Bushrangers

Weapons of choice

• rifles
• revolving rifles
• pistols
• revolvers
• revolvers [double trigger]

Tranter was a locally made gunsmith and weapons were readily available. During the 1860s Tranter revolving carbines and rifles were amongst the firearms on issue to the NSW Police.

Ben Hall

In 1863 the Bushranger Ben Hall and his four companions rode into the NSW central west town of Bathurst where they went to Bartolomeo Pedrotta's gunshop asking to see the latest revolving rifles and Tranters patent revolvers. The frightened gunsmith had none to show them but offered his stock of Colt handguns, the bushrangers informed him the Tranter revolvers they already had were better and then promptly left.

Ben Hall was typically armed with a double trigger revolver and revolving rifle, both tranters. Ben Hall's gang, attacked the local member of parliament for Murrumbidgee On December 19th 1864 William Macleay, while travelling on the Sydney to Goulbourn road between Towrang and Shelley's Flat about 10km south of Marulan. Ben Hall's 3rd model Tranter revolver was found when he was shot dead by a party of police under Inspector Davidson at Billabong Creek, between Forbes and Bogan Gate on the 5th of May 1865.

Johnny Gilbert

Johnny Gilbert's favourite gun was the Tranter revolving rifle he had taken from a squatter named William Davis on March 4, 1865.

Fred Ward, Bushranger under the alias of Thunderbolt, also used a Tranter revolver. The following passage reveals:

"Thunderbolts Tranter revolver, with which he fired at police was found in the waterhole where he was shot, having four empty chambers, the fifth was loaded and apparently had misfired. His second revolver, a Colt, was picked up where Walker had persued him."

Ned Kelly

Ned Kelly carried a great variety of weapons, at Glenrowan Monday 28th June 1880 where Ned Kelly was captured and his gang made it's last stand, they found a Colt Model 1851 Navy revolver in. 36 calibre, a stolen Webley RIC police revolver possibly in. 476 calibre and also possibly a Colt Model 1849 Pocket revolver in. 31 calibre. He was also trying to use a Colt Model 1856 revolving rifle in. 56 calibre. The other gang members were using stolen Webley police revolvers and at least two Winchester Model 1873 rifles, probably in. 44 calibre. Previous Kelly weapons included a cut-down Enfield Pattern 1853 rifle in. 577 calibre, a Snider rifle (calibre unknown) and a Spencer repeating rifle that Kelly took from the police after Stringybark Creek.

Reports from NSW Police Gazette 1862 - 1864

The following reports of stolen firearms were listed in the NSW Police Gazette between 1862 and 1864.

"18-3-1863 page 80, Mr John Rutherford, of the Darling River, was stuck up near Wambangalang, on the road between Dubbo and the Lachlan, 20 miles from Dubbo, by two armed men, and robbed of a revolver by Tranter, two tins of Eley's cartridges for revolvers, clothing and a horse.

22-4-1863 page 117, found in the possession of Henry Wilson who was caught passing a note stolen from the Tamworth and Murrurundi mail, a five barreled revolver marked Challinor (sic), 61 King Street, Sydney, No.14129T, along with a watch, various bank notes and a saddle.

28-12-1864 page 415, stolen on the evening of the 19th instant, from the shop of Henry Challinor (sic), gunsmith, King Street, -a six inch Tranter's seven chamber revolver, brass mounted and chased, chambers' brass or gunmetal. Value 5 pound 5 shillings.

7-6-1865 page 415, stolen on the 29th ultimo, from the shop of William John Whitfield, King Street, Sydney, a small size imitation Tranter's revolver, the name supposed "Purday" in bright letters on the barrel. The robbery was committed by two chinamen."

Andrew George Scott (Captain Moonlite, the Australian bushranger), son of an Anglican minister, had a gang that operated in southern New South Wales. On 15 November 1879, tired and hungry, Scott's gang bailed up the Wantabadgery Station near Wagga Wagga and rounded up the staff and the family of Claude McDonald, the station owner. Scott also robbed the Australian Arms Hotel of a large quantity of alcohol and food. In a fight with troopers several people died including one policeman. James Nesbitt, Scott's second-in-command, was also killed. Scott was captured and hanged in Darlinghurst Gaol in January 1880. He was buried in Rookwood Cemetery, despite his last wishes to be buried with his "beloved James Nesbitt".

In January 1995 his body was exhumed and he was buried next to James, his partner, in Gundagai Cemetery.

The crimes he was convicted of were:

• 1870: Sydney: False Pretences,
• 1872: Ballarat: Bank Robbery under Arms,
• 1879: Sydney: Murder.

An Australian bushranger

BUSHRANGER PROFILES

Daniel Charters "Flash Dan"

"Flash Dan" Charters was in many ways a fortunate individual and in many ways unfortunate. He was fortunate as he never went to gaol or was killed for his bushranging activities. He literally lived to tell the tale. He was unfortunate because through his experiments with bushranging he lost everything and he had been a wealthy young man.

Dan was born in 1837, one of a family of nine children. His parents, Daniel and Margaret Jane Chartres (nee Boyd), came from Co Antrim, Ireland to NSW in 1840. They were Presbyterians, assisted immigrants on the ship "Isabella", and lived briefly in Sydney where Dan attended school. By the mid 1850s the family held extensive landholdings around Carcoar, Kings Plains and Bogolong (near present day Grenfell) and a number of inns and shanties in the area. They also anglicised their French name to Charters. Dan was educated by private tutors but was not a remarkable student.

By1855 Dan had purchased his first block of land and by 1858 he owned 188 acres and also ran 500 head of cattle on his sister's Pinnacle station. These alone would have been worth 5000 pounds, or about 54 years wages for a working man, so Dan was wealthy in his own right, and a flash, fashionable dresser, hence his nickname.

In 1856 he met and became best friends with a young squatter named Ben Hall. In 1857 Hall's son, Henry was born at the home of Dan's parents. By 1860 the two friends had met up with the notorious bushranger, horse and cattle thief, Frank Gardiner. By 1862 they had joined Gardiner's gang. It is uncertain as to exactly which crimes Dan was involved in, the gang's activities included bailing up many travellers on the Lachlan to Lambing Flat (Young) Road and at the Bogolong Hotel.

On June 15, 1862 Dan was involved in bushraging when he joined Gardiner, Hall, John O'Mealley, John Gilbert, Alex Fordyce, Henry Manns and John Bow in the ambush of the Forbes to Orange Gold Escort at Coonbang Rocks near Eugowra. The gang wounded two of the four escorting troopers and escaped with over 14 500 pounds in gold and cash, the biggest robbery in the history of the colony.

A few days later a police party under Senior Sergeant Sanderson tracked the robbers to their hideout on the top of Mount Wheogo and in the ensuing pursuit recovered the stolen packhorse carrying most of the gold and money. Charters lost his share this way and received a small amount of cash by Gardiner as they fled.

Thomas Richards informed the police of the names of the gang involved in the robbery including Hall and Charters who were subsequently arrested. On August 6 Charters was released on bail and soon offered to provide evidence in return for a pardon. He gave police the names of the whole gang except Hall and O' Mealley, as he was affraid O'Mealley would kill him. Later in court he tried to minimise his role saying all he did was mind the horses. He was awarded 150 pounds of the reward money on July 1, 1863 and fearing for his safety left the Forbes area. In 1867 Dan Charters purchased 80 acres of land near Carcoar and in 1871 he married Emmaline Ada Boss at St Stephens Presbyterian Church, Bathurst. They had eight children between 1873 and 1888. By 1895 Charters was reported as a selector and drover and shearer at Sandy Creek. In 1908 he was living near Grenfell where he died on June 14, 1919 aged 62. he had seen the colony go from the gold rushes to the steam train, from bushranging to motor cars, electricity, aeroplanes, and telephones.

Profile produced by kind permission from information provided by Andrew Stackpool, June 2004.

When Gardiner's gang were caught, after the Eugowra Rocks Gold Escort robbery, Daniel (Flash Dan) Charters turned states evidence under the advice of one of his sisters, who owned shanties in the area.

Daniel had property and horses and was possibly the only one in the gang who could read and write. It was while going to check on his horses that he was captured.

My great grandfather, Daniel's son, told me that Daniel had been bullied into the Escort robbery and was friends with the O'Meally's and Halls but no friend of Gardiner.

Daniel told the Police his story leaving Hall and O'Mealley out of it all together, thus allowing Hall to start his own gang. Daniel Charters was given the job of breaking horses at the Bathurst Police Barracks for two years for his own protection against friends of the Gardiner Gang. I was told that he still managed to supply Ben Hall with good horses during this time. The closeness of the Charters and Hall families can be seen on the birth certificate of Ben Hall's son - he was born at Charters Farm and the midwife was Mrs Charters, Daniel's mother.

This profile provided by Wayne Charters, great great grandson of Daniel Charters, pers com 1 Sep 1998.