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BEN HALL RAID WEEKEND FESTIVAL

Information e-newsletter

Bathurst N.S.W. on 27th, 28th and 29th September, 2013 Issue 6 - August

FROM THE NEWSLETTER EDITOR

The Ben Hall Raid took place at Bathurst on

Saturday 3rd October, 1863, and the Ben Hall Raid

Weekend Festival will mark the 150th Anniversary

of the event. This is the sixth in the series of these e-

newsletters to be emailed to anyone interested. If

you would like earlier issues, just ask.

The Ben Hall Raid Weekend Festival Committee of

the Bathurst District Historical Society has been

meeting for almost fourteen months to bring plans

together for this event. The next issue will contain

an updated program for the three days.

We are most grateful to Sergeant Kylie Riddell, the

Mounted Police Event Co-ordinator, for making the

arrangements for the Mounted Police to visit

Bathurst to take part in the weekend events.

A number of bushranger, colonial and historic

displays will be on show on the Saturday as well as

talks, numerous bus tours, a dinner and a number of

activities that will take place during the three days.

The re-enactment is on schedule. The countdown is

now on with about 9 weeks before visitors start

arriving in Bathurst for the weekend.

If you are planning to spend some extra time whilst

in Bathurst make sure you visit some of the many

attractions that this historic city and district has to

offer.

Rick de Losa will

have his superb

display of historic

orangeish, reddish

and amber-yellow

Meerschaum pipes.

Tobacco was often

stolen by the Hall

gang to use them- selves or give away.

We know that

Mickey Burke

smoked a pipe and

Captain Edward

Montague Battye, Commander of the Western

Mounted Police and Gold Escort, smoked a

meerschaum pipe with its bowl depicting a man’s

arm holding a pistol though he lost it in 1861.

We hope that some families will use the weekend to

incorporate a family picnic and reunion down by the

peaceful Macquarie River, especially on the

Sunday. Some may wish to put a family plaque on

Bathurst’s Pioneer Wall.

I hope you are enjoying these monthly e-newsletters

of which there are just three more to go, including

this issue. I’m surprised by the number of people

asking if these newsletters could be made into a

book. Maybe next year. I look forward to meeting

some of those who have emailed or phoned. I trust

that everyone will have a terrific weekend here in

our fine city.

Alan McRae, FAIHA, President Bathurst District

Historical Society

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THE £4,000 REWARD

The Colonial New South Wales Government as

time went by agreed to pay a reward for the Ben

Hall Gang.

After the raid on Bathurst the following notification

appeared in a supplement of the Government

Gazette, dated Wednesday, the 21st October, 1863:-

“Colonial Secretary's Office, Sydney, 21st October,

1863, £2500 REWARD, for the apprehension of

John Gilbert, John O'Meally, Benjamin Hall,

Michael Burke and John Vane.”

However, as bushranging was a hot topic amongst

the public, many newspapers were venting their

disbelief. The Brisbane Courier stated in part; - “In

the meantime, the bushranging business engrosses

most attention. Messrs. Gilbert, O'Meally, Vane,

Hall, and Burke are complete masters of the

Western districts, and set Captain M'Lerie and his

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three hundred policemen on the spot of utter

defiance. Our canting senior daily paper prates of

sympathy with crime, and of elevating scoundrels

into heroes. Why, it is a useless police that does

this, and enables a few smart scoundrels to make

themselves objects of admiration to unprincipled

youth.”

Days later the Government had a change of heart

and the following appeared in the Government

Gazette Colonial Secretary's Office, 26th October,

1863. The following day it appeared in a number of

newspapers around the colonies such as The Sydney

Morning Herald the following day - Tuesday 27th

October, 1863. The reward had increased to £4,000

for the gang of four and £100 for accomplices.

Reward sheets were also printed for distribution.

From the Government Gazette it stated, “FOUR

THOUSAND POUNDS REWARD - FOR THE

APPREHENSION OF JOHN GILBERT, JOHN

O'MEALLY, BENJAMIN HALL AND JOHN VANE

AND ONE HUNDRED POUNDS REWARD FOR

ACCOMPLICES.

Whereas the above named persons are charged with

the commission of numerous and serious offences,

and have hitherto eluded the efforts to apprehend

them. It is hereby notified that the Government will

pay a reward of one thousand pounds for such

information as will lead to the apprehension of each

of the offenders named.

The Government will also pay a reward of one

hundred pounds for such information as will lead to

the conviction of any person or persons for

harbouring, assisting, or maintaining either of the

above named offenders.

