Robbery Under Arms
Encyclopedia
Robbery Under Arms is a classic Australian novel by Rolf Boldrewood (a pseudonym
for Thomas Alexander Browne
). 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. It was edited into a single volume in 1889 as part of Macmillan's Colonial Library series and has not been out of print since.
It is considered to be one of the greatest Australian colonial novels, along with Marcus Clarke
's For the Term of his Natural Life
.
He starts with his childhood, with a father (Ben) who is prone to violence, particularly when he has been drinking; his mother, his sister (Aileen) and brother, Jim. He documents his first exposure to his father's crimes, the theft of a red calf, and the disapproval of this crime by his mother, who says she thought he had given up stealing since the theft which lead to his transportation as a convict from England. Dick's first active involvement in crime, comes where the brothers choose to go cattle duffing (stealing), even though an offer of solid, honest work had been made with neighbour and friend, George Storefield. The divergent lives of the brothers to that of George is a recurring theme of the book from this point forward, as they continue to meet up at different points throughout the story's course. This first theft includes their introduction to Captain Starlight, his Aboriginal assistant, Warrigal, and their hideaway, Terrible Hollow.
Further thefts follow, leading up to the brazen theft of 1000 head, driven overland to Adelaide with Starlight. After the success of this adventure, the brothers "lie low" in Melbourne, where they meet the sisters, Kate and Jeanie Morrison. The brothers return to home for Christmas, leading to incarceration and trial of Dick and Starlight. (The magistrate chooses to refer to Starlight only by this nickname, at the Captain's request). Warrigal helps Dick and Starlight escape to Terrible Hollow. The gang later has its first stage holdup.
The brothers then move to the Turon goldfields. Their prosperity through honest, hard work gives them the chance for escape from the country to start a new life overseas. Jim is re-united with Jeanie Morrison and marries her. Dick meets Kate Morrison again, but her tumultuous nature leads her, in an angry mood, to alert the police to their presence, and they narrowly escape capture and return to the safety of Terrible Hollow.
Seeing no alternative to crime, the gang joins forces with a soon- to- be rival Dan Moran and his friends to stage a major hold up of the armed, escorted stagecoach leaving the goldfields. The robbery is a success, with the members splitting up after sharing the gold takings. Starlight's crew hears word of Moran's planned home invasion of a police informant named Mr Whitman, at a time when Mr Whitman was known to be absent. Marsten and Starlight intervene, forcing Moran and his men to leave, thus preventing further harm to the women present and the home being burnt down at the end of the night. Chivalrous as ever, Starlight vows to dance with one of the women, Miss Falkland, at her upcoming wedding. This increases the existing animosity between Starlight and his rival, and highlights Starlight's code of honour.
At the height of their infamy, the gang attend the Turon horse race, where Starlight's horse, Rainbow, wins. The same weekend, they attend the wedding of a publican's daughter, Bella Barnes, where Starlight fulfils his earlier promise to dance, unrecognised, with her at her wedding, despite the presence of the entire town, including the goldfields commissioner and other dignatories. Ben Marston is later ambushed and wounded by bounty hunters. Moran, nearby, releases him, and shoots all four bounty hunters in cold blood, again highlighting the different honour codes between the two gangs. Ben returns to Terrible Hollow, and is nursed by his daughter, Aileen. Aileen and Starlight begin a relationship, and arrange to marry.
Despite the animosity between the rivals, they team up again to rob the home of the Goldfield Commissioner, Mr Knightley, but are met with more resistance than they expected. One of Moran's associates is shot in the skirmish, and Moran is keen to kill Knightley when they later have him face to face. Starlight turns the tables by giving Mr Knightley one of his own pistols. He them proceeds to arrange for Knightley's wife to go to Bathurst and withdraw some cash, and meet Moran's men by "the Black Stump
", outside of Bathurst
town. Starlight passes the time gambling with Mr Knightley, sharing his food, drink and company. Starlight loses money in the gambling, and arranges to repay by direct payment into his account, as well as paying for the horse he is offered when leaving.
