Ben Hall
Encyclopedia
Ben Hall was an Australian bushranger
of the 19th century. Operating mainly in New South Wales
, he was known variously as 'Bold Ben Hall', 'Brave Ben Hall' and 'The Gentleman Bushranger' for his avoidance of bloodshed and his audacious raids, many of which were intended simply to taunt the police. Unlike many bushrangers of the era, he was not responsible for any deaths, but was nevertheless shot dead by police acting under the Felons Apprehension Act 1865, which allowed known bushrangers to be shot and killed rather than taken to trial. The legality of this killing remains controversial.
in Wallis Plains
(though some reports incorrectly say Breeza
), in the Hunter Valley
of New South Wales
. His parents were Benjamin Hall (born Bedminster, England 1805 ) and Eliza Somers (born Dublin, Ireland 1807), both convicted for minor stealing offences and was transported to New South Wales. They married in 1834 and had numerous children; Ben Junior was the fourth child and third son. After they received tickets of leave, they moved to the Hunter Valley, where Benjamin Senior worked for Samuel Clift on the Doona run. In about 1839, Benjamin squatted on a small area of land in an isolated valley north of Murrurundi. Here Benjamin built a rough hut and began raising cattle and collecting any wild cattle and horses he could find in the hills. In 1842, he bought a small block of land near Murrurundi
, where he established a butcher shop. The family were hard-working, but there were numerous brushes with the law regarding the dubious ownership of cattle and horses.
About the end of 1850, Ben Senior moved down to the Lachlan River
area, taking with him the children Ben Junior, William, Mary and his stepson Thomas Wade. It appears that Ben Junior never returned to Murrurundi, although his father did in 1851. Young Ben worked on numerous cattle properties along the Lachlan and gained a reputation as a hard-working and reliable stockman
.
In 1856, at the age of 19, Hall married Bridget Walsh (1841–1923) at Bathurst. One of Bridget's sisters was the mistress of Frank Gardiner
; another sister married John Maguire. On 7 August 1859, Ben and Biddy (as she was called) had a son, whom they named Henry. In 1860, Ben Hall and John Maguire jointly leased the "Sandy Creek" run of 10,000 acres (40 km²) about 50 km south of Forbes
. Hall built a house, sheds and stockyards and established a stock of cattle which he sold at the Lambing Flat goldfield; this was where he met Frank Gardiner.
What happened next in his life remains shrouded in mystery, but circumstances and chance caused Ben Hall to turn from a successful grazier to an infamous bushranger
. By early 1862, his marriage was in trouble, and Biddy left to live with a man named James Taylor from Humbug Creek, which flows south from Lake Cowal. At this time, there were many highway men operating around the area where Ben Hall lived. After Biddy left, he began associating with the notorious Frank Gardiner. In April 1862, Ben was arrested on the orders of Police Inspector Sir Frederick Pottinger for participating in an armed robbery whilst in the company of Frank Gardiner. The charge was dismissed due to a lack of evidence.
On 15 June 1862, Gardiner led a gang of eight men, including Hall, and robbed the gold escort coach near Eugowra
of banknotes and 2700 ounces of gold worth more than 14,000 pounds.
Hall and several others were arrested in July, but once again the police were unable to gain enough evidence to formally charge him. He was released about the end of August. However, he and his partner at Sandy Creek faced mounting legal costs and were forced to transfer the lease of the property to John Wilson, a Forbes publican.
From then on, estranged from his wife and young son, and with the property gone, Ben Hall gradually drifted into a life of crime.
In one instance, Hall and his gang bailed up Robinson's Hotel in Canowindra
and held all the people of the town captive for three days. The hostages were allegedly not mistreated, and were provided with entertainment. The local policeman was subjected to some humiliation by being locked in his own cell. When the hostages were set free, the gang insisted on paying the hotelier and giving the townspeople "expenses". The aim, which was achieved, was to make public the gang's power and lampoon the police.
