What do you think?
Rate this book
Osprey Men at Arms #525
Australian Bushrangers 1788–1880
Featuring rare period photos, this highly illustrated history tells the story of t he frontier outlaws who defied the authorities on the wild Australian frontier in the Victorian era, and the Crown forces who eventually hunted them down.
The first "bushrangers" or frontier outlaws were escaped or time-expired convicts, who took to the wilderness--"the bush"--in New South Wales and on the island of Tasmania. Initially, the only Crown forces available were redcoats from the small, scattered garrisons, but by 1825 the problem of outlawry led to the formation of the first Mounted Police from these soldiers.
The gold strikes of the 1860s attracted a new group of men who preferred to get rich by the gun rather than the shovel. The roads, and later railways, that linked the mines with the cities offered many tempting targets and were preyed upon by the bushrangers.
This 1860s generation boasted many famous outlaws who passed into legend for their boldness. The last outbreak came in Victoria in 1880, when the notorious Kelly Gang staged several hold-ups and deliberately ambushed the pursuing police. Their last stand at Glenrowan has become a legendary episode in Australian history. Fully illustrated with some rare period photographs, this is the fascinating story of Australia's most infamous outlaws and the men tasked with tracking them down.
The first "bushrangers" or frontier outlaws were escaped or time-expired convicts, who took to the wilderness--"the bush"--in New South Wales and on the island of Tasmania. Initially, the only Crown forces available were redcoats from the small, scattered garrisons, but by 1825 the problem of outlawry led to the formation of the first Mounted Police from these soldiers.
The gold strikes of the 1860s attracted a new group of men who preferred to get rich by the gun rather than the shovel. The roads, and later railways, that linked the mines with the cities offered many tempting targets and were preyed upon by the bushrangers.
This 1860s generation boasted many famous outlaws who passed into legend for their boldness. The last outbreak came in Victoria in 1880, when the notorious Kelly Gang staged several hold-ups and deliberately ambushed the pursuing police. Their last stand at Glenrowan has become a legendary episode in Australian history. Fully illustrated with some rare period photographs, this is the fascinating story of Australia's most infamous outlaws and the men tasked with tracking them down.
48 pages, Paperback
Published May 21, 2019
About the author
Ian Knight
94 books27 followersIan Knight, BA, FRGS is a historian, author, battlefield guide and artifacts specialist internationally regarded as a leading authority on the nineteenth-century history of the Zulu kingdom, and in particular the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. He has a degree in Afro-Caribbean Studies from the University of Kent and has been researching and writing for more than thirty years. He has published over forty books and monographs, the majority of them on Zulu history and the rest on other nineteenth-century British colonial campaigns. He has appeared on-screen in a number of television documentaries. He is an Honorary Research Associate of the KwaZulu-Natal Museum in Pietermaritzburg.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 15, 2026
AUSTRALIAN BUSHRANGERS 1788-1880 was a title I picked out for my Goodreads friends 'down under.'
In 1770 Captain James Cook claimed the eastern part of Australia for the English Crown. This 'claiming' of territories, in spite of indigenous populations, was a common occurrence as 'new' lands were discovered. What made the colonization of Australia unique was the use of criminals as colonists. If a person in England stole food because they were hungry, and if they did it enough, or the value was great enough, the person could be punished by transportation. Before the American colonies won their independence these poor souls who broke the law were shipped to North America. With the loss of the colonies they were now sent instead to Australia.
Both men and women were transported. If the women had children they were exiled with their mothers as well. After serving their sentence, usually seven or fourteen years, they were free. However most had no means to return home so naturally they stayed and tried to make a new life. Some model prisoners were granted some liberties, such as being issued guns to hunt for food for them and others. These convicts were said to have been granted a 'ticket of leave.' Some settlers did arrive from Britain and they were granted the most choice of lands. These people were nicknamed 'squatters' and in time they owned the land they developed.
Some convicts would escape from time to time and they became known as 'bushrangers.' Life was very hard for them in the bush. They survived by stealing from the squatters, and in extreme cases, cannibalism. Those they killed and ate were usually fellow bushrangers. Most were eventually captured or killed.
With the discovery of gold there was an influx of people seeking their fortune from mining or servicing the miners. By this time the original squatters had achieved a higher standard of living which made them lucrative targets for bushrangers, many of which were simply bandits. Of course the miners' gold was also quite tempting.