All such information communicated by any person

charged with the commission of an offence will

entitle his case to favourable consideration by the

Crown, and will in all cases be regarded by the

police authorities as strictly confidential; and in the

event of payment of any of the rewards above

offered, the name of the recipient will not be

disclosed.

The above rewards are offered in lieu of all other

previously payable by Government for the

apprehension or conviction of the offenders above

named.”

WILLIAM FORSTER

Colonial Secretary's Office, 26th October, 1863 ooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooo

J.L. ALEXANDER - DRUGGIST

Another business operating when Ben Hall’s gang

rode into Bathurst on 3rd October, 1863 was Mr.

J.L. Alexander’s “The Bathurst Chemist”. James

Lyon Alexander, M.P.S., was born in Scotland and

before emigrating to the Colony of New South

Wales he practiced as a pharmacist there.

In 1845 he located his pharmaceutical and druggist

business along with his surgical and mechanical

dental surgery in William Street, next to the Royal

Hotel. His dental business was registered in London

and he was a member of the Pharmaceutical Society

of Great Britain and New South Wales. He was to

form a partnership with Mr. Henry Butterworth but

prior to this the Scotsman had been an assistant to

Dr. Richard Machattie. Mr. Alexander lived above

the business.

In 1856 the partners decided to commence

manufacturing soda water in conjunction with their

druggist business, though this was really Mr.

Alexander’s project. The business was advertised as

a “Wholesale Druggist and Importer of genuine

drugs, chemicals, perfumery, toilet requisites and

sundries.” At one time Mr. Alexander advertised

that every drug used in dispensing was tested before

use and guaranteed in strict conformity with British

Pharmacopoeia and he had one of the largest and

best stocks in the colony.

Bathurst’s pioneering families would have similar

problems to today such as - dandruff, aches and

sprains, dropsy, gout, jaundice, lumbago, measles,

abscesses, eczema, bee stings, boils, piles,

ringworm, scarlet fever, toothache, warts, blood

disorders and the list would go on. Firstly many

people would treat disorders with home remedies

with items such as Goanna oil, hops, glycerine,

Boar's (pig) grease, opium, laudanum, ointment of

tobacco, cod liver oil, oil of almonds, Condi’s

crystals, carbonate of soda, sulphur or cream of

tartar, olive oil, nutmeg, copper sulphate, camphor,

oil of aniseed, eucalyptus, kerosene and more, most

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of which could be purchased from Alexander’s

Chemist.

Chemist shops in the 1860s were very different

from today. Almost all prescriptions had to be made

from various ingredients which were commonly

crushed up in a brass or bronze mortar and pestle.

Ingredients for the recipe would be painstakingly

measured out on a set of balance scales, often hand-

held in the early days. Several ceramic tiles would

be used for rolling out pill masses before making it

into tablets or pills. Mr. Alexander would have

invariably measured out his liquids in conical or

cylindrical measures made from glass which were

graduated in minims, ounces or in tablespoonfuls.

The shelves would have displays of small ceramic

pots with all sorts of contents such as cold creams,

ointments, bear’s grease, pomades, toothpaste,

salves as well as creams for shaving. Each would

have its own decorative lid to tempt the customers.

Pharmacists had to make up creams and ointments

mixing the ingredients on an ointment slab and

mixed with a spatula. Their ‘Surgical and

Mechanical Dentistry Department’ could supply

artificial teeth set in gold, celluloid and vulcanite in

English or American designs at moderate prices.

Late in 1886 Mr. Alexander sold his business to Mr.

John McDonald. He later retired and departed for

Sydney due to failing health where he died in

August 1891.

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EDWARD MONTAGUE BATTYE

Edward Montague Battye was born on 29th March,

1817, at Rougham Hall in Suffolk, England. At the

age of eighteen Edward joined the Army and two

years later, in 1837, became a page to Queen

Adelaide. Before long he joined the 23rd Royal

Welsh Fusileers after receiving his commission,

rising quickly to the rank of captain. He saw service

as the aide-de-camp to Sir William Williams during

the 1837-38 Canadian rebellion and afterwards

raising and training local recruits.

Battye and his wife, whom he had married in

Canada, sailed back to England before sailing to the

colony of New South Wales, arriving on 29th

December, 1847. He had been appointed as aide-de-

camp to his uncle, Major-General Edward Wynyard,

who had been appointed commander of the military

forces of Australia.

