Bushranger
Encyclopedia
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 Australia
n bush
as a refuge to hide from the authorities. The term "bushranger" then evolved to refer to those who abandoned social rights and privileges to take up "robbery under arms" as a way of life, using the bush as their base. These bushrangers were roughly analogous to British "highwaymen
" and American Old West
"road agents
," and their crimes often included robbing small-town banks or coach services.
's last stand at Glenrowan.
years of the 1850s and 1860s as the discovery of gold gave bushrangers access to great wealth that was portable and easily converted to cash. Their task was assisted by the isolated location of the goldfields and a police force decimated by troopers abandoning their duties to join the gold rush.
George Melville was hanged in front of a large crowd for robbing the McIvor gold escort near Castlemaine
in 1853.
with the rise of the colonial-born sons of poor, often ex-convict squatters who were drawn to a more glamorous life than mining or farming.
Much of the activity in this era was in the Lachlan Valley
, around Forbes
, Yass
and Cowra
.
Frank Gardiner
, John Gilbert
and Ben Hall led the most notorious gangs of the period. Other active bushrangers included Dan Morgan
, based in the Murray River
, and Captain Thunderbolt
. Thunderbolt was the most successful Australian bushranger, if bushranging longevity is the benchmark, as he bushranged across northern New South Wales for six-and-a-half until shot near Uralla in 1870. With his death, the New South Wales bushranging epidemic of the 1860s officially ended.
and communications technology, such as telegraphy
, made it increasingly difficult for bushrangers to evade capture.
Among the last bushrangers was the Kelly Gang led by Ned Kelly
, who were captured at Glenrowan in 1880, two years after they were outlawed.
In 1900 the indigenous Governor Brothers
terrorised much of northern New South Wales.
). In Australian history
and iconography
bushrangers are held in some esteem in some quarters due to the harshness and anti-Catholicism
of the colonial authorities whom they embarrassed, and the romanticism of the lawlessness they represented. Some bushrangers, most notably Ned Kelly
in his Jerilderie letter
, and in his final raid on Glenrowan, explicitly represented themselves as political rebels. Attitudes to Kelly, by far the most well-known bushranger, exemplify the ambivalent views of Australians regarding bushranging. The Victorian Cricket Team has adopted the 'Bushrangers' as their team name in honour of those such as the Kelly Gang, who lived in the Victorian bush.
History of Australia (1788-1850)
The history of Australia from 1788–1850 covers the early colonies period of Australia's history, from the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Sydney to establish the penal colony of New South Wales in 1788 to the European exploration of the continent and establishment of other colonies...
who had the survival skills
Survival skills
Survival skills are techniques a person may use in a dangerous situation to save themselves or others...
necessary to use the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n bush
The Bush
"The bush" is a term used for rural, undeveloped land or country areas in certain countries.-Australia:The term is iconic in Australia. In reference to the landscape, "bush" describes a wooded area, intermediate between a shrubland and a forest, generally of dry and nitrogen-poor soil, mostly...
as a refuge to hide from the authorities. The term "bushranger" then evolved to refer to those who abandoned social rights and privileges to take up "robbery under arms" as a way of life, using the bush as their base. These bushrangers were roughly analogous to British "highwaymen
Highwayman
A highwayman was a thief and brigand who preyed on travellers. This type of outlaw, usually, travelled and robbed by horse, as compared to a footpad who traveled and robbed on foot. Mounted robbers were widely considered to be socially superior to footpads...
" and American Old West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
"road agents
Road agent
A road agent can mean:* Another name for highwayman, a criminal engaged in stagecoach robbery in the mid to late 19th century American West. * Road Agent , a professional wrestling liaison between the wrestlers and management...
," and their crimes often included robbing small-town banks or coach services.
History
More than 2000 bushrangers are believed to have roamed the Australian countryside, beginning with the convict bolters and drawing to a close after Ned KellyNed Kelly
Edward "Ned" Kelly was an Irish Australian bushranger. He is considered by some to be merely a cold-blooded cop killer — others, however, consider him to be a folk hero and symbol of Irish Australian resistance against the Anglo-Australian ruling class.Kelly was born in Victoria to an Irish...
