The Notorious Axe Murderer of Berrima Jonathan A. Smyth tells the story of Cavan-born John Lynch, who is believed to have killed 10 people in the Berrima area of New South Wales from 1835 to 1841, making him Australia’s most prolific individual serial killer. Before the term ‘serial killer’ came into use, one of the most notorious nineteenth century murderers brought fear to Berrima, Australia, a village with a population of 300 people. John Lynch, an Irishman, who used the alias John Dunleavy, killed repeatedly at every opportunity when financial gain presented itself. His weapon of choice was a tomahawk axe which led the newspapers to dub him, ‘the Berrima axe murderer’.