In late 1864, during the robbery of a mail coach near Jugiong
, John Gilbert shot and killed Sgt. Parry. Then in January 1865 Constable Nelson was shot and killed by John Dunn when the gang raided a hotel in Collector. In early 1865, the authorities determined on radical legislation to bring an end to the careers of Ben Hall together with Johnny Gilbert
and John Dunn
. The Felons Apprehension Act was pushed through the New South Wales Parliament
for the specific purpose of declaring Hall and his comrades outlaws, and meant that they could be killed by anyone at any time without warning.
Between the periods of 1863 to 1865, Ben Hall and his gang had one of the most prolific periods of any bushranger or outlaw. Over 100 robberies are attributed to them in this time, including the holding up of 21 towns and the theft of 23 racehorses. The Cobb and Co
coaches of the time published the proviso in their schedules at the time: "Ben Hall permitting".
By May 1865, Ben Hall had decided to escape from New South Wales. However, he was betrayed by a man who had previously given the gang assistance and protection. The police were waiting, and at dawn on 5 May 1865 Ben Hall was ambushed by eight policemen who were armed with double-barrelled shotguns and .56 calibre Colt rifles. Hall was outnumbered eight to one, and fled without firing a shot. He was shot in the back as he ran away, eventually being shot 30 times.
Ben Hall's body was taken back to Forbes where an official inquest was held. He was buried at Forbes
cemetery on Sunday 7 May 1865 http://scs.une.edu.au/Bushrangers/bhall.htm and a headstone was erected in the 1920s. His grave is well maintained and attracts many visitors.
In 2007, Peter Bradley, a descendent of Ben Hall's younger brother Henry, announced he was calling for the inquest into the bushranger's death to be reopened. Bradley believes that as the Felon Apprehension Act had not yet come into force when Hall was killed, he was deliberately killed, despite the original inquest finding a cause of justifiable homicide
. He cited that the Act did not become law until 10 May, five days after Hall was shot to death by police.
A memorial called "Ben Hall's Wall" is located in Breeza
, south of Gunnedah, New South Wales
.
"Ben Halls Gap" is a small section of State Forest named in memory of the bushranger's father, and is located south of Nundle, New South Wales
Bushranger
Bushrangers, or bush rangers, originally referred to runaway convicts in the early years of the British settlement of Australia who had the survival skills necessary to use the Australian bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities...
of the 19th century. Operating mainly in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, he was known variously as 'Bold Ben Hall', 'Brave Ben Hall' and 'The Gentleman Bushranger' for his avoidance of bloodshed and his audacious raids, many of which were intended simply to taunt the police. Unlike many bushrangers of the era, he was not responsible for any deaths, but was nevertheless shot dead by police acting under the Felons Apprehension Act 1865, which allowed known bushrangers to be shot and killed rather than taken to trial. The legality of this killing remains controversial.
Early life
Ben Hall was born on 9 May 1837,in Wallis Plains
Maitland, New South Wales
Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle...
(though some reports incorrectly say Breeza
Breeza, New South Wales
Breeza is a locality in New South Wales, Australia. In 2006, Breeza had a population of 133 people. It is located about 43 kilometres south of Gunnedah Breeza is located in the Liverpool Plains agricultural region, and the area around Breeza in particular is called the "Breeza Plains"...
), in the Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. His parents were Benjamin Hall (born Bedminster, England 1805 ) and Eliza Somers (born Dublin, Ireland 1807), both convicted for minor stealing offences and was transported to New South Wales. They married in 1834 and had numerous children; Ben Junior was the fourth child and third son. After they received tickets of leave, they moved to the Hunter Valley, where Benjamin Senior worked for Samuel Clift on the Doona run. In about 1839, Benjamin squatted on a small area of land in an isolated valley north of Murrurundi. Here Benjamin built a rough hut and began raising cattle and collecting any wild cattle and horses he could find in the hills. In 1842, he bought a small block of land near Murrurundi
Murrurundi, New South Wales
Murrurundi is a rural town in Upper Hunter Shire, located in the Upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales. Murrurundi, which is 193 km by road from Newcastle and 309 km from Sydney, has a population of 1,330 people...
, where he established a butcher shop. The family were hard-working, but there were numerous brushes with the law regarding the dubious ownership of cattle and horses.
