When it comes to law enforcement we usually think of colonial era police as stern, bearded, working class men with no time for the criminal ilk (or perhaps even some of them were little more than the criminal ilk in … Continue reading Fops and Cops
One of the most anticipated Australian films at the moment is the film adaptation of Peter Carey’s novel True History of the Kelly Gang directed by Justin Kurzel. The film, currently in production, has been through development Hell (a term … Continue reading Justin Kurzel’s ‘True History of the Kelly Gang’ – Update (August 2018)
With multiple film productions about Ned Kelly underway, it’s clear that bushrangers are becoming a popular topic once more. However, there are many bushrangers who deserve their own films as well and here are some of the great stories waiting to be brought to life. Some have been brought to the screen before in silent films that have since vanished, some were slated to be filmed but the projects never got off the ground and some just had bad outings in the past. Continue reading Ten Bushrangers Who Deserve Their Own Movie
[This report of the trial of one of the most infamous bushrangers of the 1850s, Francis McCallum aka Captain Melville, gives a brief run down of the charge and the trial. McCallum was a Scottish convict who used a myriad … Continue reading Spotlight: The Trial of Captain Melville
One of the various forgotten bushrangers of the 1870s was Frederick Cranley. Little is known of the bushranger who would meet a grisly end in 1877. While Cranley was in Australia, it was believed that his parents were in the … Continue reading Forgotten Bushrangers: The Bendemeer Encounter
The following is aimed at mature readers. We continue our two part feature on the mysterious deaths of Dan Kelly and Steve Hart with an overview of the folklore and conspiracy theories about the pair surviving the fire as well … Continue reading The Mystery of Dan Kelly’s and Steve Hart’s Demise – Part Two
This is a feature aimed at mature readers. Subject of much speculation is the nature of the death of Dan Kelly and Steve Hart at Glenrowan. Conspiracy theories aside, it’s incredibly difficult to piece together what happened due to the … Continue reading The Mystery of Dan Kelly’s and Steve Hart’s Demise – Part One
Forever remembered as the Kelly Hunter, Francis Augustus Hare was an intriguing man with a biography full of excitement and misadventure. From a privileged upbringing in South Africa to good fortune on the Victorian gold fields and a thrilling career as a frontier policeman, Hare is a man often maligned for his seeming ineptitude when hunting for some of the most remarkable bushrangers that Australia has produced. Continue reading Francis Augustus Hare
Ned Kelly’s plan at Glenrowan was as audacious as it was horrific and every moment that the police special didn’t appear brought things closer to disaster, so in this climate of tension Joe and Ned snatch a moment for contemplation… Continue reading Memories of Morgan
With the death of Captain Thunderbolt and the arrest of Harry Power, many believed that bushranging was a thing of the past, a disgraceful chapter to relegate to the history books. However, despite the lack of big names in the majority of the 1870s, there was plenty of bushranging happening throughout the colonies. One of the various bushrangers in New South Wales during the early 1870s left out of the books is John Johnston. Continue reading Forgotten Bushrangers: John Johnston