Frank Pearson
Encyclopedia
Frank Pearson was an Australia
n bushranger. He called himself "Captain Starlight" and claimed he was the inspiration for the character Captain Starlight in Rolf Boldrewood
's novel Robbery Under Arms
, although the author denied this claim.
Pearson was one of two bushranger
s known by the name of Captain Starlight. The other being cattle thief Henry Readford. Readford never referred to himself by the name and was not known as Starlight prior to the publication of the novel in 1889. Boldrewood himself claimed that the Captain Starlight character in his novel was a composite of several bushrangers that included Henry Readford and Captain Midnight.
and that he had arrived in Australia in 1866 however, he may have arrived in a different year under the surname Arnold.
. Two Queensland police constables, McCabe and McManus set out from Walgett, New South Wales
to catch the bushrangers but became lost. The Police patrol stopped for supplies in Enngonia and were making a purchase at the Shearer's Inn when Pearson and Rutherford entered the inn yelling Bail Up. Both constables opened fire hitting Pearson in the arm and wrist while Pearson returned fire hitting McCabe in the chest. The two bushrangers then fled to Belalie where they stole fresh horses before continuing down the Darling River
to near Pooncarie
where they split up and went their separate ways. Pearson travelled north, robbing several stations along the way before heading toward Mount Gunderbooka
, 70 km (43.5 mi) south of Bourke. A police party tracked Pearson to Mount Gunderbooka but he eluded them in the thick scrub of the mountain. Based at the foot of the mountain and stationing men at the waterholes to prevent Pearson from access to water, the party chased him for three days before capturing him on Christmas Day, in a small cave, weakened from lack of water and badly bitten by bull ants
. Contable McCabe had died from his injury in November and Pearson was charged with murder. Committed for trial on 4 January 1869 Pearson was found guilty at trial on 3 May 1869 and sentenced to death. The sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment and he was released in 1884 after fifteen years.
In 1884 bushrangers stopped at the local police station in Barmera, South Australia
where they locked the police in their own cells. The leader of the gang then rode his horse into the bar of the Overland Corner Hotel and carved his name into the wall. No trace remains of the name and his identity is disputed with some claiming it was Captain Moonlite. However it is known that Pearson was active in the area at the time.
. It was while in prison here that Pearson boasted that he was the inspiration for Boldrewood’s Captain Starlight. While in prison he met fellow prisoner Major Patrick Edward Pelly and, from his release, Pearson adopted that name. As Patrick "Frank" Pelly he lived in South Australia
for around two years, working as a drover. He is not known to have committed any serious crimes during this time. In 1896 he moved to Perth
where, as Major Patrick Frances Pelly he was employed on the recommendation of the WA Premier, Sir John Forrest
, as a clerk-accountant with the Western Australia Geological Survey
. In Perth he often related elaborate and false stories of his past as a major in the British army and a member of the Russian Czar’s bodyguard.
Western 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 bushranger. He called himself "Captain Starlight" and claimed he was the inspiration for the character Captain Starlight in Rolf Boldrewood
Thomas Alexander Browne
Thomas Alexander Browne was an Australian writer, who sometimes published under the pseudonym Rolf Boldrewood and best known for his novel Robbery Under Arms.-Biography:...
's novel Robbery Under Arms
Robbery Under Arms
Robbery 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...
, although the author denied this claim.
Pearson was one of two 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...
s known by the name of Captain Starlight. The other being cattle thief Henry Readford. Readford never referred to himself by the name and was not known as Starlight prior to the publication of the novel in 1889. Boldrewood himself claimed that the Captain Starlight character in his novel was a composite of several bushrangers that included Henry Readford and Captain Midnight.
Early Life
Pearson claimed he was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and that he had arrived in Australia in 1866 however, he may have arrived in a different year under the surname Arnold.
Notoriety
In September 1868, as Doctor Frank Pearson, he teamed up with stockman Charles Rutherford and robbed the Narran Inn, the Yarrambah Post Office, and Angledool Station in Queensland before heading to Enngonia in New South Wales, some 100 km (62.1 mi) from BourkeBourke, New South Wales
-Transportation:Bourke can be reached by the Mitchell Highway, with additional sealed roads from town to the north , east and south . The town is also served by Bourke Airport and has Countrylink bus service to other regional centres, like Dubbo...
. Two Queensland police constables, McCabe and McManus set out from Walgett, New South Wales
Walgett, New South Wales
Walgett is a town in North-West New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Walgett Shire. It is at the junction of the Barwon and Namoi rivers and near the junction of the Kamilaroi and Castlereagh Highways...
to catch the bushrangers but became lost. The Police patrol stopped for supplies in Enngonia and were making a purchase at the Shearer's Inn when Pearson and Rutherford entered the inn yelling Bail Up. Both constables opened fire hitting Pearson in the arm and wrist while Pearson returned fire hitting McCabe in the chest. The two bushrangers then fled to Belalie where they stole fresh horses before continuing down the Darling River
Darling River
The Darling River is the third longest river in Australia, measuring from its source in northern New South Wales to its confluence with the Murray River at Wentworth, New South Wales. Including its longest contiguous tributaries it is long, making it the longest river system in Australia.The...
to near Pooncarie
Pooncarie, New South Wales
Pooncarie is a village in south-western New South Wales, Australia in Wentworth Shire. It is on the eastern side of the Darling River between Wentworth and Menindee...
where they split up and went their separate ways. Pearson travelled north, robbing several stations along the way before heading toward Mount Gunderbooka
Gundabooka National Park
Gundabooka is a national park in New South Wales, Australia. The park is located 70 km south of Bourke, Australia. Mount Gunderbooka is located within the park. Prior to becoming a park the area was home to the Ngemba and a sheep station. Petroglyph rock art and ancestral ceremonial grounds are...
, 70 km (43.5 mi) south of Bourke. A police party tracked Pearson to Mount Gunderbooka but he eluded them in the thick scrub of the mountain. Based at the foot of the mountain and stationing men at the waterholes to prevent Pearson from access to water, the party chased him for three days before capturing him on Christmas Day, in a small cave, weakened from lack of water and badly bitten by bull ants
Myrmecia
Myrmecia, often called bulldog ants, bull ants, inch ants, sergeant ants, jumper ants or jack-jumpers , is a genus of ants. Bull ants can grow to over in length, with the smallest species long...
. Contable McCabe had died from his injury in November and Pearson was charged with murder. Committed for trial on 4 January 1869 Pearson was found guilty at trial on 3 May 1869 and sentenced to death. The sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment and he was released in 1884 after fifteen years.
In 1884 bushrangers stopped at the local police station in Barmera, South Australia
Barmera, South Australia
Barmera is a town in the Riverland region of South Australia. It is on the Sturt Highway A20, 220 kilometres north-east of Adelaide, the capital of the state of South Australia. It is primarily an agricultural and viticultural town and is located on Lake Bonney , a freshwater lake...
where they locked the police in their own cells. The leader of the gang then rode his horse into the bar of the Overland Corner Hotel and carved his name into the wall. No trace remains of the name and his identity is disputed with some claiming it was Captain Moonlite. However it is known that Pearson was active in the area at the time.
Later Life
Pearson returned to Queensland and in 1891 was arrested for fraud, forgery and horse stealing and sentenced to a year in prison in Brisbane. He was admitted to Boggo Road Gaol and possibly also spent some time on St. Helena IslandSt Helena Island National Park
St Helena Island is an island in Queensland, Australia, 21 km east of Brisbane in Moreton Bay. Originally used as a prison, it is now a national park. Named Noogoon by the Australian Aborigines, it was renamed St Helena after an aboriginal named Napoleon was exiled there in 1826. The island...
. It was while in prison here that Pearson boasted that he was the inspiration for Boldrewood’s Captain Starlight. While in prison he met fellow prisoner Major Patrick Edward Pelly and, from his release, Pearson adopted that name. As Patrick "Frank" Pelly he lived in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
for around two years, working as a drover. He is not known to have committed any serious crimes during this time. In 1896 he moved to Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
where, as Major Patrick Frances Pelly he was employed on the recommendation of the WA Premier, Sir John Forrest
John Forrest
Sir John Forrest GCMG was an Australian explorer, the first Premier of Western Australia and a cabinet minister in Australia's first federal parliament....
, as a clerk-accountant with the Western Australia Geological Survey
Geological Survey of Western Australia
The Geological Survey of Western Australia is an authority within the Department of Mines and Petroleum of the Government of Western Australia that is responsible for surveying and exploration of Western Australia's geological resources....
. In Perth he often related elaborate and false stories of his past as a major in the British army and a member of the Russian Czar’s bodyguard.
Death
On 22 December 1899, Pearson died after accidentally swallowing cyanide. He was drunk and mistook it for his medicine. He is buried in Karrakatta CemeteryKarrakatta Cemetery
Karrakatta Cemetery is a metropolitan cemetery in the suburb of Karrakatta in Perth, Western Australia. Karrakatta Cemetery first opened for burials in 1899, with Robert Creighton. Currently managed by the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board, the cemetery attracts more than one million visitors each...
Western Australia.