The Crookwell and District Historical Society are in the process of putting together for reference purposes: ORAL BUSHRANGER STORIES of our area.
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We would like some help with local Bushranger stories. These of course would be classed as Oral History and not as fact. The wording is “it is alleged” and that covers whatever the story is. What we mean by that is if say your grandfather or some family member told you a story about a bushranger calling into their property looking for food or robbing them or just camping on their property.
This is an example of the type of article we are seeking.
This story was told to me by my Grandmother Maria Bridget Croke nee Anderson daughter of Mary and Henry. It was also told to Stuart Anderson by Aunty May Anderson wife of Martin Anderson son of Mary and Henry.
“It is alleged that my Gt Grandmother Mary Anderson was about 6-8 months pregnant with her first son John (in 1865) and alone in the hut at Ryan’s Vale where she and Henry were living on her uncle Michael Ryan’s property at the time. A man knocked on the door and when she opened the door it turned out to be Ben Hall. When he saw she was heavily pregnant he said “Sorry to bother you Madam”. He was looking for some food. Granny made him a cup of tea and gave him some food to take with him and he thanked her and rode off. It was just after this on the 6th February 1865 that Ben Hall and his gang held up the Faithfull Brothers at Springfield.”
Before entering “Springfield” a post on the side of the road displays a signboard with details of the historic encounter of the Faithfull Brothers with the Bushrangers Ben Hall, Dunne and Gilbert on 6th February 1865. The sign has been erected by the Wild Colonial Days Society to commerate the spot. The old fencing post behind which Gilbert had taken cover which carried the mark of William Faithfull’s bullet has long since disappeared, and the marker post is on the exact spot and the board carries the essentials of the encounter. The small enclosure of trees nearby is the spot where the bushrangers (Gilberts) horse was shot. [This article courtesy Goulburn Historical Society Bulletin September 1968 No 27]
In 1936 John (Known as Jack) Anderson the son that Mary was pregnant with at the time of the encounter, paid a visit to the spot of the shoot-out.
We do have all the major stories on bushrangers but we would appreciate any information you can share with us re local encounters. If possible at the end of the story could you sign it, giving us give us permission to share the story say in our Newsletter or possibly if we are writing a story for a book that mentions that a certain bushranger was in the area at the time, we would have some local history to add to the story.
We would also like your help with some information, at our last meeting it was discussed that in the “Good Olde Days” people / families often painted names on their wagons and now days on ute’s or trucks. Bryan Kennedy can recall a couple, “Whatto She Bumps’ and “Pride of Erin”. Ian Laverty remembers his family had “Happy Days”. If you can remember anything please contact us at the Historical Society.
Thank You, Monica Croke Publicity Officer Crookwell and District Historical Society PO Box 161, Crookwell NSW 2583 Email: crookwellhistsoc@yahoo.com.au