's last stand at Glenrowan.
1850s: gold rush era
The bushrangers' heyday was the Gold RushVictorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
years of the 1850s and 1860s as the discovery of gold gave bushrangers access to great wealth that was portable and easily converted to cash. Their task was assisted by the isolated location of the goldfields and a police force decimated by troopers abandoning their duties to join the gold rush.
George Melville was hanged in front of a large crowd for robbing the McIvor gold escort near Castlemaine
Castlemaine, Victoria
Castlemaine is a city in Victoria, Australia, in the Goldfields region of Victoria about 120 kilometres northwest by road from Melbourne, and about 40 kilometres from the major provincial centre of Bendigo. It is the administrative and economic centre of the Shire of Mount Alexander. The...
in 1853.
1860s to 1870s
Bushranging numbers flourished in New South WalesNew 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...
with the rise of the colonial-born sons of poor, often ex-convict squatters who were drawn to a more glamorous life than mining or farming.
Much of the activity in this era was in the Lachlan Valley
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...
, around 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....
, Yass
Yass, New South Wales
Yass is a town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Yass Valley Shire. The name appears to have been derived from an Aboriginal word, "Yarrh" , said to mean 'running water'....
and Cowra
Cowra, New South Wales
Cowra is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia in the Cowra Shire. It is located on the Mid-Western Highway, 317 kilometres west of Sydney on the banks of the Lachlan River at an altitude of 310 metres above sea level. At the 2006 census Cowra had a population of 8,430...
.
Frank Gardiner
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...
, John 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 Ben Hall led the most notorious gangs of the period. Other active bushrangers included Dan Morgan
Dan Morgan (bushranger)
John Fuller was an Australian bushranger.Fuller was born in Appin, New South Wales, Australia around 1830 to George Fuller and Mary Owen. He was their illigitimate son and from the ages of 2 to 17 he lived with an adoptive father, John Roberts...
, based in the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
, and Captain Thunderbolt
Captain Thunderbolt
Frederick Wordsworth Ward was an Australian bushranger renowned for escaping from Cockatoo Island, and also for his reputation as the "gentleman bushranger" and his lengthy survival, being the longest roaming bushranger in Australian history.-Early years:Frederick Ward was the son of convict...
. Thunderbolt was the most successful Australian bushranger, if bushranging longevity is the benchmark, as he bushranged across northern New South Wales for six-and-a-half until shot near Uralla in 1870. With his death, the New South Wales bushranging epidemic of the 1860s officially ended.
1880s to 1900s
The increasing push of settlement, increased police efficiency, improvements in rail transportHistory of rail transport in Australia
Following the British model, Australians generally assumed in the 1850s that railways would be built by the private sector . Private companies built railways in the then colonies of Victoria, opened in 1854, and New South Wales, where the company was taken-over by the government before completion...
and communications technology, such as telegraphy
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
, made it increasingly difficult for bushrangers to evade capture.
Among the last bushrangers was the Kelly Gang led by Ned Kelly
Ned Kelly
Edward "Ned" Kelly was an Irish Australian bushranger. He is considered by some to be merely a cold-blooded cop killer — others, however, consider him to be a folk hero and symbol of Irish Australian resistance against the Anglo-Australian ruling class.Kelly was born in Victoria to an Irish...
, who were captured at Glenrowan in 1880, two years after they were outlawed.
In 1900 the indigenous Governor Brothers
Jimmy Governor
Jimmy Governor was one of the Governor brothers, two Indigenous Australian men who committed a series of murders in the Central West region of New South Wales around the turn of the twentieth century....
terrorised much of northern New South Wales.
Public perception
In Australia, bushrangers often attract public sympathy (cf. the concept of social banditsSocial bandits
Social bandit or social crime is a term invented by the historian Eric Hobsbawm in his 1959 book Primitive Rebels, a study of popular forms of resistance that also incorporate behavior characterized by law as illegal. He further expanded the field in the 1969 study Bandits...
