One of the most colourful was Mark Lewis Henn.

Mark was born in Hobart Town in 1845 to a very ordinary military family, but he wasn't satisfied with ordinary.

From an early age he called himself Louis, and sometimes Marcus.

As a young man he had a talent for graphic art, which would lead naturally to forgery later in life.

He joined the Survey Dept as a lithographer and gained considerable respect for his skill, but this wasn't enough. He wanted wealth and fame.

While still in the public service he started up a rabid rag called the Tasmanian Tribune, which specialised in applauding corrupt politicians like Dr William Crowther and libelling statesmen such as former Premier Tom Chapman.

There was a part of the Hobart electorate that loved to support scoundrels and slander statesmen.

Henn's ongoing attacks on his own minister and frequent absences from work led to an ultimatum - sell the newspaper or resign from the public service.

He chose the latter, which proved a poor decision.

He went spectacularly bankrupt in 1877, with nothing left even for secured creditors.

Feeling a compelling urge to move north, he ended up in Adelaide where, in pre-internet days, there was little chance people would know or find out about his past.

There he operated a printing business for a few years, before suddenly disappearing.

He surfaced in Beaconsfield in 1897 and obtained work in the mine office.

This wasn't enough of course, and he looked around for other opportunities.

Seeing a shortage of building materials, he contracted with the only local brickmaker, Jimmy Edwards, to take everything the latter could produce at 29 shillings a thousand.

Then having a monopoly, he forced Beaconsfield homebuilders to pay him 45s 6d a thousand.

But he wanted more.

He stood unsuccessfully for council in 1901, immediately after which a major fraud came to light at the mine and he was arrested.

It turned out that, as paymaster, he added 25 dummy names on the mine payroll.

Every fortnight he would sign for these fake workers and pocket their pay packets.

His prosecution was handled personally by the Solicitor-General.

The publicity spread to the mainland, and during the trial the Beaconsfield court was astonished by the appearance of a Mrs Annie Henn from Adelaide.

Flourishing a marriage certificate and photo of Henn, she filed for desertion and maintenance of her and their children.

Henn then pleaded guilty to forgery and uttering at the mine and was sentenced to two years gaol.

Upon release from prison he became an accountant in NSW.

There, using a false name, he lied about his age and married a lady 42 years his junior, before dying in 1926.

A street is named after him in Beaconsfield today.