The bushranger, James McCabe, who had for a considerable stretch been Matthew Brady’s right-hand man, eventually left the gang after one of their most successful raids, that being on the property of George Meredith at Little Swan Port in October … Continue reading James McCabe, Murder and Rum
William Fletcher had a respectable trade before he joined Tommy Clarke and Pat O’Connell in bushranging, though he had recently been in trouble after getting drunk at the races and attempting to try out one of the horses. It was … Continue reading The Nerrigundah Raid
By March 1865 the Hall Gang were struggling. The murders of Sergeant Parry and Constable Nelson had elevated these highwaymen to murderers and thus the hunt for them had ramped up. Because of the lowered success from highway robbery, the … Continue reading The Araluen Escort Robbery
While it is popularly considered that Ned Kelly’s lawless life came effectively to an end upon his capture at Glenrowan – his execution a foregone conclusion and his trial merely a formality – the last burst of Ned’s fighting spirit … Continue reading Ned Kelly’s Last Battle
The bushranger gangs of the 1860s were not too different to the rock bands of the 1970s. The members were larger than life, they were constantly travelling, and the members were constantly changing either because of “creative differences”, imprisonment or … Continue reading The Shootout at the Bang Bang Hotel
As with most bushrangers who transcend history to become enshrined in folklore, Jack Donahoe (aka Donohoe, Donahue) made the leap from brigand to legend in his final stoush with the forces of law and order. His recklessness in the face of death seemed to strike a chord with Australians of a certain class.
This year marks 190 years since Donahoe’s death, so it seems appropriate to recount the final battle that sealed his place in history. Continue reading The Battle of Bringelly
Matthew Brady was not a killer by nature, but there was one man that pushed him to breaking point: a traitor who played both sides of the law for fools. Continue reading The Treacherous Thomas Kenton
In November 1863 the Gilbert-Hall gang were at the apex of their infamy. Raids on Canowindra and Bathurst had elevated them beyond the run-of-the-mill farm raiders, stock thieves and highwaymen that the pantheon of bushrangers mostly comprised of. Things had … Continue reading The Battle of Goimbla
An overview of the police siege that destroyed the Kelly Gang. Continue reading The Siege of Glenrowan (Part 2)
An overview of the murder of Aaron Sherritt, the Kelly Gang taking control of the township of Glenrowan and the police response. Continue reading The Siege of Glenrowan (Part 1)