Throughout the book, there have been chance meetings with Dick's childhood friend and neighbour, George Storefield who, in contrast with the Marston boys, works hard, keeps within the law and thrives financially. Dick starts to hold up George, now a successful grazier, businessman, magistrate and landholder, before realising who it was. George offers the brothers safe haven and cattle mustering work, which would allow Dick, Starlight and Jim safer travel to Townsville in Queensland
, from where they plan to leave to San Francisco. They accept the offer, but are caught, partially due to betrayal by Warrigal and Kate Morrison along the way, and Starlight and Jim are shot dead. Dick is wounded and brought to trial, bringing the story to where it began, with Dick expecting to be hanged shortly.
In a surprise ending, Dick's sentence is reduced to fifteen years imprisonment due to petitions from Storefield, Knightley and other prominent people. He serves twelve years, is visited occasionally by Gracey Storefield, whom he marries shortly after his release, before moving to a remote area of Queensland to manage a station for her brother, George Storefield.
Note: The spelling of the surname Marston varies in some editions/adaptations. Alternate spellings include "Marsden" and "Masterton".
's 2006 novel, Captain Starlight's Apprentice.
The themes of honour and loyalty are repeated throughout the story, which eventually leads to Dick's redemption from hanging and, having served his time in gaol, a presumed peaceful, safe and legal life.
As a ripping yarn, originally told in periodical installments, the story mostly centres around the lovable villains, who are adventurers and thieves but nevertheless with high moral standards and, in some ways, trapped by circumstances of their own making.
called the novel "a classic, which for life and dash and zip and colour — all of a period — has no match in all Australian letters."
Robbery Under Arms is cited as an important influence on Owen Wister
's novel The Virginian
, widely regarded as the first western
.
Although bushranger Frank Pearson claimed Captain Starlight was based on him, Boldrewood claims his character was a composite, based in part on Harry Redford
but primarily on Captain Midnight. The cattle robbery follows the lifting of about a thousand head by Redford from Bowen Downs station in 1870. Some of the exploits recounted are based on actual incidents involving bushrangers Daniel Morgan, Ben Hall, Frank Gardiner
and John Gilbert
, although not all factual events which contributed to the novel took place during the period in which the novel is set. Terrible Hollow, the gang's bush hideaway, is drawn from a sunken valley reported in the Gwydir
district.
Browne was paid twenty shillings per performance for Alfred Dampier's theatrical adaptation. The novel has also been adapted for radio.
'Rolfe Boldrewood' spent time camped between Warrnambool and Port Fairy in South West Victoria along the banks of the Merri River. He was particularly interested in nearby 'Tower Hill', a place not unlike the 'Terrible Hollow', which some authorities speculate may have been his inspiration for 'The Hollow'. Interestingly, at nearby Koroit, 'Henry Handel Richardson' aka Ethel Florence Lindesay, spent some of her childhood, and used the town to describe unfavourable places in her novels.
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
for Thomas Alexander Browne
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:...
). It was first published in serialised form by The Sydney Mail
The Sydney Mail
The 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....
between July 1882 and August 1883, then in three volumes in London in 1888. It was edited into a single volume in 1889 as part of Macmillan's Colonial Library series and has not been out of print since.
It is considered to be one of the greatest Australian colonial novels, along with Marcus Clarke
Marcus Clarke
Marcus Andrew Hislop Clarke was an Australian novelist and poet, best known for his novel For the Term of his Natural Life.- Biography :...
's For the Term of his Natural Life
For the Term of his Natural Life
For the Term of His Natural Life, written by Marcus Clarke, was published in the Australian Journal between 1870 and 1872 , appearing as a novel in 1874. It is the best known novelisation of life as a convict in early Australian history...
.
