As people look forward to new TV shows, one name stands out: “Boy Swallows Universe.” It is based on the semi-autobiographical book by debut author Trent Dalton. The series, which was written by John Collee, takes a trip to the dirty underground of Brisbane. At its heart, the story is about Eli Bell, a working-class kid who gets caught up in Brisbane’s illegal underworld while trying to save his mother from dangerous situations. As we learn more about the characters and themes, we learn that Arthur “Slim” Halliday is a mystery figure who adds an interesting layer to the story. tvacute learns more about Arthur “Slim” Halliday‘s mystery.
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Who is Arthur “Slim” Halliday?
An Australian named Arthur Ernest “Slim” Halliday was born on April 3, 1910, in Brisbane City, Queensland. He became famous in the 1940s as Boggo Road’s most stubborn and notorious escape artist. He tried to flee many times, which captured the attention of people for a long time. Halliday was given a five-year sentence for breaking into a house in 1939, but his troublesome behavior in jail made his stay at Boggo Road last ten years.
In the 1940s, Slim Halliday’s adventures were all the talk of the town. climbing up on the jail roof and using holes in the wall to hide himself. This earned him the nickname “Halliday’s Leap.” This risky escape led to a two-week search that ended with a fast-paced car chase through Caboolture.
Halliday performed at “Halliday’s Leap” again in December 1946, this time with two other prisoners. The search that followed was one of Queensland’s biggest projects. Halliday and his partner were caught after hiding for four days in the mangroves near Nundah Creek. After that, the third suspect was caught soon after.
Halliday’s criminal career took a dark turn in 1952 when he was sent back to Boggo Road for the murder of taxi driver Athol McGowan. He had been free for short amounts of time. He was determined to get away, and in 1953 he tried to get out of the workshop by climbing through the roof. Even though he used fire and makeshift pulley systems to try to get away, he was put under strict rules, watched closely, and kept alone. Halliday was released in the late 1970s. Halliday died on June 29, 1987, at the age of 77. He always be remembered as Boggo Road’s most dogged escape artist.
