Frequently Asked Questions about the Bushrangers
This depends on definition of the word
bushranger. The first referencewas in June 1788 and referred to an
escaped convict named Matthew Corbett or Corbin. At that time the
term "bushranger" referred to convicts who escaped and "ranged the
bush" for extended periods. The first bushranger as we understand the
term today was a Negro named John ŒBlack‚ Caesar. He
escaped in 1790 and was occasionally joined by other convicts. He
stole food and clothing and eventually was shot for a reward of five
gallons of rum near modern-day Strathfield in Sydney. Many other
convicts who escaped also became bushrangers, however, they mainly
stole to keep alive.
Source: Stackpool, A. 1996 The Bushrangers (essay),
Orange.
Many people consider the Kelly Gang to be the last bushrangers. However, research has uncovered a few criminals who fit the definition who continued into the early 20th Century. For example, the last Cobb & Co. coach to be bailed up and robbed occurred in 1910, and the last recorded crime of Robbery under Arms occurred in 1932. However, the last bushrangers by definition seem to be three half-caste Aborigines, Jimmy and Joe Governor and Jacky Underwood. In 1900 they murdered several people Jimmy believed had wronged him and for a few months terrorised a large part of central New South Wales. Joe was eventually shot while Jimmy and Jacky Underwood were hanged. A younger brother named Roy terrorised an area around Moonee some 20 years later, however, he has never been officially described as a bushranger.
Since Joe and Jimmy were outlawed it is also incorrect to refer to the Kellys as the "Last Outlaws". Source: Stackpool, A. 1996 The Bushrangers (essay), Orange.
There are many other possible claimants of this title including the notorious Kenniff bothers, active in horse stealing in the Carnarvon area, Qld around the turn of the century, and the self promoting Jack Bradshaw. The truth of it is that violent crime, armed robbery, murder and mayhem have continued in the Australian outback, and also in its cities. Horse stealing still happens today, but few thieves take to the bush on horseback, and enjoy the support of local communities.Once you have explored the information on this site and the other Bushranger sites it links to, try try looking up some of the references in My Bibliography, or try your local public library or any university library. Your local Historical Society will also be able to help you find many more resources. If you are living in an Australian City, try contacting the state archives to access the original source material they hold.
There were even a couple of female
bushrangers. One was an intelligent half-caste woman named Mary Ann
Bugg, who rode with Frederick Ward alias Captain Thunderbolt. Recent
studies of Mary Ann suggest she may have played a significant role in
Thunderbolt‚s aversion to violence. Her‚s is a tragic story
and certainly she deserved better.
Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com.
Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com.
This is still being investigated as ongoing
research keeps turning up new names. For example, in the 1980s around
300 was the agreed future. Today, the figure is closer to 2000, even
when strict guidelines and definitions are applied.
Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com.
Some sources claim the word has Dutch
origins. Originally, the term referred to any person (often trusted
convicts) who worked in or made a living from the bush (other than
people such as farmers or shepherds, who are still known as
Œbushmen‚). It included hunters, wood splitters, etc.
Eventually it came to mean any criminal who lived in the bush and
made his living out of plundering travellers and bush dwellings. In
the early days an alternative word often used in correspondence is
Œbanditti‚, a band of brigands, which meant bandits or
robbers. Today, the word bushranger has adopted a more romantic
meaning, referring to skill in bushcraft, knowledge of the bush,
horsemanship, daring and gallantry and the concept of Œroaming
the bush, wild and free, in defiance of authority‚ rather than
the emphasis of banditry, robbery, murder, plundering, horse and
cattle duffing and other serious crime which more properly defines
the real activities of the bushranger.
Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com.
Bail up was originally used to describe part
of the process of fixing harness on bullock teams. It required a
person to raise both arms to do up the straps. It came to mean "Stop
and put up your hands" to the bushrangers, and is the Australian
equivalent of the highwaymen‚s "Stand and Deliver", or the
American "Stick em Up."
Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com.
Yes. The Wild Colonial Boy was not actually
a Colonial. He was an Irishman named John
Donohoe who led a gang which
terrorised the area around Liverpool and the Hunter Valley from 1826
to 1830 before he was finally shot. The song was composed in 1831 and
became so popular with the convicts and lower classes of Sydney that
the authorities banned it as seditious. However, it survived with a
change of name, date and tune to become one of Australia‚s most
famous and loved bush ballads.
Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com.
Historians tend to label all bushrangers as
either tragic victims of cruel circumstances or as the most evil men
ever to walk the country. Some were the most vicious and callous of
men, while others were comparatively decent people. They all had
different reasons for becoming bushrangers, some by choice, some by
circumstance. What must be remembered was that they were all merely
human beings with all the strengths and weaknesses of the species.
They all had their own dreams and hopes and each must be judged on
his own merits. However, the bottom line is that, despite bushranging
being seen as a "manly" crime, they were all potentially violent
criminals prepared to use maximum force to enforce their demands for
other people‚s hard-earned possessions.
Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com.
Most bushrangers were either shot or hanged.
Many were gaoled. Very few actually got away scot free. Some of the
surviving bushrangers of the 1860s were released in a general amnesty
in 1874 and most returned to their old haunts. Frank Gardiner was
exiled to America where he died some time between the 1890s and 1911.
Martin Cash became supervisor of the Hobart Botanical Gardens and
died a pardoned man in 1877 while his partner Kavanagh was executed
for mutiny at Norfolk Island in 1846. A few lived well into the 20th
Century and some published accounts of varying accuracy about their
careers. On one thing they all seemed to agree, bushranging was not
the exciting life most people think it was. To quote Steve Hart, "It
was a dog‚s life."
Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com.
Bushrangers normally armed themselves with
the best weapons available, normally pistols and revolvers. The early
bushrangers normally carried flintlock muskets or horse pistols,
while a few carried flintlock shotguns. During the 1860s bushrangers
carried percussion revolvers and pistols, sometimes up to nine at a
time with extra loaded and capped cylinders carried in pockets. They
would also often carry shotguns and stolen police carbines . By the
time of the Kellys they would normally carry one or two rimfire or
breech-loading revolvers and possibly some form of longarm.
Interestingly, at Glenrowan, although both sides carried the latest
weapons available, Ned himself preferred an obsolete 20 year-old Colt
percussion revolver and a 25 year-old Colt percussion revolving
rifle, itself based on a much older technology.
Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com. More detail on Weapons is found in
Andrew's article on Firearms.
Yes. Robbery Under Arms meant just that -
firearms were involved and eventually they began to be used, by the
bushrangers, by the police and by civilians determined to resist.
Other crimes included murder - including of women and children,
attempted murder, shooting, kidnapping, cannibalism, stabbing,
hanging, rape, flogging, arson, assault with a deadly weapon, bank
and store robbery, invasion of homes, horse and cattle theft and a
wide range of other lesser villainy, including the robbing of church
poor boxes and children‚s money boxes. Hardly the stuff of
heroism. One individual named Thomas Jeffries raped and kidnapped a
woman and her five month-old daughter as hostages and then bashed out
the baby‚s brains against a tree because the mother
couldn‚t keep up with him. Even bushrangers weren‚t safe
from each other. Goods and clothing were stolen, far beyond the
gangs‚ immediate needs. This was distributed among their
families, friends, harbourers and the telegraphs and cockatoos upon
whom they relied for information about matters such as the movements
of police parties. Occasionally money was returned to victims and
other people. The simple fact is they stole from anyone and everyone
as the opportunity presented and most of their victims were working
men from similar backgrounds as themselves. In many instances they
were actually stealing from people who were in more parlous
circumstances than they themselves had been.
Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com.