About the end of 1850, Ben Senior moved down to the Lachlan River
Lachlan River
- Course :The river rises in the central highland of New South Wales, part of the Great Dividing Range, 13 km east of Gunning. Its major headwaters, the Carcoar River, the Belubula River and the Abercrombie River converge near the town of Cowra. Minor tributaries include the Morongla Creek...
area, taking with him the children Ben Junior, William, Mary and his stepson Thomas Wade. It appears that Ben Junior never returned to Murrurundi, although his father did in 1851. Young Ben worked on numerous cattle properties along the Lachlan and gained a reputation as a hard-working and reliable stockman
Stockman
In Australia a stockman is a person who looks after the livestock on a large property known as a station, which is owned by a grazier or a grazing company...
.
Frank Gardiner
Frank Gardiner was a noted Australian bushranger of the 19th century. He was born in Scotland about 1827 and migrated from to Australia as a child with his parents in 1834,. His real name was Francis Christie, though he often used one of several other aliases including Gardiner, Clarke or Christie...
; another sister married John Maguire. On 7 August 1859, Ben and Biddy (as she was called) had a son, whom they named Henry. In 1860, Ben Hall and John Maguire jointly leased the "Sandy Creek" run of 10,000 acres (40 km²) about 50 km south of Forbes
Forbes, New South Wales
-Notable residents:*Carolyn Simpson - Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales; Member of the first all-female bench to sit in an Australian court*NSW Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt was born and raised in Forbes....
. Hall built a house, sheds and stockyards and established a stock of cattle which he sold at the Lambing Flat goldfield; this was where he met Frank Gardiner.
Bushranger
Bushranger
Bushrangers, or bush rangers, originally referred to runaway convicts in the early years of the British settlement of Australia who had the survival skills necessary to use the Australian bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities...
. By early 1862, his marriage was in trouble, and Biddy left to live with a man named James Taylor from Humbug Creek, which flows south from Lake Cowal. At this time, there were many highway men operating around the area where Ben Hall lived. After Biddy left, he began associating with the notorious Frank Gardiner. In April 1862, Ben was arrested on the orders of Police Inspector Sir Frederick Pottinger for participating in an armed robbery whilst in the company of Frank Gardiner. The charge was dismissed due to a lack of evidence.
Eugowra, New South Wales
Eugowra is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is located in the Cabonne Shire Local Government Area, west of the state capital, Sydney. At the 2006 census, Eugowra had a population of 535....
of banknotes and 2700 ounces of gold worth more than 14,000 pounds.
Hall and several others were arrested in July, but once again the police were unable to gain enough evidence to formally charge him. He was released about the end of August. However, he and his partner at Sandy Creek faced mounting legal costs and were forced to transfer the lease of the property to John Wilson, a Forbes publican.
From then on, estranged from his wife and young son, and with the property gone, Ben Hall gradually drifted into a life of crime.
In one instance, Hall and his gang bailed up Robinson's Hotel in Canowindra
Canowindra, New South Wales
Canowindra is an historic township located near Cowra in the central west of New South Wales, Australia in Cabonne Shire. Canowindra is on the Belubula River. The curving main street, Gaskill Street, is partly an urban conservation area. At the 2006 census, Canowindra had a population of 1,499...
and held all the people of the town captive for three days. The hostages were allegedly not mistreated, and were provided with entertainment. The local policeman was subjected to some humiliation by being locked in his own cell. When the hostages were set free, the gang insisted on paying the hotelier and giving the townspeople "expenses". The aim, which was achieved, was to make public the gang's power and lampoon the police.
Jugiong, New South Wales
Jugiong is a village community on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, in the central east part of the Riverina. It is situated just off the Hume Highway, by road, about 30 kilometres southwest from Bookham and 40 kilometres northeast from Gundagai...
, John Gilbert shot and killed Sgt. Parry. Then in January 1865 Constable Nelson was shot and killed by John Dunn when the gang raided a hotel in Collector. In early 1865, the authorities determined on radical legislation to bring an end to the careers of Ben Hall together with Johnny Gilbert
John Gilbert (bushranger)
Johnny Gilbert was an Australian bushranger shot dead by the police at the age of 23 near Binalong, New South Wales on 13 May 1865.John Gilbert was the only Australian bushranger never to go to prison...
and John Dunn
John Dunn (bushranger)
John Dunn was an Australian bushranger. He was born at Murrumburrah near Yass, New South Wales. He was hanged in Darlinghurst Gaol.-Criminal career:...
