The first bushranger of the criminal type was a bolter named John "Black" Caesar. A bolter was a convict who escaped from lawful custody and 'bolted' into the bush. Caesar was born in the West Indies, probably Jamaica 1764. He was transported with the first fleet in 1788 as a petty thief and pickpocket. He was also a big man who needed more food to survive than the meager daily ration issued to the convicts because of the shortage of food in the Port Jackson settlement. Therefore it was probably more in desperation than for any other purpose that in 1790 he stole a musket, cooking pot and some rations and bolted. Over the next few years he proved to be somewhat of a nuisance as he never ventured far.

Occasionally he was joined by other bolters and they would either steal food and clothing or live on whatever fish and game they could catch, possibly helped on occasion by local Aborigines.

John Caesar was captured and escaped again. He was recaptured repeatedly but invariably would escape again. Finally in late 1795 Governor Hunter posted a reward of five gallons of rum for his capture. Rum was the unit of currency in the Colony at the time and five gallons was a significant incentive, more than it would be today.

The reward was claimed by a free settler named William Blakehurst, however, it wasn't long before he was gone again with another five gallons posted for his capture. This time it was another free settler named Wimbow who set out to claim the reward. He tracked Caesar to an area of thick scrub named the Liberty Plains, near the present-day Concord/Strathfield area of Sydney. On 15 February 1796 he shot and killed John Caesar. This was not murder. Because of the situation in the settlement at the time the theft of food and firearms was a hanging offence. Further, all free settlers were charged to use whatever force was necessary to apprehend escaped felons.

Profile prepared by Andrew Stackpool, 1998.

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Last Updated 16.3.99   © 1998 Hazel K Orr, horr1@eq.edu.au