Plot introduction
Writing in the first person, the narrator Dick Marston tells the story of his life and loves and his association with the notorious bushranger Captain Starlight, a renegade from a noble English family. Set in the bush and goldfields of Australia in the 1850s, Starlight's gang, with Dick and his brother Jim's help, sets out on a series of escapades that include cattle theft and robbery under arms.Plot summary
The book begins with Dick sitting in gaol, with just under one month before his scheduled execution for his crimes. He is given writing material, and begins documenting his life's story.He starts with his childhood, with a father (Ben) who is prone to violence, particularly when he has been drinking; his mother, his sister (Aileen) and brother, Jim. He documents his first exposure to his father's crimes, the theft of a red calf, and the disapproval of this crime by his mother, who says she thought he had given up stealing since the theft which lead to his transportation as a convict from England. Dick's first active involvement in crime, comes where the brothers choose to go cattle duffing (stealing), even though an offer of solid, honest work had been made with neighbour and friend, George Storefield. The divergent lives of the brothers to that of George is a recurring theme of the book from this point forward, as they continue to meet up at different points throughout the story's course. This first theft includes their introduction to Captain Starlight, his Aboriginal assistant, Warrigal, and their hideaway, Terrible Hollow.
Further thefts follow, leading up to the brazen theft of 1000 head, driven overland to Adelaide with Starlight. After the success of this adventure, the brothers "lie low" in Melbourne, where they meet the sisters, Kate and Jeanie Morrison. The brothers return to home for Christmas, leading to incarceration and trial of Dick and Starlight. (The magistrate chooses to refer to Starlight only by this nickname, at the Captain's request). Warrigal helps Dick and Starlight escape to Terrible Hollow. The gang later has its first stage holdup.
The brothers then move to the Turon goldfields. Their prosperity through honest, hard work gives them the chance for escape from the country to start a new life overseas. Jim is re-united with Jeanie Morrison and marries her. Dick meets Kate Morrison again, but her tumultuous nature leads her, in an angry mood, to alert the police to their presence, and they narrowly escape capture and return to the safety of Terrible Hollow.
Seeing no alternative to crime, the gang joins forces with a soon- to- be rival Dan Moran and his friends to stage a major hold up of the armed, escorted stagecoach leaving the goldfields. The robbery is a success, with the members splitting up after sharing the gold takings. Starlight's crew hears word of Moran's planned home invasion of a police informant named Mr Whitman, at a time when Mr Whitman was known to be absent. Marsten and Starlight intervene, forcing Moran and his men to leave, thus preventing further harm to the women present and the home being burnt down at the end of the night. Chivalrous as ever, Starlight vows to dance with one of the women, Miss Falkland, at her upcoming wedding. This increases the existing animosity between Starlight and his rival, and highlights Starlight's code of honour.
At the height of their infamy, the gang attend the Turon horse race, where Starlight's horse, Rainbow, wins. The same weekend, they attend the wedding of a publican's daughter, Bella Barnes, where Starlight fulfils his earlier promise to dance, unrecognised, with her at her wedding, despite the presence of the entire town, including the goldfields commissioner and other dignatories. Ben Marston is later ambushed and wounded by bounty hunters. Moran, nearby, releases him, and shoots all four bounty hunters in cold blood, again highlighting the different honour codes between the two gangs. Ben returns to Terrible Hollow, and is nursed by his daughter, Aileen. Aileen and Starlight begin a relationship, and arrange to marry.
Despite the animosity between the rivals, they team up again to rob the home of the Goldfield Commissioner, Mr Knightley, but are met with more resistance than they expected. One of Moran's associates is shot in the skirmish, and Moran is keen to kill Knightley when they later have him face to face. Starlight turns the tables by giving Mr Knightley one of his own pistols. He them proceeds to arrange for Knightley's wife to go to Bathurst and withdraw some cash, and meet Moran's men by "the Black Stump
Black Stump
The Australian expression black stump is the name for an imaginary point beyond which the country is considered remote or uncivilised, an abstract marker of the limits of established settlement. The origin of the expression, especially in its evolved use as an imaginary marker in the...
", outside of Bathurst
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
town. Starlight passes the time gambling with Mr Knightley, sharing his food, drink and company. Starlight loses money in the gambling, and arranges to repay by direct payment into his account, as well as paying for the horse he is offered when leaving.