). In Australian history
History of Australia
The History of Australia refers to the history of the area and people of Commonwealth of Australia and its preceding Indigenous and colonial societies. Aboriginal Australians are believed to have first arrived on the Australian mainland by boat from the Indonesian archipelago between 40,000 to...
and iconography
Iconography
Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek "image" and "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons in the...
bushrangers are held in some esteem in some quarters due to the harshness and anti-Catholicism
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
of the colonial authorities whom they embarrassed, and the romanticism of the lawlessness they represented. Some bushrangers, most notably Ned Kelly
Ned Kelly
Edward "Ned" Kelly was an Irish Australian bushranger. He is considered by some to be merely a cold-blooded cop killer — others, however, consider him to be a folk hero and symbol of Irish Australian resistance against the Anglo-Australian ruling class.Kelly was born in Victoria to an Irish...
in his Jerilderie letter
The Jerilderie Letter
The Jerilderie Letter was dictated by infamous bushranger Ned Kelly to Joe Byrne in 1879. The letter is named after the town of Jerilderie, New South Wales, Australia where the Kelly gang carried out a daring robbery.-External links:...
, and in his final raid on Glenrowan, explicitly represented themselves as political rebels. Attitudes to Kelly, by far the most well-known bushranger, exemplify the ambivalent views of Australians regarding bushranging. The Victorian Cricket Team has adopted the 'Bushrangers' as their team name in honour of those such as the Kelly Gang, who lived in the Victorian bush.
In popular culture
- In the same way that outlaws feature in many films of the American western genreWestern (genre)The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
, bushrangers regularly feature in Australian literature, film, music and television. - Bold Jack DonohueJack DonohueJack Donohue may refer to:*Jack Donohue , Canadian basketball coach*Jack Donohue , American film director, see Chico and the Man*Molly Maguires's member, John "Yellow Jack" Donahue...
was the first bushranger to have inspired bush ballads. - Robbery Under ArmsRobbery Under ArmsRobbery Under Arms is a classic Australian novel by Rolf Boldrewood . It was first published in serialised form by The Sydney Mail between July 1882 and August 1883, then in three volumes in London in 1888...
, by Thomas Alexander BrowneThomas Alexander BrowneThomas Alexander Browne was an Australian writer, who sometimes published under the pseudonym Rolf Boldrewood and best known for his novel Robbery Under Arms.-Biography:...
(writing as Rolf Boldrewood) was published in serial form in the The Sydney MailThe Sydney MailThe Sydney Mail was an Australian magazine published weekly in Sydney. The weekly edition of The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, it ran from 1860 to 1938....
from 1882 to 1883. It is an early description of the life and acts of fictional bushrangers and has been the basis of several films and a television series. It is also cited as an important influence on Owen WisterOwen WisterOwen Wister was an American writer and "father" of western fiction.-Early life:Owen Wister was born on July 14, 1860, in Germantown, a well-known neighborhood in the northwestern part of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father, Owen Jones Wister, was a wealthy physician, one of a long line of...
's novel The VirginianThe Virginian (novel)This page is about the novel, for other uses see The Virginian .The Virginian is a pioneering 1902 novel set in the Wild West by the American author Owen Wister...
, widely regarded as the first westernWestern fictionWestern fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West frontier and typically set from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth century. Well-known writers of Western fiction include Zane Grey from the early 1900s and Louis L'Amour from the mid 20th century...
. - Between 1904 and 1914 many Australia movies were made about bushrangers. A Government ban on films about bushrangers, imposed in 1912, is seen as a major reason for the collapse of a booming Australian film industry.
- Ned KellyNed KellyEdward "Ned" Kelly was an Irish Australian bushranger. He is considered by some to be merely a cold-blooded cop killer — others, however, consider him to be a folk hero and symbol of Irish Australian resistance against the Anglo-Australian ruling class.Kelly was born in Victoria to an Irish...
was the subject of the world's first feature length film, The Story of the Kelly GangThe Story of the Kelly GangThe Story of the Kelly Gang is a 1906 Australian film that traces the life of the legendary bushranger Ned Kelly . It was written and directed by Charles Tait. The film ran for more than an hour, and was the longest narrative film yet seen in Australia, and the world. Its approximate reel length...
, released in 1906. In the 1970 release Ned KellyNed Kelly (1970 film)Ned Kelly is a 1970 British adventure film. It was the second Australian feature film version of the story of 19th century Australian bushranger Ned Kelly....
, he was portrayed – to limited popular acclaim – by Mick JaggerMick JaggerSir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
. Kelly has been the subject of many more movies, television series, written fiction and music. - Dan "Mad Dog" MorganDan Morgan (bushranger)John Fuller was an Australian bushranger.Fuller was born in Appin, New South Wales, Australia around 1830 to George Fuller and Mary Owen. He was their illigitimate son and from the ages of 2 to 17 he lived with an adoptive father, John Roberts...
was the subject of a feature film, Mad Dog Morgan (1976), starring Dennis HopperDennis HopperDennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
. - Ben Hall and his gang were the subject of several Australian folk songs, including "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...
". - Bailed UpBailed UpBailed Up is a 1895 painting by Australian artist Tom Roberts. The painting depicts a stage coach being held up by bushrangers in an isolated, forested section of a back road...
(1895, 1927), a painting by Tom RobertsTom RobertsThomas William Roberts , usually known simply as Tom, was a prominent Australian artist and a key member of the Heidelberg School.-Life:...
depicts bushrangers holding up a coach near InverellInverell, New South WalesInverell is a town in northern New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Macintyre River. It is also the centre of Inverell Shire. Inverell is located on the Gwydir Highway on the western slopes of the Northern Tablelands. It has a temperate climate...
, the area where Captain ThunderboltCaptain ThunderboltFrederick Wordsworth Ward was an Australian bushranger renowned for escaping from Cockatoo Island, and also for his reputation as the "gentleman bushranger" and his lengthy survival, being the longest roaming bushranger in Australian history.-Early years:Frederick Ward was the son of convict...
was once active. - Wild Boys, the 2011 TV series, features a gang of bushrangers.
Notable bushrangers
| Name | Lived | Area of activity | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Brady Matthew Brady Matthew Brady was a notorious bushranger in Van Diemen's Land in the early 19th century. Born from two immigrants from Ireland, he was sometimes known as the "Gentleman Bushranger" due to his good treatment and fine manners when robbing his victims.Originally a corporal in a British regiment, he... , "Gentleman Bushranger" |
1799 – 4 May 1826 | Van Diemen's Land (now known as Tasmania) | Captured by John Batman John Batman John Batman was an Australian grazier, businessman and explorer who is best known for his role in the founding of a settlement which became Melbourne and the colony of Victoria.-Life:... , hanged |
| Mary Ann Bugg Mary Ann Bugg Mary Ann Bugg was one of two notable female bushrangers in mid 19th century Australia.-Early years:Mary Ann Bugg was born at the Berrico outstation near Gloucester in New South Wales, Australia... |
1834–1905 | Northern New South Wales | Lover of Captain Thunderbolt Captain Thunderbolt Frederick Wordsworth Ward was an Australian bushranger renowned for escaping from Cockatoo Island, and also for his reputation as the "gentleman bushranger" and his lengthy survival, being the longest roaming bushranger in Australian history.-Early years:Frederick Ward was the son of convict... , died of old age |
