Black Bunny's Bushrangers (T) - When Bushrangers Party. Canowindra, New South Wales, Australia
By Black Bunny on 02-Oct-17. Waypoint GA6008

Bushranger Series celebration

CANOWINDRA HELD BY THE BUSH-RANGERS FOR THREE DAYS.

(from The Bathurst Times, Oct. 17.}

Yesterday, news reached Bathurst that Gilbert and his gang had paid another visit to Canowindra, and investing the town, had held

it against all comers for three days and nights, their proceedings being characterised by a cool audacity which has hitherto been un-

equalled. The tragedy of bushrangers is a thing of the past ; it is now such a familiar every-day matter that it has become a broad

farce.

From what we learn, the bushrangers made their appearance late on Sunday night, or early on Monday morning, paying a visit to

Mr. Robinson's hotel, and taking from him about £3. After this, the farce commenced: some of the gang were placed so as to guard

the approaches to the town, and everyone who made his appearance was taken into custody and brought to the hotel, where he was told

he must remain, but that he might call for whatever he liked at the bushrangers' expense. No restraint was imposed upon them other than they were ordered not to quit the town,-the bushrangers amusing themselves in a variety of ways, holding a robbers' jubilee.

On Tuesday morning, at ten o'clock, Messrs. Hibberson, Twaddell, and Kirkpatrick drove up to Robinson's, where Ben Hall informed them that he was sorry to inconvenience them, but they really could not be permitted to proceed on their journey, and he must therefore trouble them to leave their vehicle and put up for a while. On getting out, O'Meally, who was present, saw a revolver in Mr. Kirkpatrick's possession, and presenting one of his own weapons at that gentleman's head, he compelled him to give it up, remarking that they did not require it, but as it might be used against them it was as well to take the precaution of keeping it out of harm's way. He promised, however, to leave it at Mr. Loudon's residence at Grubbenbong, as they intended to pay him another visit before long. This, and the robbery of the £3 already mentioned, were the only items of violence committed during their stay. A first-class dinner was ordered for the three gentlemen, and the cost of this as well as everything else called for was defrayed by the gang. Every dray and team that passed was stopped, and the men belonging to them were lodged, fed, and supplied with drink, free of expense.

There were twelve or fourteen drays drawn up in a line, and not the slightest attempt was made to interfere with the loading they contained. Bundles of cigars, purchased by Gilbert, as required, were thrown loosely on one of the tables in the public-house, for all who cared about smoking 'them, and a huge pile of sweetmeats was also provided, to suit the tastes of others. Everyone was empowered to call for what he liked, but the bushrangers drank nothing but bottled ale and porter, the corks of which they insisted upon having drawn in their presence. Great festivities were kept up, and, from the description given of the gang, they entertained not the slightest apprehension of being disturbed, and did not seem to think they were incurring any risk. Amongst a variety of amusements, shooting at a target seemed to be the favourite, and nothing occurred to mar the revels, except the accidental dropping of a carbine, which went off, and sent its contents flying past O'Meally's legs. To some of the residents in the neighbourhood who desired to visit their homes, leave of absence of an hour's duration was granted-passes being given to them, duly signed. In one or two instances, where the time allowed was exceeded by the pass-holders, Ben Hall went after them, but on meeting the individuals returning, he contented himself with admonishing them for their transgression. On one occasion, Ben Hall said he must go and look after the policeman, and getting on his

horse, he rode to the barracks, where it seems a constable is stationed, and ordering the man to fix the bayonet to his gun, and place his revolver in his waist, he drove him before his horse down to the hotel, where the others amused themselves with him for a little time, and, taking his arms away, told him to go in and enjoy himself till he received further orders. There were about forty persons detained altogether, and the reason given for adopting this course was that they had a number of scouts out, who they were desirous should return before any one left the town. They recounted several of their exploits, and expressed a lively contempt for policemen generally, and their officers in particular-saying that when the police came all they had to do was to ride away. It is said that Messrs. Hibberson, Twaddell, and Kirkpatrick, were anxious to resume their journey, and upon representing to Hall thefact that the river was rising, and unless they were allowed to go at once they might be detained for days before they could cross, they were allowed to take their departure at four o'clock in the afternoon. The same night the ruffians stuck-up Mr. Grant's place on the Belubula, and burnt it down, to wreak their vengeance on the owner, who had dared on a former occasion to give information to the police. They said they were overlooking him when he was directing the police, and saw him point out their tracks.

We are told that information of the Canowindra business reached the Inspector-General on Thursday, but the matter was looked upon as

a mere canard. We have, by the way, omitted to mention that besides the visit to Mr. Loudon, the bushrangers intimated their intention to re-visit Bathurst shortly.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18704043

Bushrangers.

Over 2,000 bushrangers are estimated to have roamed the Australian countryside, beginning with the convict bolters and drawing to a close after Ned Kelly's last stand at Glenrowan.

Bushrangers were originally escaped convicts who had the survival skills necessary to use the Australian bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities. By the 1820s, the term "bushranger" had evolved to refer to those who abandoned social rights and privileges to take up "robbery under arms" as a way of life, using the bush as their base.

Bushranging thrived during the gold rush years of the 1850s and 1860s when the likes of Ben Hall, Frank Gardiner and John Gilbert led notorious gangs in the country districts of New South Wales. These Wild Colonial Boys typically robbed small-town banks and coach services.

In other infamous cases, such as that of Dan Morgan, the Clarke brothers, and Australia's best-known bushranger, Ned Kelly, numerous policemen were murdered.

The number of bushrangers declined due to better policing and improvements in rail transport and communication technology, such as telegraphy. Kelly's capture and execution in 1880 effectively represented the end of the bushranging era.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushranger

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