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The Matriarch: The Kathy Pettingill Story
Kathy Pettingill is a name that's both respected and feared, not only by Australia's criminal underworld, but by many in the Victorian police force. As the matriarch at the head of the most notorious and violent family of habitual offenders in Australian criminal history, her life has revolved around murder, drugs, prison, prostitution and bent coppers–and the intrigue and horror that surround such crimes.Her eldest son Dennis Allen was a mass murderer and a $70,000-a-week drug dealer who dismembered a Hell's Angel with a chainsaw. Two younger sons were acquitted of the Walsh Street murders, the cold-blooded assassination of two police officers which changed forever the face of crime in Melbourne. One of the two, Victor, was gunned down himself in the street 14 years later, becoming the third son Kathy has buried.
In this authorised book Kathy Pettingill reveals the chilling truth behind many of the myths and legends that surround her family, including her experiences in the blood-spattered charnel house at the centre of Dennis's empire of drugs and violence. But The Matriarch is no plea for pity–gritty, forthright and deeply disturbing, like its subject this story pulls no punches.
In this authorised book Kathy Pettingill reveals the chilling truth behind many of the myths and legends that surround her family, including her experiences in the blood-spattered charnel house at the centre of Dennis's empire of drugs and violence. But The Matriarch is no plea for pity–gritty, forthright and deeply disturbing, like its subject this story pulls no punches.
290 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2002
62 people are currently reading
267 people want to read
About the author
Adrian Tame
5 books5 followersAdrian Tame was born in 1944, and spent 25 years in journalism. After resigning as news editor of Truth in 1986, he spent eight years, six of them as a director, with IPR, Australia's largest public relations company. Adrian is the author of the bestselling The Matriarch: The Kathy Pettingill Story (1996).
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
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October 2, 2021I've read more then half the book but completely lost interest o. It. Not much for true crime, still a beginner to the genre and I never heard about this case before.
May 30, 2020
Interesting story with so much more potential. Dennis and Kathy are the two standout characters, for very different reasons. She, at least, has redeeming qualities. The rest of the characters all merge into one.
Second half of the book descends into a protracted account of alleged this, alleged that. Wouldn't recommend unless you have a thing for Australian gangland stories.
Second half of the book descends into a protracted account of alleged this, alleged that. Wouldn't recommend unless you have a thing for Australian gangland stories.
January 7, 2025
Kathy Pettingill is known as "Granny Evil" in Australia where she gave birth to ten children by three different fathers. Three were adopted out and the remaining seven became drug addicted criminals. The shining star of the flock was Dennis, who tortured and killed an unknown number of victims.
The problem here is the format of the book which jumps back and forth with a large cast of miscreants. The author provides a chart before the index.
Somehow, Kathy found the time to work as a prostitute while raising seven children. She later ran massage parlors and sold drugs along with her offspring. They all spent time in prison and two of them were acquitted of the murder of two policemen. The case remains an open one and The Matriarch is an exhausting read.
The problem here is the format of the book which jumps back and forth with a large cast of miscreants. The author provides a chart before the index.
Somehow, Kathy found the time to work as a prostitute while raising seven children. She later ran massage parlors and sold drugs along with her offspring. They all spent time in prison and two of them were acquitted of the murder of two policemen. The case remains an open one and The Matriarch is an exhausting read.
August 3, 2011
before underbelly, there was this and its much, much better!
September 14, 2025
First out of the gate, Kathy Pettingill and her family are thugs, thieves, murderers, and rapists - just a few of the charming adjectives that could be applied.
While Kathy has shown some small kindnesses to others, she herself is no shining angel. She was violent, had no compunction against threatening people with her own fists, and literally mopped up the charnel house that was Dennis's home. However, Adrian Tame tried very hard to make out that Kathy was simply a hard done by sweet woman who was forced into her life of crime an infamy by choosing the wrong man to love. Her sons were solely the products of their fathers with little maternal influence.
The story telling was all over the place. There is some linear tracking of her history, but frequently, from one paragraph to the next you are dragged forward (or back) by several years with a statement that has absolutely no correlation in time to the one you just read. Many times I wondered if I had missed a page, or if paragraphs had been removed in my edition of the book. But no, you just have to ride it out and hope that the missing years would be filled in at some point later in the book.
While there is a timeline at the back of the book, there are gaps in the events that more often than not are the same event gaps I was trying to work out from the paragraph jumping.
This was not a smooth read, there was clunky writing, and repetitions of facts. For a book about crims and their crimes, the biggest crime was how Adrian Tame presented this story.
While Kathy has shown some small kindnesses to others, she herself is no shining angel. She was violent, had no compunction against threatening people with her own fists, and literally mopped up the charnel house that was Dennis's home. However, Adrian Tame tried very hard to make out that Kathy was simply a hard done by sweet woman who was forced into her life of crime an infamy by choosing the wrong man to love. Her sons were solely the products of their fathers with little maternal influence.
The story telling was all over the place. There is some linear tracking of her history, but frequently, from one paragraph to the next you are dragged forward (or back) by several years with a statement that has absolutely no correlation in time to the one you just read. Many times I wondered if I had missed a page, or if paragraphs had been removed in my edition of the book. But no, you just have to ride it out and hope that the missing years would be filled in at some point later in the book.
While there is a timeline at the back of the book, there are gaps in the events that more often than not are the same event gaps I was trying to work out from the paragraph jumping.
This was not a smooth read, there was clunky writing, and repetitions of facts. For a book about crims and their crimes, the biggest crime was how Adrian Tame presented this story.
July 25, 2021
Absolutely insane and interesting read about a woman whose life, were it presented as a film script, would be panned as unbelievable.
January 10, 2018
I don't mind a crime read for fast escapism. Enjoyed this. Lots of Melbourne references entwined with families and places you know if you're from Melbourne.
January 4, 2024
"The Matriarch: The Kathy Pettingill Story" by Adrian Tame provides a detailed and at times sensationalized account of the life of Kathy Pettingill, a central figure in one of Melbourne's notorious crime families. Tame delves into the complexities of Pettingill's life, exploring her relationships, the criminal activities of her family, and the broader underworld they inhabited.
The strength of the book lies in its comprehensive coverage of Pettingill's life, offering readers a glimpse into the tumultuous world she navigated. Tame doesn't shy away from portraying the grittier aspects of Pettingill's experiences, and the narrative is laden with sensational anecdotes that may capture the attention of true crime enthusiasts.
However, the book's emphasis on sensationalism and its at times tabloid-like approach may not appeal to all readers. The narrative occasionally leans towards dramatization, and Tame's writing style tends to prioritize salacious details over a nuanced exploration of Pettingill's character and motivations.
While the book does shed light on the criminal activities of the Pettingill family, it may lack a more profound analysis of the social and economic factors that contributed to their involvement in a life of crime. Some readers might find the narrative lacking in depth, particularly in its exploration of the broader societal context.
In conclusion, "The Matriarch" offers a detailed but sensationalized account of Kathy Pettingill's life. Readers with a keen interest in true crime and a tolerance for a more sensationalized narrative may find it engaging. However, those seeking a more balanced and nuanced exploration of Pettingill's story and its societal implications may find the book falling short of their expectations.
The strength of the book lies in its comprehensive coverage of Pettingill's life, offering readers a glimpse into the tumultuous world she navigated. Tame doesn't shy away from portraying the grittier aspects of Pettingill's experiences, and the narrative is laden with sensational anecdotes that may capture the attention of true crime enthusiasts.
However, the book's emphasis on sensationalism and its at times tabloid-like approach may not appeal to all readers. The narrative occasionally leans towards dramatization, and Tame's writing style tends to prioritize salacious details over a nuanced exploration of Pettingill's character and motivations.
While the book does shed light on the criminal activities of the Pettingill family, it may lack a more profound analysis of the social and economic factors that contributed to their involvement in a life of crime. Some readers might find the narrative lacking in depth, particularly in its exploration of the broader societal context.
In conclusion, "The Matriarch" offers a detailed but sensationalized account of Kathy Pettingill's life. Readers with a keen interest in true crime and a tolerance for a more sensationalized narrative may find it engaging. However, those seeking a more balanced and nuanced exploration of Pettingill's story and its societal implications may find the book falling short of their expectations.
September 22, 2023
everything you could expect from a mafia true crime. there's betrayal, murders, theft, power struggles, entitlement and complete disregard for the law. Sometimes it lost me, because after a point there were no real stakes, i knew there'd be no consequences. but overall, ok.
March 12, 2020
Really enjoyed this!
April 27, 2020
The gripping story of Kath Pettingill, mother of a family of criminals. The book does a good job of portraying her complex character and the underworld of which she was a part.
October 13, 2020
4.5★
July 15, 2021
This was sikkk regardless
July 7, 2022
A rare example where the adaptation(s) of a true story had to be toned down instead of exaggerated due to how disturbing the actual reality was. Crazy.
July 19, 2024
It’s very interesting but kind of hard to follow without getting lost in the amount of people involved, but I liked the ending chapters a lot.
December 15, 2024
This book was great to read but I feel they portray her more evil then she was, she definitely did bad things but a lot of it was her family.
September 24, 2025
Highly recommend the audiobook for this one, the voice choices are fantastic and really draw you in to the story!
dnf
November 26, 2025Started this because we were enjoying the tv show, Animal Kingdom.
Honestly after finishing the show, I just didn't care about the book or her story anymore...
Honestly after finishing the show, I just didn't care about the book or her story anymore...
August 27, 2024
I had never heard of Kathy Pettingill and read it based on a book bingo needing a true crime novel. There are much more details that could have been given on situations. This book gives context and views from Kathy herself that other articles or books may not be able to give.
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April 8, 2015#002.03 p. xvii So where do public perception and private reality diverge? What is it behind those eyes, one glass, the other fiercely alive, that has created the legend? In simplest terms there are two catalysts for the reputation Kathy and her web of relatives have earned as possibly the most infamous criminal family in Australian history. The first is her son Dennis Allen, and the second is the execution of two young police officers in a crime that has become known as the Walsh Street murders.
Dennis was Kathy's first-born son and, depending on whose version is believed, he murdered between five and thirteen people. He also built a drug-dealing empire over a five-year period which earned him an estimated $70,000 a week; he was linked with names like New South Wales's notorious rogue policeman Roger Rogerson; he tried to blow up a coroner's court building where an inquest was being held into the death of one of his victims; he used a heavy calibre automatic rife to try to shoot a police helicopter out of the sky when its night lights annoyed him; he flew the Jolly Roger outside his inner suburban home, and he once dismembered a Hell's Angel with a chainsaw.
Dennis was Kathy's first-born son and, depending on whose version is believed, he murdered between five and thirteen people. He also built a drug-dealing empire over a five-year period which earned him an estimated $70,000 a week; he was linked with names like New South Wales's notorious rogue policeman Roger Rogerson; he tried to blow up a coroner's court building where an inquest was being held into the death of one of his victims; he used a heavy calibre automatic rife to try to shoot a police helicopter out of the sky when its night lights annoyed him; he flew the Jolly Roger outside his inner suburban home, and he once dismembered a Hell's Angel with a chainsaw.
December 24, 2020
This is a book that is as much about the infamous crime family, as it is about the entrenched Police corruption in Victoria, and the lengths certain now discredited detectives went too so that convictions occured in relation to the 'walsh st' killings of two innocent police officers.
The author had unfettered access to Kath, and and such the book is full of quotations that directly contradict the official line, and it is worth noting that Kath Pettingill comes across as highly believable, providing a first person perspective from an era where corruption in the Victorian detectives was endemic: the armed robbery squad was simply executing suspects, planting stolen weapons and behaving like the criminals they were supposed to be arresting.
A highly recommended read, plenty of insider information on some of the most notorious criminals of the Pettingill family, with candid comments from Kath herself, backed up where possible with references by the author. This makes for a fantastic read for fans of Australian true crime and makes a welcome antidote to the lies and rubbish printed about her family over the years.
The author had unfettered access to Kath, and and such the book is full of quotations that directly contradict the official line, and it is worth noting that Kath Pettingill comes across as highly believable, providing a first person perspective from an era where corruption in the Victorian detectives was endemic: the armed robbery squad was simply executing suspects, planting stolen weapons and behaving like the criminals they were supposed to be arresting.
A highly recommended read, plenty of insider information on some of the most notorious criminals of the Pettingill family, with candid comments from Kath herself, backed up where possible with references by the author. This makes for a fantastic read for fans of Australian true crime and makes a welcome antidote to the lies and rubbish printed about her family over the years.
Want to read
April 4, 2011Hmm...To read or not to read? This came to my attention recently when I started to develop a fondness for Australian gang-land stories, such as 'Animal Kingdom' and 'Underbelly'.
This is a big maybe.
This is a big maybe.
August 15, 2012
Great read! I'm thankful not to have lived next door to the Pettingill family.
August 27, 2013
This is my favourite book ever. A biography of a Melbourne crime family.
May 24, 2020
Very interesting family portrait.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews