Captain Thunderbolt had established himself as one of the most elusive bushrangers of the 1860s. With a formidable string of robberies to his name, it almost seemed like he would be at large forever, but in May 1870 Thunderbolt’s career came to an end in spectacular fashion at Kentucky Creek. This is the story of that fateful day. Continue reading Thunderbolt’s Last Ride
Ballarat Gaol was unprepared for the devious Captain Moonlite when he was remanded there in 1872. In this exclusive feature we look at the incredible story of one of the most notorious Victorian prison escapes. Continue reading Escape from Ballarat Gaol
While Victoria was home to plenty of bushrangers of various ilks, there was one highwayman that stood head and shoulders above the rest – Harry Power. The curmudgeonly crim was responsible for a huge number of robberies on the roads, … Continue reading Harry Power at Buckland Gap
“I, Maurice J. O’Connor, being the medical officer of the gaol at Darlinghurst, do hereby declare and certify that I have this day witnessed the execution of Andrew George Scott, alias Moonlight, lately convicted and duly sentenced to death at … Continue reading The Execution of Scott and Rogan
Many bushrangers met grisly ends over the course of history, and a considerable portion of them met their end within prison walls. Yet very few can lay claim to such a gruesome end as Francis MacNeish McCallum, alias Captain Melville. … Continue reading The Death of Captain Melville
After his release from prison, the man known as John Smith was compelled to head to the Ovens district in compliance with his parole conditions. He never arrived. Instead, he travelled through Victoria and New South Wales as a tramp, … Continue reading Morgan and the Magistrate
On a stormy November night, six rumpled figures try to shelter inside swags. The grey woollen blankets that trap the rapidly depleting warmth from the quivering bodies are hardly protected by the oilskin sheets that form a waterproof crust and … Continue reading Wantabadgery: 140 years on
After his release from Pentridge Prison, Andrew George Scott struggled to get back on his feet. While he may have been determined to right the wrongs of his past, the police were seemingly determined to stifle those efforts. Scott was … Continue reading Captain Moonlite: Guilty Until Proven Innocent
“Gentleman bushranger” Matthew Brady had escaped from the notorious Sarah Island penal settlement in 1824, and a reward of fifty guineas had been offered for his capture. In November 1825, he and his gang decided to make an example of … Continue reading The Brady Gang take Sorell
Since 1861 Johnny Gilbert had made a name for himself as one of Australia’s most notorious and prolific bushrangers. Beginning his career as one of Frank Gardiner’s lackeys, Gilbert inherited the position of public enemy number one when the self-proclaimed … Continue reading The Death of Happy Jack