The Canberra History Group

This is the sad story of an unemployed man, Bertram Edward Porter, who was left with his 11-month-old son after his wife, Vera Jofferette Jacob, deserted him for another man, Edward Ford. Rejected by its mother, the baby was adored by its father who, despite his unhappy marriage, wanted reconciliation, as he could not cope as a single parent. She refused so Bert decided to end it all, for himself and his son, and his tragic circumstances led to Canberra's first murder committal since its proclamation as the Federal Capital Territory. Read MORE