When payable gold was discovered near Bathurst in

1851, Governor Charles Fitzroy appointed Battye to

undertake the reform of the Military Mounted

Police so they could perform duties on the

goldfields and undertake escorts of gold. When

Major-General Wynyard was ordered to sail for

England in 1852 Captain Edward Battye decided to

retire from the 23rd Royal Welsh Fusileers and the

Army and undertook to stay with the police.

Captain Battye, along with nine troopers, rode up to

Bathurst arriving on 5th June, 1851. Arrangements

had been made to accommodate the men at the

Shepherd’s Home Inn on the corner of Piper and

Rankin Streets. Mr. James Maher had built the inn

and was the first licensee, though Mr. Slee took

over afterwards, followed by Mr. Conroy. An

application was made by Mr. Bulger but it was

refused so one assumes that Mrs. Maher took the

opportunity to fill her establishment and take on the

troopers as lodgers.

Within a short time an Aboriginal tracker named

Billy Taylor was appointed, however he died in July

1861.

Edward Battye was renowned for neglecting to pay

the accounts for supplies provided to the police.

Businesses had to tender to the New South Wales

Government to supply food for the troopers and

forage for the horses and were soon upset if

payment didn’t follow. Battye’s administrative

inability not only extended to not getting the

paperwork to pay for daily expenses but also it held

up the wages of his men.

Byrnes, Wise and Co was established by Messers H.

Byrnes and G.F. Wise in Bathurst in 1851. The

gentlemen’s general store sold items from crockery

to farm machinery, gold pans to ironmongery

(hardware), beer to groceries. At one stage they

were selling ‘portable thrashing machines of two

horse power from M. Wedlake and Company’ from

their premises in William Street. The business also

had the contract to supply horse feed for the

trooper’s horses. As payment was not forthcoming

Mr. George F. Wise wrote on numerous occasions

requesting Captain Battye to pay the Police account,

mainly for horse fodder, which at one time was in

excess of £180.

By 1857 there were 26 troopers under Battye’s

command though not all were stationed in Bathurst.

They were spread around in towns and villages such

as Carcoar, Blackheath, Diamond Swamp, Orange,

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Hartley, Ben Bullen and Ballyrow. The Gold

Commissioners controlled the Mounted Gold

Police. In January 1859 Captain Battye was seeking

local men to serve in the Bathurst Mounted Police.

On 9th April, 1861, Edward Battye learnt via the

N.S.W. Government Gazette that his command of

the Western Mounted Police and Gold Escorts had

been superseded. This he would have found

distressing, however it didn’t stop him writing to the

Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal to thank his

non-commissioned officers and troopers for their

services while under his command during the

previous ten years. His letter prompted others in

Bathurst and surrounds to write to the newspaper

expressing their gratitude to this man. Several

months later Captain Battye placed an

advertisement in the Bathurst Times newspaper

seeking employment.

Battye’s job was taken over by English born, ex

British East India Company ensign and ex

magistrate, William Chatfield. The new

Superintendent of the Mounted Patrol in the

Western District soon discovered that his area

covered some 120,000 square miles. Chatfield had

married in the Colony of New South Wales in 1841,

before going back to India for several years and

then returning to Sydney in 1844.

By early 1862 Battye had been reappointed to the

‘new’ police force as an inspector, taking up duties

at Lambing Flat. As authorities appreciated his

policing skills but not his administrative paperwork

flaws, Battye was often transferred to new locations.

In 1862 he became Inspector of Police at

Burrangong before going on to Cooma. He later

became a Superintendent of Police serving around

the country areas of the colony. Battye was involved

in the pursuit of the Ben Hall and the Clarke gangs.

Captain Battye retired from the Police Force in 1890

after over forty years of service. He died on 12th

July, 1898. ooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooo

CRUDE PEPPER-BOX PISTOL

Most bushrangers would not have been interested in

this circa 1850 English .38 calibre self-cocking six-

barrel pepper-box revolver as they were not

effective enough except at close range. They were

however carried and used by many of the other

colonials at the time to give a sense of protection.

Most were not even fired in anger. Almost everyone

had one or more firearms during these times. Pistols

such as this were often taken off the bushranger’s

victims who were being held up and most of the

time were thrown away in the bush. These pieces

sold for around 12 shillings in England and shipped

to the Colony of New South Wales, sometimes

selling for up to twenty times the price to the

prospectors, shepherds, settlers, farmers and others.

Those with money purchased better firearms. ooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooo

EARLY POLICE WERE THE MILITARY

The current New South Wales Mounted Police Unit

will be in Bathurst on Saturday 28th September to

take part in the re-enactment as well as undertake

normal Police patrols around the streets of Bathurst.

Today’s Mounted Police Unit has ties with the first

mounted Police in Bathurst.

