Bushranger

Becky, the servant, had utterly collapsed at the word bushranger; the other two faces looked as if carved in stone. ❋ Unknown (1888)

The word bushranger struck terror into the hearts of all present, and even the jealous husband modulated his wrath, and rubbed his head with some degree of contentment. ❋ William Henry Thomes (1859)

There is a romance to the word bushranger that the modern terms sociopath, or career criminal, just simply don't evoke, and in the 1860s our sleepy little region had its own bushranger:

The Clarke Brothers were very thuggish and mean and roamed from Sydney to the Monaro note how I call it 'Canberra' when the bushranger is the less-violent and rather charming Jackey Jackey - who was really William Westwood and a forger - and "the Monaro" when referring to the leaders of a brutish gang. ❋ Gillpolack (2009)

The posts they raised by the side of the western lakes and rivers, were so many videttes of that army of colonisers who have built up great commonwealths in that vast country, where the bushranger was the only ❋ J. G. Bourinot (N/A)

They will scatter in various directions if their force is small; and if large, why; a bushranger is a dangerous foe, and fights with a halter around his neck. ❋ William Henry Thomes (1859)

Tasmania's most famous bushranger was Martin Cash. ❋ Gillpolack (2009)

Stories of a coked-out and boozed-up Dennis Hopper being pronounced legally dead while filming a local bushranger movie! ❋ Unknown (2009)

I didn't realise Mary Ann Bugg was a bushranger in her own right. ❋ Gillpolack (2009)

Martin Cash, the bushranger of Van Diemen's land in 1843;: A personal narrative of his exploits in the bush and his experiences at Port Arthur and Norfolk Island by James Lester Burke ❋ Unknown (2009)

Has there ever been a fat bushranger with a pet cat? coz i have a pet cat namedted and ehs fat,i think he should be an awesome bushranger. ❋ Gillpolack (2009)

August 28, 2009 at 3:07 am jesus, the plastercast of the face looks like the famous one of ned kelly australian bushranger that was taken after he was executed by hanging……his last words before execution were: ‘such is life…..’ ❋ Unknown (2009)

I'm going to up the ante with the Canberra region's favourite bushranger, Jackey Jackey. ❋ Gillpolack (2009)

If it goes in time, then you will get the bushranger count tonight. ❋ Gillpolack (2009)

PS I'll do you the bushranger post later, when things are calmer. ❋ Gillpolack (2009)

You get two posts today, because I can't really keep finding excuses not to tell you who is our favourite bushranger, however much joy it gives me, and I haven't done a 'where I will be teaching' post because there has been some confusion over some of my teaching. ❋ Gillpolack (2009)

My bushranger history is primary school level, so I needed help! ❋ Gillpolack (2009)