There are several reasons. Firstly, the
police were totally outclassed, out-mounted and equipped in pursing
bushrangers. Secondly, they were forced to operate under a completely
inefficient Command and Control structure which before 1862 meant
police were often unable to pursue bushrangers into a neighbouring
district. Thirdly, there were insufficient of them. In 1863 there
were only 400 officers to police the entire rural area of NSW and
many of these were totally unsuitable for the job. About 150 were to
be dismissed for drunkenness and other offences. Fourthly, the police
had many other duties apart from pursuing bushrangers. Finally, the
bushrangers had widespread intelligence networks of informers who
kept them appraised of police movements while many other people
deliberately gave misleading information for fear of reprisals from
the bushrangers.
Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com.
The armour was manufactured from plough mouldboards, iron plate about a quarter-inch thick, and ploughshares. The various pieces were joined to the others by leather straps. Thirty mouldboards were used with the iron being heated and hammered into shape. The parts of the armour were then riveted together.
The idea for using armour is believed to have come from a book entitled LORNA DOONE which is believed to have been Ned Kelly's favourite book.
The design is believed to have come from a suit of Chinese armour which Joe Byrne had seen in Beechworth and an illustration in a book by Walter Scott who was another popular author at the time.
After the first suit was completed it was tested by having bullets from a Martini Henry rifle fired at it from 10 metres (this was the rifle used by the Police). The bullets ricochetted off it. It is believed that not all the suits were made at the same time, but at different times and in different locations in case the Police heard about it. In fact they did receive a report but ignored it.
Each suit weighed about eighty pounds except for Ned's which had a helmet weighing another 17 pounds, a total of 97 pounds. The helmet was so heavy he had to wear a special padded skull cap under it and all the gang had to wear padding under the body armour. As a result they became very "top heavy" and found it hard to move. This was an important fact because when the battle at Glenrowan began they were unable to lift their arms to use their rifles.
The hostages at Glenrowan inside Jones Hotel
believed the Police would have no chance against such armoured men
and for a while this seemed correct. During the battle bullets did
bounce off the armour however the impacts did cause severe bruising
and pain to the outlaws. Also, it did not protect them completely as
is evidenced by the mortal wound which killed Joe Byrne and the
capture of Ned after he was shot in his unprotected legs.
Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com.
The bushranger you asked about was a man named Aaron Sherritt who was a sympathiser with the Kelly Gang and also a Police informer. The circumstances are too detailed to add here.
He was shot and killed by Joe Byrne a member of the gang and, ironically, Sherritt's closest friend. This occurred on the evening of Saturday 26 June 1880. Also present with Byrne was Dan Kelly, Ned's brother.
The murder was part of the Kelly's plan to lure the police to the ambush at Glenrowan.
Probably the best account of the
circumstances can be found in Ian Jones book, The Friendship that
Destroyed Ned Kelly.
Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com.
There is not a great deal known about Dan Kelly as he is overshadowed in the drama of the Kelly Gang by bothhis brother, Ned and Joe Byrne. Most of his story is part and parcel of the story of the family and the hunt for the gang.
Just as the actions of the gang are the subject of often heated debate so any attempt at assessing Dan is liable to the same debate. From a personal point of view I think he was probably to a certain extent a victim of circumstances and his environment. I also suspect he was probably of fairly weak will and character, possibly a coward and a bully. By what we see of him in the years before the gang broke out he seems to have been a swaggering larrickin, flash in dress and nature, but hiding behind the actions of others. Certainly, his photo shows a fairly sullen-looking individual with a small, tight mouth and narrowed eyes.
But, you must form your own opinions as you
study the story.
Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com.
In 1856, before he became a bushranger, Ward formed a gang of horse and cattle thieves comprising himself, his brothers William and Joshua and his cousins John and James Garbutt.
In 1863, following his escape from Cockatoo Island, he rode for a while with fellow escapee Fred Britten and his wife(?) Mary Ann Bugg. After eventually splitting with Britten he recruited two stockmen whose names are not recorded.
In 1864 he recruited William McIntosh, William Mackie, John Hogan and a 16 y.o. named John Thompson who was later shot during a gunbattle with police at the hotel at Millie (I have a piece of wood and a brick from the pub in my collection). One source refers to a person named Long, however, I suspect he has mistaken Mary Ann who was also known as Yellow Long.
In 1866 he formed a new gang (the others having been capture), comprising Patrick John Kelly and "Young" Murphy (who may have been a young man, or, just as likely, based on bush humour, a much older man). During this entire period he was often joined by Mary Ann.
In 1867 he was joined from time to time by Thomas Mason (15y.o.), William Simmonds and Jim Taylor, alias Jemmy The Whisperer, Jeremy McGrath (16y.o.) and another unidientified 15 year-old boy.
In 1868 he recruited William Tavener and Bellinger, but for most of the year was joined by a 13y.o. boy named William Monckton. He also tried to recruit several other young boys to join Monckton including one boy aged nine and another aged twelve. Monckton later wrote a book entitled "My Three Years With Thunderbolt", even though he was with Thunderbolt for only one year.
For the final year of his life Thunderbolt rode alone. There a some indications that also in late 1865 he may have been briefly joined by the outlaw John Dunn who escaped from the Lachlan area fter the deaths of Ben Hall and John Gilbert.
With regard to where he lived, Thunderbolt
was born in Wilberforce but moved to the Upper Hunter district as a
young man. His family had originally settled around Windsor but by
the 1860s were spread from Bourke and Mudgee in the west, to
Tenterfield, Maitland, Tamworth and Singleton. He also had other
relatives in the Liverpool Plains and Armidale areas. This is why
most of his activities occurred in these areas. He had a wide base of
supporters to hide him and care for him.
Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com.
Bushranging had almost died out in the late 1840s.
The gold rushes brought about an enormous influx of people and good. The gold moving out of the fields, often unprotected, which made an attractive target for bushrangers. The widespread gold fields with lonely miners and an almost non-existent police force also provided easy targets, as did the roads in and out.
Large sums of money moved by escort were still vulnerable to ambush by determined men (McIvor and Eugowra for example)
The high prices of meat saw an enormous increase in cattle and horse duffing. For many of those involved in that crime (which had a level of acceptance)the progression to bushranging was almost natural.
Gold in Victoria attracted several ex-convict criminals from Tasmania while the fields themselves attracted all sorts of criminals and undesirable types. Many wannabe bushrangers became involved with such types while the sly grog tents became natural meeting places for criminal elements. Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com.
There were various rewards posted during the Gilbert/Hall gang's activities. Each time the amount was increased.
When Hall was finally shot the reward for him, Gilbert and Dunn was posted at one thousand pounds each, plus another one hundred pounds posted for information which led to the prosecution of a harbourer, a total of three thousand, one hundred pounds.
For information payment of the rewards was as follows.
For Hall. The informant, Strickland (NOT THE MYTHICAL HALF-CAST GOOBANG MICK CONNOLLY to whom you may have seen references), received five hundred pounds, Sub-Inspector Davidson received 175 pounds and was promoted, Sergeant Condell (who had been wounded during the Eugowra Escort Robbery by the gang which included both Hall and Gilbert)75 pounds, Constables Hipkiss, Caban, Buckley and Bohan 50 pounds each and the brave blacktracker William (Billy) Dargin 50 pounds. You should be aware that Billy Dargin did not shoot Ben Hall as he slept as some of your text books may tell you. But I can tell you that separately if you like.
For Gilbert. The informant Kelly 500 pounds, Senior Constable Hales 150 pounds, Constable Bright 130 pounds, Constable King 120 pounds and Constable Hall 100 pounds.
The details for Dunn are not known, however, it is possible the harbourer Smith would have received 500 pounds while the three Constables, McHale, Elliot and Hawkins would have shared the rest. A man named Wilmot was also paid 40 pounds for taking Dunn in his wagon to Coonamble.
To get an idea of the actual amounts in today's values, a labourer or a police trooper was paid 30 pounds a year. Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com.
Robbery Under Arms by Rolf Boldrewood. RUA is probably the all-time classic bushranging novel, however most of Boldrrewood's (Browne's) books do include bushranging incidents.
Wanted Dead by Kenneth Cook. A reasonably accurate book which in the 70s was turned into a movie called BUSHRANGER by an Italian director who had worked with Sergio Leone. The movie was not good (the scene on the robbed train with Bushranging historian Edgar Penzig playing a dozing victim has to be seen to be believed). However, the dress and weaponry was spot on, unlike such epics as Ben Hall, Rush and Cash & Co. It still occasionally does the late night circuit.
DAYLIGHT ROBBERY. Ron Tullipan. Simple, honest book with no pretensions.
THE BELL AND THE BUSHRANGERS. For kids. Produced and beautifully photographed at Sovereign Hill (although they need to research their bushrangers a bit better).
THE CHANT OF JIMMY BLACKSMITH. Thomas Kenealley's poor retelling of the Jimmy Governor story.
Anything by Frank Clune. Clune is increasingly exposed as a poor and inaccurate historical account. However, WILD COLONIAL BOYS is an excellent staring point for someone wanting to 'read' about bushrangers. Use it as a jump-off (with RUA) point to explore the era. These reviews by Andrew Stackpool, 1998.
This was the pseudo science of Phrenology, which postulated a person's behaviour could be determined by examining the lumps. It is assumed lumps received, say from an accidental blow to the head, would have been included if the doctor had no experience of the person he was examining. Examinations of Morgan suggested he was possibly a 'throwback' and a primitive. It was postulated he may have been descended from a gorilla. His skull was later used for comparisons of a European, Aboriginal and Chinese skull to determine if there were any significant differences between the three races.
The examination of Moonlite's skull concluded he was a criminal type and a congenital liar who was incapable of the truth or honest living. Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com.
In 1891 a former squatter, horse dealer, Police Magistrate and Gold Commissioner named T. E. Browne wrote a novel called ROBBERY UNDER ARMS. Browne wrote under the nom de plume Rolf Boldrewood and the book was instantly successful. It remains a classic of Australian literature and is still studied by schools today.
Although the book is ostensibly a novel about the adventures of a gang of bushrangers it really is a story about the concepts of right and wrong, and the affects on the lives of people who choose both paths. The 'anti-heroes' of the book were two young Colonials named Dick and Jim Marston. Their leader was a fallen member of the English Nobility who went under the alias of Captain Starlight, or Starlite, depending on the book's edition.
The book is an amalgamation of bushranging and cattle duffing incidents which occurred during Browne's life in the bush, including an incident in which he was bailed up by Blue Cap's (Cotterell) gang. Captain Starlight as described by Browne did not exist, he was a n amalgamation of several notorious bushrangers, mainly Gardiner, Smith (Midnite), possibly Scott (Moonlite), and an extraordinary cattle thief named Henry Redford who created a stir in 1870 when he drove a herd of over a thousand stolen cattle from Roma i n Queensland to Adelaide in South Australia over country which was thought to be impassable.
The real Starlight was a villain named Frank Pearson, who also used the aliases Dr. Pearson, Major Lacey and Gordon. He was born in England in 1837 and arrived in Australia in 1866.
Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com.
Black Mary was the girlfriend of a notorious Tasmanian bushranger named Michael Howe. He had met her during one of his many raids on Aboriginal camps around 1815. Although she was not a bushranger herself, she helped Howe in many ways, particularly in finding hideouts in the bush, getting information about the movements of pursuing soldiers and Aboriginal hunting so that his gang would not be heard. She was a very loyal woman.
In 1817 Howe was being chased by some soldiers and Black Mary was with him. She began to tire as they soldiers were pushing them hard and to slow down. Seeing she couldn't keep up and was endangering him from being captured, Howe shot her.
Black Mary recovered from her wounds but swore revenge on Howe for betraying her and her trust and friendship. From then until he was killed she repeatedly led parties of police and soldiers into the bush, showing them all Howe's old hiding places and putting the police onto his tracks.
Unfortunately, nothing else is known about her, including her life after Howe was killed. Presumably she returned to her tribal ways. Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com.
Who was Bogong Jack?
According to Harding he was the greatest bushranger and bushman ever to swing into a saddle. One could counter both claims quite easily. Personally, I don't consider him a bushranger. He was certainly a highly successful horse thief and he certainly travelled extensively around the backblocks. However, I don't consider he meets any of the normal criteria for bushrangers, including in the 1850s.
Is it correct that he was John Payne/John
Paynter?
His name most likely was John Payne, Paynter, believe it or not,
seems to have been an alias.
Was he ever convicted of any crime?
No. He was never convicted, although his gang was broken up by some
fairly smart police work. He disappeared from view and his final
whereabouts/fate is unconfirmed. Even Harding can only surmise. I
suspect he probably left the colony under an assumed name.
Could you refer me to any other books in
print on Bogong Jack?
As far as I know Harding's is the only book devoted to Bogong Jack.
John Sadlier in "Recollections of a Victorian Police Officer" devotes
two pages to him. Allan Nixon in "Stand & Deliver" has a page on
him and Wannan's "Australian Folklore" has a small segment. Both
Nixon and Wannan use Harding as a primary source. You may also find
something in Stephan Williams "
Dictionary of a Thousand
Bushrangers" on the Web.
Of interest is that the bushranger Harry Power used some of Payne's tracks to elude Police when he left the north-east and headed down to the Omeo District. The Police were also concerned that the Kellys may also use these routes to escape the area after the Stringybark Creek murders and kept them under surveillance for quite some time. Although the Kellys didn't leave their own area, this concern split available police assets for the hunt.
Source: Stackpool, A. 1998 pers com.
There is a mistaken idea that Australian bushrangers wore masks similar to the neat little black eye covers that we see in movies about the Lone Ranger, Zorro, English highyaymen.
This is incorrect. Most bushrangers never wore any form of mask. However, types of masks that were worn included scarves known as comforters woound around the neck and face, up to eye level, pieces of calico or crepe paper tied around the head with holes cut in for the eyes and even calico or hessian bags worn as hoods, again with eye slits cut in.
Another ploy was the use of face blacking, which was not very successful. In fact one bushranger was arrested after he forgot to wash the back of his neck and was recognised by the coach driver he robbed.
Ben Hall was known to use a comforter on
occasion and may have blackened his face before the robbery of the
gold escrot at Eugowra.
Source: Stackpool, A. 1999 pers com.
How did Hall manage to avoid capture?
There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the Gilbert/Hall gang had a wide range of supporters in the southern and western districts who provided shelter or warning of police movements. Consequently, they were able to stay clear of the troopers on most occasions, although they had some narrow escapes. Ambrose Pratt (OUTLAWS OF THE WEDDIN RANGES) claims Hall actually offered many property owners two options, help and be rewarded or hinder and suffer the consequences. Many modern historians debunk the suggestion, however, I believe it is precisely the sort of thing the methodical Hall would have done.
Secondly, the police force underwent an enormous re-organisation in 1862, the ramifications of which were still being felt in 1863/64. Part of this saw many experienced rural troopers dismissed for drunkeness, etc and replaced with recruits from overseas or former city officers. It took these men (whose courage and dedication was normally of a high standard) to gain the necessary bush skills to think like the bushrangers.
