Cash and his party, about ten o’clock on Monday morning last stopped the Launceston coach on Epping Forest. They came up in a direction from the South Esk River, by a by-road which leads to one of Mr. Gibson’s farms… Continue reading Spotlight: Cash & co. rob a coach in Epping Forest.
The following detailed depictions of the final form of the Hall Gang give an intriguing insight into the state of the trio in the period between the murder of Sgt. Parry and that of Const. Nelson. The incident is almost … Continue reading Spotlight: Ben Hall’s Gang, December 1864
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
Robert Burke (aka Bourke) was a small time bushranger who had one major incident in his career that made him particularly noteworthy, as many bushrangers tended to. Hardly prolific, Bourke gained his spot in the pantheon by an unfortunate incident that ended in disaster at a station in Diamond Creek. Continue reading Forgotten Bushrangers: Robert Burke
One of the most popular highwaymen of the earlier half of the 19th century, William Westwood arrived in Australia as a teenager and soon became one of the most renowned highwayman in Australian history using the pseudonym Jacky Jacky but met a grisly end on Norfolk Island. Continue reading William Westwood: An Overview
When we picture bushrangers we think of wild young men on horseback dodging police and sticking up coaches but Harry Power certainly did not fit that image. Power (alias Henry Power, Johnstone) is forever remembered as the tutor of Ned Kelly but there was a time when he could capture the imagination on his own terms. Continue reading Harry Power: An Overview
The following is an account of one of the many bizarre moments in the career of Fred Ward aka Captain Thunderbolt. Ward’s reputation as a successful, gallant and daring highwayman doesn’t hold up tremendously well when scrutinised and in fact … Continue reading Spotlight: Captain Thunderbolt bails up two boys in Singleton
His last words were supposedly “Tell ’em I died game.” but how was outlaw Fred Lowry’ s death recorded and reported? Continue reading Spotlight: The capture and death of Fred Lowry as it was reported
The folk song The Wild Colonial Boy is known around the world and has been sung by artists as wide ranging as the Clancy brothers and Mick Jagger. Despite the popularity, very few know of the inspiration for the song: seventeen year old John Doolan. Continue reading Spotlight: Mugshot of Jack Doolan
Born in 1799, Matthew Brady was the first true “Gentleman Bushranger” and well-loved by women. His extraordinary story set the bar for every bushranger that came afterwards. Continue reading Matthew Brady: An Overview