In the 1890s new Police buildings were constructed

on the corner of Durham and William Streets on the

old Ordinance Grounds at a cost of £3,000. These

Bathurst Police were part of the Western Police

District with their uniform consisting of a blue coat,

buttoned to the neck with silver buttons and fawn

trousers. Bathurst’s first local law and order

personnel were members of the military regiment

sent to Bathurst to look after the convicts which

Governor Macquarie left behind after he proclaimed

Bathurst in 1815. William Cox was appointed acting

Commandant, however he had no authority to order

soldiers around even though he was a magistrate.

A brick lock-up or gaol was constructed on the

Ordinance Ground in the early 1820s and is thought

to have been finished during Lt. William Lawson’s

time as the Commandant at Bathurst. He resigned in

1823. Major James Thomas Morrisset, known for

his competency as well as being a disciplinarian,

followed. In January 1825 Lieutenant Fennell

arrived to succeed Morrisset, however he died in

early July the following year. All these

commandants had authority as magistrates as well

James Parker was the gaoler listed in 1827 and was

responsible for the lock-up.

Police mounted on their horses in Bathurst - 1900s

Bathurst’s Major-General William Stewart of

Mount Pleasant estate in late 1825 was responsible

for the organisation of the first group of Mounted

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Police, some thirty in all, in the Colony of New

South Wales. They were to become known as

“Stewart’s Police”. Stewart was, for a short time,

Acting Governor in December 1825 after Governor

Brisbane departed and until Governor Darling

arrived from England.

Members of various regiments often resigned to

take positions with the Mounted Police or even

commanding the Mounted Police. Lieutenant James

Brown, of the 57th Regiment, was sent to Bathurst

to command the local Mounted Police in mid

December 1827, with Lieutenant Maule taking over

in March 1831. Most of these senior positions seem

to be changed over quite often, every year or two.

The first Superintendent of Police was Lieutenant

Thomas Evernden who had been appointed in

October 1828 after problems in the colony with

bushrangers.

Horse Patrols were formed at Bathurst after

Lieutenant Fennel detected a local scheme by a

group of assigned men who were planning to

commit murder and then flee the area in August

1825. The men had already raided a local

homestead and stolen food, muskets and other guns,

as well as ammunition. Police Districts were formed

the following year, one being based in Bathurst.

Things seemed to go quiet after this until 1829 and

1830 when the Ribbon Gang incident involving

Ralph Entwistle and nine others was brought to

trial. The men were hung locally at the location

named Ribbon Gang Lane. It is near the old

Technical College in William Street and can be seen

by visitors to Bathurst during the Ben Hall Weekend

Festival from 27th to 29th September.

The first Chief Constable gazetted for Bathurst was

Mr. James Blackman, one of Governor Macquarie’s

ten receivers of a grant of land at Kelso. Blackman

took up his position in 1829 with Mr. Henry

Blunden taking over in November 1831, followed

by Mr. Isaac Watson in October 1832 before

Thomas Jones was appointed in 1835. In August

1847 Mr. William Rhodes, who had resigned from

his position as sergeant in the 58th Regiment, was

gazetted to replace Thomas Jones as Chief

Constable in Bathurst.

Mounted Police at Bathurst c. 1890s

There seemed to be a good deal of comment on this

new appointment. Several weeks previously Mr.

Jones, who held the position of Chief Constable

with great credit for upwards of thirteen years, had

tendered his resignation. Although his successor had

been gazetted for upwards of three weeks he had as

yet not made an appearance in Bathurst. One local

newspaper reporter thought: - “that it would have

been far more desirable that some person should

have been appointed who had some local knowledge

of both persons and the surrounding Bathurst

country. It was pointed out that at Bathurst Assizes

and Quarter Session it very frequently happened

that the Chief Constable is referred to as to the

character of individuals being brought up for trial.

Of this, of course, a total stranger can have no

knowledge and in this respect some inconvenience

will be experienced. In the present constabulary

force there are some very old hands and intelligent

men who have been in the service for several years.

The reporter felt that surely one amongst those

might have been selected and recommended to fill

the situation.”

The first publication of the ‘New South Wales

Police Gazette’ appeared in 1862 after the N.S.W.

Police Force became a single entity after the passing

of the Police Regulation Act 1862. The new

publication incorporated an earlier publication

known as the ‘New South Wales Reports of Crime’.

The first Police Gazette contained a list of all

serving police officers from the Inspector General

down to constables. The gazette was dispatched to

all N.S.W. Police stations giving details of warrants

issued, crimes committed, prisoners who had

escaped, criminals apprehended and wanted, court

reports, missing persons, staff appointments and

other items of interest to the police personnel.