Thirdly, Hall & Co knew the country in which they operated intimately. Indeed, the country itself lent itself to their activities. Therefore, they could hide in any number of caves or other bolt holes about which the police had no knowledge. Similarly, the bush was often so dense that people became invisible within a few yards. Consequently, troopers often rode past gang members within a few yards without even seeing them.
Fourthly, the horses and equipment provided the police by a very parsimonious Government were sub-standard. The bushrangers quite simply outclassed them, particularly with their stolen thoroughbreds. The police couldn't keep up during pursuits. This situation was exacerbated on occasions when the police would catch up after a long day in the saddle. Their horses were too tired to pursue fresh bushrangers' mounts.
Fifthly, the paucity of police. Even before the dismissals there were only 400 troopers to cover rural NSW border to border. Most were stationed in ones or twos in lonely stations. Also, they had an enormous range of duties and reponsibilities in addition to chasing bushrangers.
Sixthly, were the gang's movements, often the result of police pressure. Their overall movement pattern between 1862 and their demise in early 1865 is easy to trace, however, they often made side detours or double-tracked.
Seventhly, was the police response time. A crime would be committed, however, by the time it was reported and the police set out the gang would be either long gone or else well hidden.
This answer © Andrew Stackpool, 1998.
What did
people think of Hall, and did they give him help?
Many people (I refer to as Active and Passive Supporters) did help Hall & Co. This support was in most instances bought and many of their robberies included large amounts of goods obviously intended for distribution among these supporters. Hall had his supporters and his detractors. There are several myths that have grown up around him, the leading one being that he was a 'good' bushranger because he never hurt anyone. Presumably this means he never killed anyone. He has been described as 'the widow's friend', among other things.
The fact is that Hall committed over 600 robberies and the fact he never killed anyone was more a matter of good luck and poor shooting than anything else. In fact he wounded several people and on at least one occasion deliberately tried to murder a policemen. He also flogged a number of people, stole kids' money boxes and church poor boxes, held a man for ransom on threat of death and committed several acts of arson. Most of his crimes were against the 'working' men and many people were reduced to penury. It is fair to say Hall 'hurt' people over 600 times. He also frequently showed a very nasty and violent streak to his character, particularly towards the end. On the other hand he certainly was not as bad as many of his predecessors or contemporaries.
There were two other factors. While many people did not support the bushrangers the accounts of their activities in the press did provide a source of secret amusement, even admiration. This continued until people began to die and the level of activities began to interfere with normal daily life. Also, before officially becoming recognised as a bushranger Hall had enjoyed considerable respect in his own area as a good cattle man and astute businessman. Undoubtedly many of his squatter peers would have found it difficult accepting him as someting other than as they knew him, certainly for some time. Consequently he would have enjoyed more support than many other bushrangers of the period. Obviously when these attitudes changed bushranging suddenly became an increasingly hazardous occupation as more and more people resisted.
This answer © Andrew Stackpool, 1998.
What does
Hall's career tell us about this time in history??
This is a detailed question and one which probably needs Adam's subjective reply. Hall's career says much about attitudes to life in Colonial Australia, particularly with regard to attitudes to authority, what constituted 'acceptable' behaviour (e.g. cattle duffing being considered acceptable, as long as it was kept within certain limits), the resilience of people (no such thing as post-trauma counselling), the male ethos which dominated rural society, the impacts of the convict system which were still present in society, the tensions between squatter and selector, rural versus city perceptions, the concept of what was seen as noble in a man (mateship, loyalty, courage in the face of adversity, good horsemanship, etc).
Possibly what should be looked at here is what was different then and now (if, indeed, anything has changed), including attitudes to bushrangers. Today we are more sympathetically inclined to them. The simple answer is Halls life shows us how violent and exciting life was in the bush then. However, I suspect the school wants more than that.
This answer © Andrew Stackpool, 1998.
Last Updated 08.07.04 © 1998 Hazel K Orr, horr1@eq.edu.au