Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 – 1946), Saturday 30 November 1867, page 15 INTERCOLONIAL. NEW SOUTH WALES. EXAMINATION OF “BLUE CAP,” THE BUSHRANGER. (FROM THE BURRANGONG ARGUS.) At the Police court, Young, on the 11th and 14th instant, the following … Continue reading Spotlight: Examination of “Blue Cap”, the Bushranger
[Warning: The content in this article may be distressing for some readers. Discretion is advised.] Justin Kurzel’s hyper-stylised and ultraviolent interpretation of True History of the Kelly Gang received positive reviews when it debuted in Toronto in September 2019 and … Continue reading The most grisly bushranger stories
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
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
In 2011 a film about Captain Moonlite and James Nesbitt was slated for release. It took inspiration from the film Sin City – a gritty noir anthology filmed entirely on green screens to emulate the look and feel of the … Continue reading Captain Moonlite: The Bushranger Movie That Vanished
“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
Forever consigned to popular culture as Ned Kelly’s little brother, Dan Kelly was a young man of only nineteen when he lost his life fighting the police. Like so many “boy bushrangers” his young life was snuffed out without him … Continue reading Dan Kelly: An Overview
The Legend of Ben Hall is an interesting entry in the history of bushranger films for a number of reasons. Chiefly, it is the only standalone theatrical bushranger feature that has put particular emphasis on historical accuracy in every level … Continue reading The Legend of Ben Hall: an analysis
Every interpretation of the Kelly story brings with it a host of conflicting perspectives on various points, and each is unique. More recent film depictions have been executed more artfully than the early silent films or even early “talkies”. Whereas … Continue reading Ned Kelly (2003): an analysis
On the face of things, Philippe Mora’s magnum opus Mad Dog Morgan is little more than an “ozploitation” film loosely based on the life of bushranger Daniel Morgan. The film is clearly low budget with violence and nudity plonked in to appeal to an audience craving titillation in the then-new era of relaxed censorship that defined Australian film in the 1970s. Yet, beyond the surface elements is a script that uses the character of Morgan to meditate on the nature of humanity and society. Continue reading “Mad Dog Morgan”: An Analysis