The story of the Governor brothers, Joe and Jimmy, and their mate Jacky Underwood has been told several times, as it is probably one of the most horrific of the bushranger stories. The most 'famous' version is Thomas Keneally's CHANT OF JIMMY BLACKSMITH, which was made into a film. Unfortunately, like most accounts, Keneally got it wrong, seeing it through mid-20th Century eyes as a simple case of white racism, with the victims getting their just desserts.

The circumstances leading up to the tragedy were more social than racist. While one may query the attitudes and behaviour of the women whose language and hostiltity allegedly started the actual incident there is as much blame in Jimmy's own character and perceptions of the situation and in the misunderstanding between two different cultural groups as there are in those of his white victims.

Jimmy was born in Talbragar, New South Wales in 1867 and was baptised into the Church of England. He was a half-caste Aborigine who became a horsebreaker by trade. However, he carried out several different rural trades, including wood splitting and station hand. He also served with the New South Wales Police for a time as a Blacktracker at Cassilis.

His personal description gives his height as 5'8", weight 9st 6lb, complexion dark, eyes black, hair black (although some sources suggest it was actually dark red). He received some education and could speak well. he could also well as read and write, skills which were still not commonplace among even white youths of the time.

His brother was named Joe.

Jimmy seems to have been well liked and integrated fairly successfully into society around the Gulgong/Breelong/Cassislis area where he family lived. However, he had a dark side to his nature and may have had a tendency to violence. On one occasion he was involved in a serious brawl in a Singleton pub during which a brick was broken over his head. This may have caused an internal wound which may have been at least partially responsible for the moods of depression into which he sometimes lapsed.

In 1900 Jimmy married a white girl, the 16 year-old Ethel Mary Jane Page at Gulgong and shortly afterwards the couple found employment on the property of John Mawbey at Breelong, a small town near Gilgandra. According to most sources Jimmy's marrying of a white girl had broken a strict unwritten rule about mixed marriages and the couple were now subjected to a virage of abuse, taunts and loathing from the narrow-minded white people in the area, particularly the women. This led to a confrontation with Mrs Mawbey and a woman named Helen Kerz who, having abused Ethel for marrying an Aborigine, then abused Jimmy for marrying a white girl. This resulted in the massacre at the Mawbey homestead. This account has been seized upon by apologists as further examples of white racism.

In fact, negative attitudes toward mixed marriages are still fairly commonplace, as they are towards mixed religion and other 'mixed' marriages. Negativity is not confined to white races, either. In 1900 attitudes to many social questions were considerably more black and white than they are today. There were many things that just 'weren't done'. Mixed-race marriages was one of those taboos, as was marrying above or below one's social 'station'. Despite that, Jimmy (who was a half caste) and Ethel's marriage was not unique, although in the majority of cases it was coloured (including Chinese) women marrying white men.

Research suggests that Ethel may not have been particularly intelligent and that she had a reputation for sleeping around. This was behaviour that was also unacceptable in Australia at the time, particularly in small country towns, and she would have suffered widespread condemnation for such behaviour, including from the lads with whom she slept. Such behaviour was not only considered immoral but also to endanger the social fabric of the community.

It could be to Jimmy's credit that he was the only man prepared to marry Ethel, however, he may have also married her in an attempt to further inculcate himself into white society. If this was his intent then he would be disappointed, for, while there certainly would have been those who criticised Ethel for marrying an Aborigine (or, worst, a half caste), there appear to have been those in the white community who openly criticised him for marrying a girl who was 'not good enough for him.' Among this latter group were members of Jimmy's own family and tribe, some Elders of which came to see Jimmy after he started at Breelong about their concerns about his choice of bride.

Recent research by the only historian to bother to contact, win the confidence of, and interview Aboriginal decendants of the Governors has produced an account completely different to the accepted version written by Kenneally and Co.

Shortly after Jimmy and Ethel arrived at Breelong they were joined by Jimmy's brother Joe. Shortly afterwards several members of his family also turned up and set up camp in a nearby paddock. Under tribal law Jimmy, who had a job for which he was being paid and receiving rations, was required to also provide for these relatives who were not working. Because he was only receiving sufficient rations for himself and Ethel this demand to feed extra mouths was probably a contributing factor in the strains which developed between the two.

Jimmy also was 'down' on anybody he considered to have 'wronged' him. According to research, Jimmy being 'wronged' had a very broad definition and basically applied to anyone who had upset him, even over small and seemingly insignificant incidents. He began to talk of revenge for such wrongs.

Jimmy began to believe that Ethel was 'sweet' on Joe. During one of his arguments he accused her of this to which she replied, "Pooh! You can go to the Devil!" Jimmy replied, "Then I am all alone." This may have indicated deepening depression.

At some stage during this period Joe began to taunt Jimmy about who was the better man. At the same time they began to talk about becoming bushrangers, "all same longa Ned Kelly", about whom Jimmy would have had a good knowledge as a former tracker. Apparently they discussed the subject over a considerable period of time, with Joe continuing to goad Jimmy by claiming he (Joe) would be the better bushranger. Eventually they decided to become bushrangers, but needed a crime to get things rolling.

The details of this period are still being sorted, however, one fact has become known. Jimmy and Joe agreed to murder the Mawbeys. Initially they planned to murder Mr. Mawbey and any of his men while they were out camped in the fields, however, they then decided they were too hard and dangerous a target and decided to kill the women and children instead. This decision may have been based on any one of a combination of the factors described above.