According to the book, some of these bushrangers developed a taste for the fine clothes they stole from the squatters. One thing they had in common was the wearing of a sash about their waist which gave them a swashbuckling appearance. Some of these men tried to be real gentlemen as they robbed their victims. This endeared them to their sympathizers. All were eventually tracked down and hanged though one man, Johnny Gilbert, was said to be involved in some 630 hold-ups! These men all reached their pinnacle of their careers in their 20's before being caught and killed or hanged.
Over the years the government had various military and police forces that dealt with the bushrangers. The most effective ones used Aboriginal trackers.
Probably the most famous bushranger who has left his mark on Australia folklore was Ned Kelly. He, his brother, and their gang died in a shootout with the police. Much like the knights of old, they had made helmets and breastplates of iron from plows. These deflected all the bullets fired at them but eventually they were overcome when wounded in their arms and legs. Before the famous shootout Kelly had left what we would call today a manifesto. In its 56 pages he spoke of the suffering of the lower classes at the hands of the police and squatters to justify his actions. In any day and age there are those who would revere such a sacrifice.
Included in this work are the usual photos and color plates. This is a fine piece of Australian history.
In 1770 Captain James Cook claimed the eastern part of Australia for the English Crown. This 'claiming' of territories, in spite of indigenous populations, was a common occurrence as 'new' lands were discovered. What made the colonization of Australia unique was the use of criminals as colonists. If a person in England stole food because they were hungry, and if they did it enough, or the value was great enough, the person could be punished by transportation. Before the American colonies won their independence these poor souls who broke the law were shipped to North America. With the loss of the colonies they were now sent instead to Australia.
Both men and women were transported. If the women had children they were exiled with their mothers as well. After serving their sentence, usually seven or fourteen years, they were free. However most had no means to return home so naturally they stayed and tried to make a new life. Some model prisoners were granted some liberties, such as being issued guns to hunt for food for them and others. These convicts were said to have been granted a 'ticket of leave.' Some settlers did arrive from Britain and they were granted the most choice of lands. These people were nicknamed 'squatters' and in time they owned the land they developed.
Some convicts would escape from time to time and they became known as 'bushrangers.' Life was very hard for them in the bush. They survived by stealing from the squatters, and in extreme cases, cannibalism. Those they killed and ate were usually fellow bushrangers. Most were eventually captured or killed.
With the discovery of gold there was an influx of people seeking their fortune from mining or servicing the miners. By this time the original squatters had achieved a higher standard of living which made them lucrative targets for bushrangers, many of which were simply bandits. Of course the miners' gold was also quite tempting.
According to the book, some of these bushrangers developed a taste for the fine clothes they stole from the squatters. One thing they had in common was the wearing of a sash about their waist which gave them a swashbuckling appearance. Some of these men tried to be real gentlemen as they robbed their victims. This endeared them to their sympathizers. All were eventually tracked down and hanged though one man, Johnny Gilbert, was said to be involved in some 630 hold-ups! These men all reached their pinnacle of their careers in their 20's before being caught and killed or hanged.
Over the years the government had various military and police forces that dealt with the bushrangers. The most effective ones used Aboriginal trackers.
Probably the most famous bushranger who has left his mark on Australia folklore was Ned Kelly. He, his brother, and their gang died in a shootout with the police. Much like the knights of old, they had made helmets and breastplates of iron from plows. These deflected all the bullets fired at them but eventually they were overcome when wounded in their arms and legs. Before the famous shootout Kelly had left what we would call today a manifesto. In its 56 pages he spoke of the suffering of the lower classes at the hands of the police and squatters to justify his actions. In any day and age there are those who would revere such a sacrifice.
Included in this work are the usual photos and color plates. This is a fine piece of Australian history.
July 3, 2019
Before I read this book I only knew about Ned Kelly... I had never heard of Captain Thunderbolt, the Clark Brothers, Mad Dan Morgan or Bold Jack Donohoe! A fascinating book, it provides background on the outlaws of the Australian hinterland, as well as information on the use of the military in law enforcement. I really enjoyed this book, the artwork and the stories. Very well done for such a short work.
June 9, 2019
A short overview of some Australian outlaws and those trying to catch them.
An interesting read, but it was let down by odd formatting and a lack of detail.
Reading time around one hour.
An interesting read, but it was let down by odd formatting and a lack of detail.
Reading time around one hour.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews