Regan, at the time was one of the leaders of the Sydney underworld. He was involved in prostitution, rackets, shady real estate deals, illegal gambling and various murders. 

He engendered fear in all who had dealings with him, and for good reason. 

Regan’s methods were ruthless, anyone who stood in his way was either beaten up or eliminated. He was young, strong and fit and frequently used violence as a means to claw his way to the top.  

Few could question his claim to rule the Kings Cross area, despite the fact that it was the home of other notable criminals.

The auctioneer at the sale was Roy Cameron, then Shire Clerk, of the former Coolah Shire Council. Although almost 45 years have past by Roy can still remember the presence of John Regan at the sale. 

Being a cool day Regan wore trench coat, of a style similar to that adopted by the film actor- gangster Humphrey Bogart.

As soon as the word “gangster” came into Roy’s mind, ‘the penny dropped’. He then realised the bidder was no other than the Sydney gangster, John Regan.

He found Regan to be well spoken and most friendly in respect to the completing the legal documents relating to his three purchases.

John Regan was born on September 13, 1945, in the town of Young. His mother Clare was of Irish-German stock and his father Scottish.

When John reached the age of ten years his parents were divorced he and his mother moved to Sydney where her son attended several schools.

It was at King’s Cross that Regan started his climb into crime, working as a pimp for a hooker in 1962 at the age seventeen.

By his early twenties Regan had a string of charges against his name: assault, robbery, rape and conspiracy to thwart the cost of justice. 

In 1968, an associate of Regan, “Big” Barry Flock was found shot through the head four times in the grounds of the Scottish Hospital, Paddington.

There was little doubt in the underworld that Regan was responsible for the killing. Shortly after Flock’s murder, another associate of Regan, Ross Christie vanished –along with two other criminals. They were never seen again.

The police suspected that Regan was burying the bodies of his murdered victims under the floor boards of his former home.

Bones were found under the house, but there was no evidence to connect Regan with a crime.

At this time local police became aware that Regan was attending council sales in the country where land was being sold for overdue rates.

The citizens police then deduced that Regan was probably disposing of his victim’s bodies in country areas.

The week following the Coolah sale, two Sydney policemen arrived in Coolah and requested to be shown the allotments purchased by Regan and that they be supplied with a shovel and a spade. 

Their request was acceded to but no bodies were found. 

Regan had no intention of using the purchased lots as a burial ground, as he was “flogging” these blocks in Sydney hotels at inflated prices.

On the evening of September 22, 1974, Regan left his home without the protection of his bullet proof vest. 

He was fatally shot in Chapel Street, Marrickville from three different .38 calibre revolvers at a distance between three and six inches. He was aged 29 years.

The Regan Estate never paid the rates on the three blocks. Five years later these were again put up for sale for overdue rates.

- Roy Cameron OAM