Throughout the book, there have been chance meetings with Dick's childhood friend and neighbour, George Storefield who, in contrast with the Marston boys, works hard, keeps within the law and thrives financially. Dick starts to hold up George, now a successful grazier, businessman, magistrate and landholder, before realising who it was. George offers the brothers safe haven and cattle mustering work, which would allow Dick, Starlight and Jim safer travel to Townsville in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, from where they plan to leave to San Francisco. They accept the offer, but are caught, partially due to betrayal by Warrigal and Kate Morrison along the way, and Starlight and Jim are shot dead. Dick is wounded and brought to trial, bringing the story to where it began, with Dick expecting to be hanged shortly.
In a surprise ending, Dick's sentence is reduced to fifteen years imprisonment due to petitions from Storefield, Knightley and other prominent people. He serves twelve years, is visited occasionally by Gracey Storefield, whom he marries shortly after his release, before moving to a remote area of Queensland to manage a station for her brother, George Storefield.
Characters in Robbery under arms
- Dick Marston: The narrator, an Australian bushman.
- Jim Marston: His brother.
- Aileen Marston: Dick and Jim's sister.
- Mrs Marston: Ben's wife and the mother of Dick, Jim and Aileen.
- Ben Marston: Dick, Jim and Aileen's father, a LincolnshireLincolnshireLincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
man transported for poaching. - Jeanie Morrison/"Jeanie Marston": One of two sisters that the Marston brothers meet in Melbourne while "lying low". Later marries Jim. She is Kate's sister.
- Kate Morrison: One of two sisters that the Marston brothers meet in Melbourne while "lying low". She is Jeanie's sister and Jim's sister-in-law.
- George Storefield: Neighbour and friend of the Marston family.
- Gracy Storefield: George's sister and Dick's wife after serving his prison sentence.
- Captain Starlight: An honourable bushranger.
- Warrigal: Starlight's Aboriginal assistant.
- Rainbow: Starlight's horse.
- Mr Whitman: A police informant.
- Mr Knightley: The goldfield commissioner.
- Mrs Knightley: Mr Knightley's wife.
- Miss Falkland: A woman whom Starlight and his crew rescues when Dan Moran leads his men in a home invasion of Mr Whitman. He chivalrously vows to dance with her at her wedding.
- Bella Barnes: Another woman whom Starlight dances with at her wedding.
- Dan Moran: A corrupt bushranger.
Note: The spelling of the surname Marston varies in some editions/adaptations. Alternate spellings include "Marsden" and "Masterton".
Allusions/references from other works
The early film adaptations of the book are referenced in the title of Kathryn HeymanKathryn Heyman
Kathryn Heyman is an Australian writer, born in Lismore, New South Wales.Heyman is the author of four novels: The Breaking , Keep Your Hands on the Wheel , The Accomplice and Captain Starlight's Apprentice . She is also a playwright for theatre and radio and has held a number of creative writing...
's 2006 novel, Captain Starlight's Apprentice.
Major Themes
The book, written in first person narrative, contains repeated regrets for the narrator's crimes, highlighting how seemingly minor crimes lead to an inescapable life of further crimes. These are contrasted with the success of Dick's hardworking childhood friend, who becomes a successful landowner, merchant and magistrate.The themes of honour and loyalty are repeated throughout the story, which eventually leads to Dick's redemption from hanging and, having served his time in gaol, a presumed peaceful, safe and legal life.
As a ripping yarn, originally told in periodical installments, the story mostly centres around the lovable villains, who are adventurers and thieves but nevertheless with high moral standards and, in some ways, trapped by circumstances of their own making.
Literary significance and criticism
English author Thomas WoodThomas Wood (composer)
Thomas Wood was an English composer and author.Wood studied at the University of Oxford and the Royal College of Music. In 1921 he was appointed Director of Music at Tonbridge School in Kent, returning to Oxford in 1924 to teach at Exeter College...
called the novel "a classic, which for life and dash and zip and colour — all of a period — has no match in all Australian letters."
