Vale Mon

Tribute to Monique St John ... Justinian's Marianne dies ... Showgirl, muse and late night companion to leading lights in the judiciary ... Front cover privacy exclusive ... Sir Murray Rivers embarrasses the Melbourne establishment 

The French version of our Monique

Marianne, the goddess of liberty, is as dear to the French as showgirl Monique St John is to Justinian. 

We're sad to report that Monique died earlier this month on the Gold Coast, after years as a hoofer at Les Girls in Kings Cross and later the Playgirl Review at the Newtown Hotel. 

There was speculation that she was related to the famous barrister and politician Ted St John QC - however, it's unlikely as her original name was Reg, a supermarket shelf stacker and the "daughter" of a Newcastle waterside worker.

She requested no funeral, but the Q Super Centre shopping mall at Mermaid Waters has established a memorial to her on a nearby bench. 

The Sydney Star Observer declared that Monique "captivated the heart of the nation". 

Actually, she was the original Ginger Snatch, an intrepid figure in Justinian's retinue of researchers and artistes. 

For our special hard copy privacy edition 26 years ago she appeared on the front page in a compromising photo with retired Victorian Supreme Court judge, Sir Murray Rivers. 

From the print era

Not to put too fine a point on it they were caught in flagrante in a room at the Melbourne Club. A secret camera recorded some of the action. 

Justinian's editorial compliance committee struggled with whether it was ethical to publish this intimate material, but on balance decided that it was in the public interest to do so. 

Public interest reporting

Monique was a trailblazer in the drag world. Importantly, she pioneered the "reverse striptease" - arriving on stage as naked as possible and then elaborately enfolding herself in feathers. 

She had many fans, including all of us at Justinian. 

Vale Monique St John.