On Jul 8, 2016, Steadyhands wrote:
"Australia, as everyone knows, is peopled with criminals and criminals are used to having people not trust them." Vizzini the Sicilian. The Princess Bride, William Goldman.

Having had some previous experience with Trove I though I'd look for historical references to the Three Shell Game in Australia's online national archive of Newspapers. As you can see below I had a good bit of success. I've added tags to each article I found for Three Shell Game and Three Card Monte so you can use these to see the full list of articles (very bottom of the post). Can't find any references to Fast & Loose yet.

Among the articles there is many references to things we hear as common for the the Shell Game, placing of bets, use of an umbrella, use of shills and others. The racecourse seems to be a common place for the shell game to be run. Examples of the Shell Game run in court, with the pater included. Often the charge was of being a Rogue and Vagabond, hence the title of this post.

The interesting thing is I have 5 convict ancestors - I'm exploring this as an idea for a pater.

xx was transported to Australian on the Friendship - great name for a prison ship! The Three Shell Game became a way to survive, if you won you got to eat the pea! This has been handed down from father to son, father to son since the convicts of the first fleet were transported to Australia. Now if I could only find their descendants and learn the secrets.

So here is my little gift back to the community at the Magic Café.

1887 An Expert Swindler Tells His Experience.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/226862917

1887 Working the Shell Game— (very widely syndicated article - in many papers of the day) probably not the original, just one I found first.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66805913

1899 Manner Of Manipulation, Walnut-shells in Lieu of Thimbles. Pieces of Sponge and Brick, Replace the 'Pea.'
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/127384808

1902 Gaming In Public Places. An Important Point. How The Game Is Played.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14454600

1902 Mister Murphy, The Scotland Yard Sleuth Hound Appears To Be A Tripe Hound. He Captures Two Thimble Riggers.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/167894019

1905 An Alleged Unlawful Game. Accused Discharged.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/211286156

1906 Game Of Chance.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/77582271

1906 A Simple Little Pea. The American Chicago Puzzle. Shell game played in court. Pater described.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/200846348

1907 A Game Of Chance.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/127400924

1907 The Old Game.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/99831592

1911 What is a Game of Chance? The point was raised in a case heard at the Manly Police Court on Friday that what the police called "the thimble and pea trick" is not a game of chance, but is really a game of skill.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/72266031

1912 The Thimble And Pea.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/203325057

1914 Gaming Instruments Walnut Shells And Marked Cards.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/73498025

1922 Thimble Amd Pea Train Passengers Exploited.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/213333093

1931 Three Shell Game mentioned and Three Card Monte pater. Plus mention of other con games.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136748600

1936 Show Skill Thimble And Pea Court Offer.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230085665

1937 Three - Card Trick, Too.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/55931233

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Three Shell Game Trove tag list
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/result......+Game&q=

Three Card Monte Trove tag list
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/result......Monte&q=