Bushrangers of NSW
With the discovery of gold at the Lambing Flats ( now known as Young) in the late 1850’s and later at Forbes in 1860’s. By 1865 many of the diggers began to leave Lambing Flats for other goldfields and by the end of that year only a scattering remained, but they continued to win alluvial gold for over a decade. Within a few weeks of the discovery of alluvial gold numerous bark and slab huts, shanties and tents were being erected along the banks of the creek. This settlement soon became a town known, as Lambing Flats and was eventually renamed Young. (By the middle of 1861 the population had risen to 20,000 and of this total almost 1000 were Chinese). with many travellers on the roads the Weddin area became a haven for bushrangers, one of the first was Frank Gardner
Frank Gardiner - Johnny Gilbert - Ben Hall
Frank Gardiner was born in 1830 in Scotland. His real name is Francis Christie he came to Australia in 1834 at the age of 5. He grew up in the bush learning how to shoot with a rifle and ride a horse. Frank became a bushranger when he was thirty one after stealing horses and cattle. He joined a gang with Johnny Gilbert, Ben Hall and John Piesley.
A contemporary of Hall and Gardiner, Johnny Gilbert, alias Roberts was one of the gang charged with the robbery of the gold escort at Eugowra Rocks, but had not been captured. He was born in Canada and emigrated to Victoria with his uncle, John Davis,
after gold had been discovered there. When Davis was found shot in April 1854 Gilbert (then known as Roberts) was arrested and charged with murder. He was acquitted but later jailed for horse stealing.
Gilbert rode with the Gardiner gang which committed many robberies during this period and he and Hall took over the leadership when Gardiner 'retired' and escaped from New South Wales. They stole horses, robbed travellers, coaches and hotels, and stole guns, and became increasingly audacious. On 24 October 1863 Hall, Gilbert, O'Meally, Vane and Burke held Assistant Gold Commissioner Keightley hostage near his own house while his wife rode to Bathurst and back to obtain £ 500 for the ransome. £ 1000 reward was offered for Hall and Gilbert, O'Meally and Vane.
Ben Hall was born 9th May 1837 at Wallis Plains, near Caroona, the birth was registered at Maitland NSW. Later he moved, with his father, to the Lachlan district and carried on the stock breeding until he was 18. Ben grew up on the land to become a handsome lad, a flashy dresser and a fine horseman.. Ben took up the station of 7,000 hectares at Sandy creek in the Wheogo Ranges near Forbes. Though Hall was reputedly to be honest and hardworking, he associated with thieves and all his sister- in-laws were married to bushrangers or their associates. In about 1857 he married Bridget Welsh and they had two children, later she left him and Hall was a arrested by troopers for ‘Robbery Under Arms’, taken to Orange for trial in 1862 and was acquitted.
He was arrested again and released on bail and returned home to Wheogo after seven weeks to find his horses had perished and he’s stock had dispersed this set him off on he is bushranging track. By 1963 he was regularly sticking up traveler’s mail coaches on the road between Bathurst, Young and Yass with his gang, which included John Dunn (Hanged 19 Mar 1866) and Johnny Gilbert (Shot dead by troopers). Their exports include an occupying the town of the Canowindra for three days, holding at a police magistrate for ransom, serial robberies of all the stores and inns along Vale road, and shootouts with Police during which Hall was wounded at least once, and that both Police and gang members were killed.
The most daring robbery that ever took place in Australia in those early days was ‘The Great Escort Robbery’ at the Eugowra Rocks in October 1862. This raid was masterminded by Frank Gardner (1874 went to California where he died.) and his accomplices Johnny Gilbert (Shot dead by troopers) and John O’Mealley (Shot dead in Hall gang's hold-up of Goimbla station). Ben Hall agreed to joining the group along we’ve Daniel Charters (Member turned informer), John Fordise, Johnny Bow (Born 1843) and Henry Manns (Hanged in Sydney 26 March 1863). They assemble at Wheogo and made at the way to Forbes to purchase firearms and supplies. The gold coach itinerary that road on to Eugowra Rocks where they held up the coach robbing it of the entire load of money, gold and mail, which amounted to 14,000 pounds.
After a few more years of bush ranging Ben Hall what is the virtually on his last legs. He had lost his friends, and had decided to give the game away and collect the money he had owning to him and leave the country. Mick Connelly known as Goobang Mick had been he is banker. Connelly had a considerable amount of money in the bank at Forbes for Hall and many stories have been told about the demise of Ben Hall but it would appear that the Connelly did give Hall away. On 29 April 1865, a police party led by Sub-Inspector James Davidson, with the aid of two black trackers (Billy Dargin and Charley) left Forbes. Information had been received from an informer, believed to have had close associations with the gang.
On the night of 4 May the police party...found their man in the bush near Billabong Creek. A cold apprehensive night was spent in the bush and on the morning of 5 May 1865, when he went to get his horse, Ben Hall died in a hail of bullets. Ben Hall was buried in Forbes Cemetery on Sunday 7 May 1865.
That ended the bushranging era in the Weddin/Grenfell areas.
