the time as “labourer”. Rockys enlistment record notes his distinctive marks as “numerous tattooed marks of arms, legs and chest” as well as a “drooping left eye lid”.
Nearly four months after enlisting, on 23rd January 1917, Rocky Vane went absent without leave (A.W.L.) and could not be located. Rocky was located and arrested by military police seven months later and charged with desertion, pleading guilty at his court martial.
In Rocky’s court statement he was advised by the military camp doctor that if his eyes were not operated on, he would probably lose his sight. Rocky mentioned he was already essentially blind in one eye and that he “had a girl in a certain condition and had to go down to Norther Rivers to marry her”. Rockys statement mentions he worked as a snake charmer and was immune to snake bite. Part of Rocky’s side show carnival act was to demonstrate his “immunity by allowing himself to be bitten by tiger snakes in front of the crowd. He supplied his blood to the local University for anti-venom.
After his wedding to Annie “Dot” Tyagarah, Rocky, as well as doing some mining in Sundown and procuring some snakes for his snake act, he moved to Emmaville, a historic tin and gem mining town in NSW, to work where he was subsequently found and arrested. Rocky said he did not think he would be needed or missed by the Army given his poor eye sight and health as a result of being bitten by snakes about 800 times. Rocky also mentioned he cannot survive on standard army food as due to being bitten so many times he now generally lives on a diet of milk.
The court sentenced Rocky to 28 days detention and to repay the costs of his arrest
This was not the only time Rocky was convicted of crimes or spent time incarcerated. In fact the QLD Police Gazette records Rocky as being arrested in 1912 for stealing charges.
Rocky served 12 months Hard Labour at Goulburn Gaol NSW in 1921, for breaking & entering and stealing, from a motor garage. Goulburn remains an Australian super maximum security prison today.
His snake show attracted further troubles and Rocky soon faced the court again in 1924 for animal cruelty charges as he allowed small animals to be fatally bitten as part of his act to demonstrate the potency of the snakes he was displaying.
In his defence, Rocky insisted his show was “scientific research” and bought up to the court his own daughter, Sylvia who participated in the snake show. This defence backfired as his daughter displayed her acne and scars from countless snake bites. Rocky had been testing his antidotes on his child.
The Parramatta Court decision booted Rocky out of New South Wales, he was given 24 hours to leave the state following the court decision and received fairly unfavourable press as a result.
In our research we found many references to these events, but no newspaper article or legal document from the time. We did find the above article from NSW from March 1925 where Rocky was fined £1 for "ill-treatment" of a pigeon. The story of Rocky's daughter appearing in court and his subsequent expulsion from NSW is also mentioned in a 1931 article on his divorce proceedings from his 2nd wife Miriam and is likely the source of the story, truth or fiction.
🐍 Goin’ out west where they'll appreciate me 🐍
By 1927 Rocky had settled in Western Australia where he worked in the local carnivals displaying and working with his collection of snakes and performing with his wife, Dot, who went by the stage name “Cleopatra”.
The carnivals included various side acts, rides and games, including gambling for which they were eventually closed down for. This included the White City carnival of Fremantle, also known as Ugly Land due to the competitions held where the public could vote for the title of the “Ugliest Man” on the day with a coin donation, operating as a fund raiser for the poorer sections of the community. White City was based on Perth city’s foreshore in the 1920s. A further carnival was held in Fremantle, on the corner of Market and Phillimore Street which was known similarly as Uglieland (Source:Wikipedia article for “Ugly Men’s Association). These carnivals are poorly documented and are a subject we will try to investigate for a future article.
Rocky was bitten many times during his shows by his snakes which included adders, tiger and (red bellied) black snakes. A Daily News article from 1926 listed tallied collection at 150 snakes including a 16 foot python.
In 1928, Annie was intentionally bitten on the thumb by a tiger snake held by Rocky during a “free act” performance to entice crowds to the larger show. She was treated by Rocky before being admitted to the Perth Hospital. However, Annie discharged herself shortly after and returned to the stage, where Rocky later found her vomiting and suffering from nosebleeds. He rushed her back to the hospital, but despite a brief period of recovery, her condition deteriorated, and she died. Rocky blamed the hospital, claiming they had removed the ligatures he had applied too early.
Just days after her death, Rocky resumed his performances, prompting criticism from newspapers for exploiting his wife’s tragedy, receiving a half page article in the Truth West Australia paper on 21st January 1928 under the headline “Capitalising a Woman’s Death in Snake Pit”.
Not long after, in February 1929, Rocky’s new assistant, 48-year-old Harry Melrose, was fatally bitten. According to press reports at the time “William Henry Melrose” died from a snakebite while playing practical jokes with the snake on members of the Buffalo Club. Harry had taken two tiger snakes and a carpet snake to the club in a bag telling members he had some “performing frogs”.
Producing the carpet snake he terrorised the members as joke before returning it to the bag when he was fatally bitten near his left thumb. The Fremantle Buffalo Club lists its opening date as 1938 so this is likely an earlier incarnation of the international club.
Following these incidents, snake performances were banned in Western Australia and shortly after Rocky is attributed to have taken his snake collection to Carnac Island where their descendants blindly roam today snacking on seagulls.
Rocky did remarry in 1929 to Miriam Tchan, and the couple welcomed a baby girl in 1930. However, Rocky’s new domestic life didn’t last long. Now working as a painter and tattoo artist, he was arrested for trespassing on a property in Scarborough and was sentenced to three years in prison from April 4th 1934. This followed an earlier prison stay in 1931 and completed Rockys state trifecta of prison stays between QLD, NSW and WA. While still behind bars in 1936, Miriam divorced him, citing cruelty and abandonment.