| Joe Byrne Joe Byrne Joe Byrne was an Australian bushranger born in Victoria to an Irish immigrant. A friend of Ned Kelly, he was a member of the Kelly Gang, who were declared outlaws after the murder of three policemen at Stringybark Creek... , one of the Kelly Gang |
1857–1880 | North East Victoria | Shot by police |
| John Caesar John Caesar John Caesar , nicknamed "Black Caesar", was the first Australian bushranger and one of the first people of African descent to arrive in Australia.-Conviction:... |
1764–1796 | Sydney area | Shot |
| Martin Cash Martin Cash Martin Cash was a notorious convict bushranger known for escaping twice from Port Arthur, Van Diemen's Land... |
c. 1808–1877 | Tasmania | Prison sentence, released after 13 years |
| Edward Davis Edward Davis (bushranger) Edward Davis was an Australia convict turned bushranger. His real name is not certain, but in April 1832 he was convicted under the name George Wilkinson for attempting to stead a wooden till and copper coins to the total value of 7 shillings. Sentenced to seven years transportation, he arrived in... , Teddy the Jewboy |
d.1841 | Northern New South Wales | Hanged for murder 16 March 1841 |
| John Donahue, known as Bold Jack Donahue Jack Donahue Jack Donohue was a bushranger in Australia. He had numerous ballads written about him, including Bold Jack Donahue.Jack Donahue was born in Dublin in 1806... |
c. 1806–1830 | Sydney area | Shot by police |
| 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:... |
1846–1866 | Western New South Wales | Hanged Hanging Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain... |
| John Francis John Francis (bushranger) John Francis was one of a party of bushrangers who held up the Melbourne Private Escort Company's regular escort of gold from the McIvor diggings at Heathcote, Victoria and Kyneton on the morning of 20 July 1853. At least six men were involved, five of whom including John Francis and his brother... |
c. 1825–? | Victoria Gold Fields (1853) | Released after giving Queen's Evidence |
| John Fuller, known as Dan Mad Dog Morgan Dan Morgan (bushranger) John Fuller was an Australian bushranger.Fuller was born in Appin, New South Wales, Australia around 1830 to George Fuller and Mary Owen. He was their illigitimate son and from the ages of 2 to 17 he lived with an adoptive father, John Roberts... |
c. 1830–1865 | New South Wales | Shot |
| Frank Gardiner 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... |
c. 1829–c. 1904 | Western New South Wales | Prison sentence, then moved to California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
| John 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... |
1842–1865 | Western New South Wales | Shot by police |
| Jimmy Governor Jimmy Governor Jimmy Governor was one of the Governor brothers, two Indigenous Australian men who committed a series of murders in the Central West region of New South Wales around the turn of the twentieth century.... |
1875–1901 | 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... |
Hanged |
| Ben Hall | 1837–1865 | Western New South Wales | Shot by police |
| Steve Hart Steve Hart Steve Hart was an Australian bushranger renowned for his membership in the Kelly Gang.-History:Hart was born in Wangaratta to Irish immigrant parents Richard and Bridget Hart... , one of the Kelly Gang |
1859–1880 | North East Victoria | Probably suicide |
| Joseph Bolitho Johns, known as Moondyne Joe Moondyne Joe Joseph Bolitho Johns , better known as Moondyne Joe, was Western Australia's best known bushranger.- Biography :... |
c. 1828–1900 | Western Australia | Numerous prison sentences, died a free man |
| Henry Johnson, known as Harry Power Harry Power Harry Power was an Australian Bushranger. It is believed, by some, that Ned Kelly served as his accomplice while a teenager. -Early life:... |
1819–1891 | North East Victoria | Prison sentence, released |
| Dan Kelly Dan Kelly (bushranger) Dan Kelly was an Australian bushranger and outlaw. The son of an Irish convict, he was the youngest brother of the bushranger, Ned Kelly. Dan and his brother killed three policemen. With two friends, they formed the Kelly Gang... , brother of Ned Kelly |
c. 1861–1880 | North East Victoria | Probably suicide |