. The Felons Apprehension Act was pushed through the New South Wales Parliament
Parliament of New South Wales
The Parliament of New South Wales, located in Parliament House on Macquarie Street, Sydney, is the main legislative body in the Australian state of New South Wales . It is a bicameral parliament elected by the people of the state in general elections. The parliament shares law making powers with...
for the specific purpose of declaring Hall and his comrades outlaws, and meant that they could be killed by anyone at any time without warning.
Between the periods of 1863 to 1865, Ben Hall and his gang had one of the most prolific periods of any bushranger or outlaw. Over 100 robberies are attributed to them in this time, including the holding up of 21 towns and the theft of 23 racehorses. The Cobb and Co
Cobb and Co
Cobb and Co is the name of a transportation company in Australia. It was prominent in the late 19th century when it operated stagecoaches to many areas in the outback and at one point in several other countries, as well....
coaches of the time published the proviso in their schedules at the time: "Ben Hall permitting".
By May 1865, Ben Hall had decided to escape from New South Wales. However, he was betrayed by a man who had previously given the gang assistance and protection. The police were waiting, and at dawn on 5 May 1865 Ben Hall was ambushed by eight policemen who were armed with double-barrelled shotguns and .56 calibre Colt rifles. Hall was outnumbered eight to one, and fled without firing a shot. He was shot in the back as he ran away, eventually being shot 30 times.
Ben Hall's body was taken back to Forbes where an official inquest was held. He was buried at Forbes
Forbes, New South Wales
-Notable residents:*Carolyn Simpson - Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales; Member of the first all-female bench to sit in an Australian court*NSW Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt was born and raised in Forbes....
cemetery on Sunday 7 May 1865 http://scs.une.edu.au/Bushrangers/bhall.htm and a headstone was erected in the 1920s. His grave is well maintained and attracts many visitors.
In 2007, Peter Bradley, a descendent of Ben Hall's younger brother Henry, announced he was calling for the inquest into the bushranger's death to be reopened. Bradley believes that as the Felon Apprehension Act had not yet come into force when Hall was killed, he was deliberately killed, despite the original inquest finding a cause of justifiable homicide
Justifiable homicide
The United States' concept of justifiable homicide in criminal law stands on the dividing line between an excuse, justification and an exculpation. It is different from other forms of homicide in that due to certain circumstances the homicide is justified as preventing greater harm to innocents...
. He cited that the Act did not become law until 10 May, five days after Hall was shot to death by police.
A memorial called "Ben Hall's Wall" is located in Breeza
Breeza, New South Wales
Breeza is a locality in New South Wales, Australia. In 2006, Breeza had a population of 133 people. It is located about 43 kilometres south of Gunnedah Breeza is located in the Liverpool Plains agricultural region, and the area around Breeza in particular is called the "Breeza Plains"...
, south of Gunnedah, New South Wales
Gunnedah, New South Wales
Gunnedah is a town and Local government area in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. 7,542 people lived in the town of Gunnedah in 2006, including 931 indigenous people ....
.
"Ben Halls Gap" is a small section of State Forest named in memory of the bushranger's father, and is located south of Nundle, New South Wales
Nundle, New South Wales
Nundle is a village in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It was formerly the centre of Nundle Shire Local Government Area, but most of this area, including the village of Nundle, was absorbed into Tamworth Regional Council in 2004. The village is 400 km north of Sydney and...
Folklore
- A number of folk songs celebrate Hall's life and exploits. The most notable is Streets of ForbesStreets of Forbes"Streets of Forbes" is an Australian folksong about the death of bushranger Ben Hall. The song is one of the best-known elements of the Australian folk repertoire. It has been recorded by many folk and popular artists and groups including The Bushwhackers, Gary Shearston, Niamh Parsons and Weddings...
, which has been recorded by numerous singers and groups. Others include The Ballad of Ben Hall's Gang,The Death of Ben Hall and The Ghost of Ben Hall.