This second incarceration at Fremantle Prison is a key period for us, more on that very soon.
After his release, Rocky moved to Victoria, where he married Joyce Trevorrow in 1941. Together, they had one daughter.
Rocky died in a Devonport Hospital in Tasmania, on 19 Feb 1946. He was buried in Melbourne.
🐍 Isn’t this a tattoo blog? 🐍
Okay, so yes, Rocky was a tattooist. MJ Forrest suggested Rockys tattoo career likely started when his snake career, and income source, was hampered by the government ordering all his snakes away. In the early 1930’s and certainly by 1933 Rocky was working as a profession tattooist.
At that time Rocky lived at, and possibly tattooed from, 84 William Street in Perth city. We know this from the West Australian 1933 Post Office Directory, which lists at this address “Lynn Vane, tattoo artist”.
Various articles also mention ”evidence” of Rocky working as a tattooist from 1915 in NSW. It was suggested in his military records he stated his occupation as “tattooist” during this period however we were unable to verify this. That he was tattooing at this time does seem probable given his work at carnivals working his snake sideshow act and various other trades, and being tattooed himself.
How much and how often he tattooed over his career remains unknown. Close to 100 years have passed and few or none of those who received tattoos from Rocky are still alive today. Recently things have changed in a big way.
Until this year there has not been any published photos or images of Rocky tattooing, his tattoos or his art. His tattooing is mentioned in several newspaper articles, usually relating to a police investigation or arrest. During recent conservation works in the Main Cell Block of Fremantle Prison, archaeologists retrieved artefacts hidden underneath the floor, which included fragments of a tattoo art dated to around 1934 and attributed to ‘Rocky Vane’.
It was his Scarborough trespassing charges that placed Rocky in Fremantle prison during this time and here we finally have items from Rocky’s tattoo career.
These flash fragments have been cut into pieces, fairly neatly. Since Rocky was in prison there was not a need or desire for a single flash sheet. Having the designs individually split allowed them to be more easily transported, or hidden, as well as passed around and traded with others.
By phenomenal chance, one fragment of this flash clearly bears the name “Lynn Vane”. If not for this singular piece existing amongst the fragments, and being found, we would have likely never known the artists source of these designs and we never would have had this singular record of Rockys tattoo style and art.
A newspaper article published in February 1930 refers to testimony from both Rocky Vane and Walter Maurice Lyons, referred to as a “professor of tatoo-ing at the Uglies Carnival in Fremantle” in relation to the purchase of stolen property.
While no connection is mentioned between the two men, it is very reasonable to infer there would be one, either as colleagues or artist and customer since they lived in the same town and worked from the same carnivals. Did Walter teach Rocky how to tattoo perhaps?
A very experienced and well know tattooist hailing from Melbourne, Lyons learned to tattoo aboard ships and travelled to the USA in the 1890s tattooing across the country including from Los Angeles and San Francisco before returning to Australia in 1917 where he continued to tattoo until the 1940’s.
A newspaper article from 1936 includes a picture of Walter tattooing, he is stated as the only tattooist in Western Australia, working from a studio at 336 Wellington Street in Perth. While this could be read to contradict the tattoo flash found at Fremantle prison bearing Rockys name which would predate the 1936 article statement, it is likely because Rocky remained incarcerated or had left for Melbourne by that time.
Walter Lyons passed away in 1952 and is buried in South Brisbane cemetery.
Rocky moved to Melbourne in the 1940s where he worked from two Flinders Street locations, 440 and 446 Flinders Street though it is unclear the timeline of these shops and which came first. The two addresses are gained from tattoo business cards salvaged over time from Rockys tattoo career, particularly by Shane Green aka @Fleatat2 (big thanks to him for permission to include the pictures here).
🐍 Why all the fuss 🐍
Rocky Vane remains an enigma of tattoo history, and the details of his life paint a character portrait of a rogue, a man who deserted his post and a performer to whom two deaths are attributed, and others, including his own child, were injured and permanently scarred. Rocky’s tattoo flash now uncovered is beautiful and perhaps more records will come to light now his tattoo history is better understood.
His story of outlaw behaviour enriches tattoo history and captures imagination and wonder. The guy tattooed, robbed, fought, deserted, fled, married, divorced, rebuilt and hustled his way through life while playing around with deadly tiger snakes which half blinded him, killed his wife and assistant, maimed his child and resulted in an island infestation of blind, seagull baiting snakes.
Rocky's near 100 year old tattoo flash has now been found secretly concealed and buried beneath the Fremantle prison floors where countless tourist walking tours have stepped past alongside the painted walls from Australian tattoo legend, Bobby Thornton (see Bobby's dragon mural below).
Australia's tattoo history is not as well documented as other nations such as Scotland, Japan, England and America. Efforts by some, including ourselves, Ricky Luder, Angus Corsini, Jake Straat, Zuzz Rains, Brett Stewart, Rhys Gordon, Mikey Keyes, Shane Green, MJ Forrest, Jim Matthews, the
P.T.A.A. and others continue to improve the understanding, to preserve, better document and respect Australian tattoo history. That history is rich with wild characters, phenomenal artists and stories told but never written down.
Rocky Vane’s story is one of the many great colours in that tapestry. Probably one of the darker shades.
End Note
We cant wait to see the Rocky Vane flash when it is ready for public display at the Fremantle Prison museum. The Archaeology team there is doing an incredibly thorough job at preservering and documenting this find and continue to work on new discoveries around it. We are very grateful for their assistance with this blog, keep an eye on their social media feed for future updates at @fremantleprison!