| Ned Kelly Ned Kelly Edward "Ned" Kelly was an Irish Australian bushranger. He is considered by some to be merely a cold-blooded cop killer — others, however, consider him to be a folk hero and symbol of Irish Australian resistance against the Anglo-Australian ruling class.Kelly was born in Victoria to an Irish... |
c. 1854–1880 | North East Victoria | Hanged |
| James Kenniff | c.1870–1940 | Queensland | assassinated |
| Patrick Kenniff | 1863–1903 | Queensland | Hanged |
| Frank McCallum, known as Captain Melville Frank McCallum Francis McNeish McNeil McCallum was a notorious bushranger during the early part of the Victorian Gold Rush in Australia.... (many aliases) |
1822–1857 | Victorian Goldfields | Murder/Suicide by hanging in gaol |
| James Alpin McPherson James Alpin McPherson James Alpin McPherson otherwise known as The Wild Scotchman, was an Australian bushranger active in the area around Gin Gin, Queensland in the 19th century.... , known as The Wild Scotchman |
1842–1895 | Gin Gin, Queensland Gin Gin, Queensland Gin Gin is a small rural town located on the Bruce Highway in central Queensland, Australia, approximately 51 km west of Bundaberg and 370 km north-west of Brisbane, the state capital. The town owes its existence to its strategic location about halfway between Brisbane and Rockhampton. It... |
Died a free man |
| George Melville | 1822–1853 | Hanged | |
| Musquito | c. 1780–1825 | Tasmania | Hanged |
| Johnny O'Meally | 1843–1864 | Western New South Wales | Shot by farmer |
| John Paid, known as Wolloo Jack | from Stanwell Park terrorised Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... area in the 1820s |
||
| Frank Pearson, known as Captain Starlight | 1837–1899 | Northern and Western New South Wales | Prison sentence, released, accidentally poisoned himself while drunk |
| Sam Poo Sam Poo Sam Poo was a Chinese bushranger in Australia who was active in the Coonabarabran region of New South Wales during 1865.Poo was a Chinese emigrant to Australia during the Gold Rush, but instead of mining took to highway robbery on the road between Gulgong and Mudgee. A skilled and elusive bushman,... |
?–1865 | Coonabarabran, New South Wales Coonabarabran, New South Wales Coonabarabran is a town in Warrumbungle Shire in northern New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 2,609.-History and description:... |
Hanged |
| Harry Redford Harry Redford Henry Arthur "Harry" Readford was a well known Australian cattle thief or cattle 'duffer'. It is widely believed that the Captain Starlight character in Rolf Boldrewood's novel Robbery Under Arms was based on Readford as Readford's 1870 cattle drive was a major story arc in the book.Readford was... , known as "Captain Starlight – The gentleman bushranger" |
c. 1842–1901 | Longreach, Queensland | Found not guilty at trial |
| Codrington Revingstone | South-West Victoria (1850) | ||
| Billy Roberts (probably), known as Jack the Rammer Jack the Rammer Jack the Rammer aka Billy the Rammer was a bushranger in the Monaro District near Cooma in New South Wales during the latter half of 1834. His real name was probably Billy Roberts.-References:* *... |
B?–1834 | South Eastern New South Wales (1834) | Shot by a convict overseer. |
| Andrew George Scott, known as Captain Moonlite | 1842–1880 | near Gundagai, New South Wales Gundagai, New South Wales Gundagai is a town in New South Wales, Australia. Although a small town, Gundagai is a popular topic for writers and has become a representative icon of a typical Australian country town... |
Hanged |
| Owen Suffolk Owen Suffolk Owen Suffolk an Australian bushranger, poet, confidence-man and author of Days of Crime and Years of Suffering .... |
1829–? | Victoria | shot in prison? |
| Frederick Ward, known as Captain Thunderbolt Captain Thunderbolt Frederick Wordsworth Ward was an Australian bushranger renowned for escaping from Cockatoo Island, and also for his reputation as the "gentleman bushranger" and his lengthy survival, being the longest roaming bushranger in Australian history.-Early years:Frederick Ward was the son of convict... |
1835–1870 | Northern New South Wales (1863–1870) | Shot by police |
| William Westwood, alias Jackey Jackey | 1820–1846 | Manuden, Essex, England | Hanged |