Another factor that has surfaced is that Jimmy also planned to murder all the other Aborigines in the camp. As a preface to this he broke all the furniture and crockery in the camp, as a prelude to turning out. All that remained now was the spark.

The match was lit on 20 July 1900. During the day Ethel went to the Mawbey homestead to ask for a ration of flour. There she was met by Mrs Mawbey and the local schoolteacher, Helen Kerz. Words developed between the women. Mrs Mawbey may have been annoyed at having to provide food for extra people who were not working for her husband and possibly at having to provide rations before the proper time. Ethel later stated that the women abused her, calling her 'scum' and castigating her for marrying a black man. We only have Ethel's word for this exchange and we don not know what she said, however, there is no doubt there was an exchange.

In any event she returned to tell Jimmy what had occurred. Angry he went to see Mr. Mawbey who promised the rations would be provided. According to most accounts Jimmy remained angry about the abuse of his wife and that night went to the homestead to demand an apology from the women. However, it seems more likely that at that point he had decided to put his bushranging plan into action.

He went to the homestead with a mate named Jacky Underwood. They were armed with a Winchester rifle and two axes. Hardly fitting for two men merely seeking an apology. Again, we don't know exactly what transpired, although it is alleged an angry Mrs Mawbey ordered the men to leave. Heated words were then exchanged and again it is alleged that Helen Kerz then said, "Pooh! You are black rubbish who should be shot for marrying a white woman."

Whether true or not, the two women certainly did not deserve what happened next (despite what some apologists including Kenneally suggest). Nor did the innocent children. The two men smashed their way into the building and clubbed the two women to death with their axes. They then murdered two young Mawbey children and their visiting friend, young Elsie Clarke. Another boy named Bert was pursued but managed to escape. He fled to his father's camp site and raised the alarm.

Jimmy, Joe and Jacky had fled, and an extensive manhunt comprising armed civilians, police and even a few soldiers was quickly organised. Despite this for the next two months the outlaws (as they were quickly declared) managed to keep one step in front, relying heavily on Jimmy's tracking skills and knowledge of police tactics. In fact Jimmy was actually challenging the police by keeping fairly visible, apparently in an effort to make them look stupid. He also displayed a sense of humour. While sheltering in a shed on one property he came across several bags of corn with warning signs saying "Warning. This corn is poisoned." Before leaving he placed a new sign, "If it wasn't before, it is now."

Unfortunately, that was as far as the humour went and with the passing of the days the tally of murder mounted. At Ulan a 73 year-old man was butchered, his wife critically wounded. At Poggy Station near Merriwa two women, one pregnant, and a 15 month-old baby were battered although one survived. At Wollar it was another old man while a 15 year-old girl was raped. The tally was nine dead, three seriously wounded. Not one of the victims was an able-bodied man. In addition to these horrific deeds, deserted homesteads (where people fled fearing they would become victims) and sheds, barns and other buildings were broken into and ransacked. Yet apologists argue that those who were murdered must have 'deserved' their 'punishment'. In all they committed over 80 crimes in an extraordinarily short period. In addition to being outlawed a reward of one thousand pounds was posted for their capture.

By September some 200 police and 2000 civilians were hunting the Governors, who by this time had separated from Jacky Underwood. There were a number of clashes with police (one officer was wounded) and civilians, but the Governors used Jimmy's superior bush skills to get away.

From Dunedoo to Gulgong and north to the Barrington Tops, Port Macquarie, Nundle and the Moonee Range citizens were turning their homes into armed fortresses. Apologists argue that this is more proof of white racism. After all, in the days of the white bushrangers people actively supported and helped them. Why, therefore, were all the whites not helping the black outlaws. Apart from its banality this argument ignores the fact that none of the bushrangers of the Wild Colonial period had committed such widespread atrocities against innocent old men, women and children. Had they done so the people of the bush would have risen against them to a man. It also ignores the fact that hundreds of bush dwellers did actively oppose the bushrangers, including taking up arms against them.

Despite the terror, time was on the side of the pursuers. Jacky Underwood was quickly caught and hanged at Dubbo on 14 January 1901. Then, on 13 October two civilians came across Jimmy and Joe and fired at them. Joe got away but Jimmy was seriously wounded in the mouth which resulted in his being unable to eat and probably inflicted such pain as to affect his thinking. He was caught a fortnight later on 27 October. Taken to Darkinghurst Gaol he was hanged on 18 January 1901.

Joe managed to remain at large a few days longer. Alone, he headed for the Aboriginal settlement at St Clair, just north of Singleton. On 31 October as he neared his destination he was tracked and spotted by two graziers. They called on him to surrender but he refused to do so and tried to escape into the bush. The two men immediately opened fire and five shots ended his life. The last of the outlaws had met his Nemesis and with him ended an era.

One of the rifles used in the killing of Joe Governor is in the Stackpool Collection. It is a Winchester Model 1892 carbine, chambered in .32 calibre. The graziers were lucky as the rifle is only a short range weapon. They could have easily missed. Who knows what would have been the result if they had done so.

Ethel Governor is alleged to have actively helped the Police throughout the search, however, this may also now be questionable. She eventually remarried, had ten children and died in 1945 in Newington State Hospital.

This article © Andrew Stackpool, 1998.