Bushrangers at the Abercrombie Caves

Entwistle and another convict who was assigned to Mr Liscombe were given the task of conveying a bullock team loaded with wool to the Sydney markets and to return home with the payment from the sales of the wool and supplies.

On the return trip the two men were taking a much needed rest on the banks of the Macquarie River at Bathurst. They had decided to go for a swim and at the exact same time Governor Ralph Darling and a party of soldiers were crossing the river, the two men hid until they thought it was safe to come out and dress, unfortunately a second group of soldiers came riding across the river. The leader of this group was the Bathurst Magistrate, who immediately had the two men arrested and charged with “causing an affront to the Governor and his party”. The punishment was fifty lashes.  

In September, 1830, nine men led by Entwistle escaped and travelled around the countryside stealing food, horses, guns and ammunition. They had also convinced other convicts to join them in rebellion and there was eventually about fifty in the gang. The gang rode into the magistrate’s property one morning seeking revenge for the way that he treated convicts. The magistrate was not home and so the gang demanded that the overseer release all the convicts, and when he refused, he was shot and killed. Under threat from the gang, the convicts who belonged to the magistrate joined the gang which now consisted of 130 members. This was not a good idea, as a lot of the new members did not want to be a part of the gang and started to drift away.  Entwistle and 14 of his men went their separate ways and headed for Trunkey Creek. It was here that they came across Grove Creek and by chance discovered the Abercrombie Archway.

Meanwhile, the authorities had organised a public meeting in Bathurst to try and recruit a group of volunteers to help the troopers search for the Ribbon Gang. Only twelve citizens came to volunteer so the troopers called for the military to assist in the search.

The gang had been given the name of the Ribbon Gang as it was said that they wore white streamers in their hats. In Ireland there had been a secret society of men known as the “Ribbon Men” who wore white ribbons in their hats.  They did this as a sign of rebellion. It is possible that some of the men in the gang, who were Irish convicts, were carrying on this tradition.

The 39th Regiment from Sydney and the 48th Mounted Police were sent from Goulburn, to meet up with the troopers and volunteers from Bathurst.  They caught up with the “Ribbon Gang” at Croves Creek Falls, a fierce battle ensued and the bushrangers fled on foot back to the caves, the troopers in pursuit.  

The bushrangers escaped from the cave but encountered another group of soldiers - a shootout occurred and finally the gang who were outnumbered, were captured.

The prisoners were taken back to Bathurst and on November 2, 1830, ten members of the “Ribbon Gang” including Entwistle were hanged.  Two of the gang had died from wounds received in the shootout and three others had escaped capture.

Constable Geary and two other mounted Policemen were wounded and two unnamed troopers were killed. James Greenwood was the overseer who was murdered.

There are stories of Ben Hall and his gang hiding out in the Abercrombie Caves in the 1860s but by this time the area was a hive of activity with hundreds of gold miners in the vicinity and it would not have been a safe place to take refuge.

A member of Ben Hall’s gang named John Vane was a known visitor to the caves during his early bushranging days.

Much later in 1892, the records of the Department of Mines list a bushranger who had recently served his term of imprisonment returning to act as a guide at the caves.  It is thought to have been John Vane.