Robbery Under Arms is cited as an important influence on Owen Wister
Owen Wister
Owen 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 Virginian
The Virginian
-Literature:* The Virginian , a novel by American author Owen Wister-Film:* The Virginian , a silent film directed by Cecil B...
, widely regarded as the first western
Western fiction
Western 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...
.
Allusions/references to actual history, geography and current science
In his December 1888 Preface to the New Edition, Browne wrote:
"...though presented in the guise of fiction, this chronicle of the Marston family must not be set down by the reader as wholly fanciful or exaggerated. Much of the narrative is literally true, as can be verified by official records."
Although bushranger Frank Pearson claimed Captain Starlight was based on him, Boldrewood claims his character was a composite, based in part on 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...
but primarily on Captain Midnight. The cattle robbery follows the lifting of about a thousand head by Redford from Bowen Downs station in 1870. Some of the exploits recounted are based on actual incidents involving bushrangers Daniel Morgan, Ben Hall, 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...
and 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...
, although not all factual events which contributed to the novel took place during the period in which the novel is set. Terrible Hollow, the gang's bush hideaway, is drawn from a sunken valley reported in the Gwydir
Gwydir River
The Gwydir River is a large inland river in the northern part of the Australian state of New South Wales which is part of the Murray-Darling Basin. The river has two main tributaries—the Horton River and the Rocky River...
district.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
- 1890: Popular stage melodrama by Garnet Walch and Alfred Dampier.
- 1907: Black and white silent film, one of Australia's earliest features, produced by Charles McMahon.
- 1911: Captain Starlight. Another black and white silent film made by Dampier's daughter, Lily, and her husband, Alfred Rolfe.
- 1920: Silent film written and directed by actor Kenneth Brampton, who also played the role of Captain Starlight.
- 1957: Sound and technicolour film version for the British Rank OrganisationRank OrganisationThe Rank Organisation was a British entertainment company formed during 1937 and absorbed in 1996 by The Rank Group Plc. It was the largest and most vertically-integrated film company in Britain, owning production, distribution and exhibition facilities....
, directed by Jack LeeJack Lee (film director)Jack Lee was a film director, writer, editor and producer.Wilfred John Raymond Lee was born in the village of Slad near Stroud in Gloucestershire...
, starring Peter FinchPeter FinchPeter Finch was a British-born Australian actor. He is best remembered for his role as "crazed" television anchorman Howard Beale in the film Network, which earned him a posthumous Academy Award for Best Actor, his fifth Best Actor award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and a...
as Captain Starlight. - 1985: Film and mini-series starring Steven VidlerSteven Vidler (actor)Steven Vidler is an Australian actor known for his part in the Scottish–Australian series Jeopardy.-Career:His film credits include The Good Wife where he played "Sugar", the younger brother who 'knew' his brother's wife...
as Dick Marston and Sam NeillSam NeillNigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill, DCNZM, OBE is a New Zealand actor. He is well known for his starring role as paleontologist Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III....
as Captain Starlight, released in separate versions for screen and television. Produced by Jock Blair and directed by Donald Crombie and Ken Hannam. [The musical score by Garry McDonald and Laurie Stone was released on compact disc by oneMone Records in the early 1990s.]
Browne was paid twenty shillings per performance for Alfred Dampier's theatrical adaptation. The novel has also been adapted for radio.
'Rolfe Boldrewood' spent time camped between Warrnambool and Port Fairy in South West Victoria along the banks of the Merri River. He was particularly interested in nearby 'Tower Hill', a place not unlike the 'Terrible Hollow', which some authorities speculate may have been his inspiration for 'The Hollow'. Interestingly, at nearby Koroit, 'Henry Handel Richardson' aka Ethel Florence Lindesay, spent some of her childhood, and used the town to describe unfavourable places in her novels.
Release details
- 1888, First edition, England, Remington and Co Publishers, Hardback (3 vols.)
- 2006, edited by Paul Eggert and Elizabeth Webby, Australia, University of Queensland Press, Academy Editions of Australian Literature, ISBN 9780702235741, Pub date 31 October 2006, Hardback and paperback. (Full text of original serialised version, including the 29,000 words missing from later publications.)