In 1872 the Police Force began using photography

(albumen photographs) to document criminals,

recording information such as name, age, sex,

religion, year of birth, complexion, physical

description of offender, offense committed, where,

when tried and sentence. ooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooo

CONSTABLE FREDRICK SUTTON

English born in 1837, Fredrick Sutton did not

receive any special education and at the age of

fourteen began work for a bricklayer, a trade he

initially pursued. After arriving in the Colony of

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New South Wales he joined the New South Wales

Police on 4th July, 1862, as a constable. Some

thirteen months later, on 1st August, 1863, he

received his promotion to Senior Constable. Near

Carcoar on 6th August, 1863, Senior Constable

Sutton was mounted on his horse following a wagon

in which were three prisoners secured in leg iron

and hand cuffs. One prisoner was Micky Burke’s

cousin, James Burke. Constables Merrin and

Grainger were keeping an eye on the men.

Superintendent Edric Morisset was sitting up front

with the driver, in between them was a female

passenger.

John Gilbert,

John Vane and

John O’Meally,

on stolen steeds,

had decided to

lay an ambush at

Five Mile

Waterholes,

between Carcoar

and King’s

Plains. It was

getting on

towards one

o’clock and as

usual the

bushrangers had

brought their arsenal – double barrel carbines and

multiple revolvers. The bushrangers came upon a

bullock driver, Mr. John McGeorge, heading to

Carcoar and hadn’t stopped him for long when the

escorted mail coach with the prisoners was

sighted, though they were unaware it was escorted

by the Police.

O’Meally was bent on killing or wounding

Superintendent Edric Morisset and fired off his

carbine but the former had moved quickly to get out

of the line of sight beside the coach. The two

guarding constables also went undercover using the

coach as protection. The bushrangers decided to get

away and Gilbert rode off with Senior Constable

Sutton on his tail. The men exchanged shots, one of

Gilbert’s finding its mark hitting Trooper Sutton in

the right arm near his elbow and into his body.

Sutton then headed back encountering John Vane on

the way, managing not to get shot again.

Superintendent Edric Morisset and the Constables

moved up a nearby hill to see if they could see the

criminals. With little success as the bushrangers

were hiding, they returned to the coach to find that

their female passenger, who had initially fainted,

had come to. Senior Constable Sutton was then

removed to inside the coach where his comrades

took him to a house at nearby Water Holes and Dr.

Machattie of Bathurst was sent for.

Later, after John Vane gave himself up and was

placed in gaol by Dr. Palmer, Police Magistrate,

Senior Constable Sutton viewed Vane in the gaol

yard more than once so that the policeman who had

been shot in the arm during the hold-up of the

Carcoar mail coach could try to identify him. On the

first occasion Sutton declared that he did not know

Vane but subsequently at the trial he said that he

identified Vane. ooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooo

BEN HALL - PART OF THEO BARKER

MEMORIAL LECTURE ON 16TH AUGUST

This special lecture will take place in Bathurst on

Friday 16th August at 6pm. Known as the Theo

Barker Memorial Lecture, it is being held on the

Bathurst campus of Charles Sturt University in

Building CO2 in Lecture Theatre 347. The route

will be marked to the venue, from Panorama

Avenue, by coloured balloons as usual.

Andrew Pike, OAM, will be delivering the

lecture on Australian film history, with a

Bathurst and bushranger flavour. RSVP by 14th

August to Ms Kate Esdaile, phone 63384645 or

email kesdaile@csu.edu.au

Andrew Pike (left) is a film

distributor, film historian,

documentary film-maker and

former exhibitor with a long and

distinguished career.

Various movies will be covered

from the black and white silent

days filmed around the Bathurst

area, including some on our local

bushrangers. ooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooo

BEN HALL WOULD HAVE HANDED

CARTWHEEL PENNIES BACK!

One copper coin that would have been in circulation

during Ben Hall’s life was the large copper, two

ounce English coin known as the ‘cartwheel’

twopence, though he would have had little interest

in their two penny value. Along with the penny they

were dated 1797 and were produced with the same

date for some twenty years. Numbers of these coins

would have arrived in the Southern Colonies in the

pockets of free settlers, businessmen and officials.

As early as 1774 James Watt, the steam engine

designer, had suggested using steam power to drive

a coining press. He met up with Matthew Boulton, a

toymaker, engineer, industrialist, manufacturer and

philanthropist and would revolutionise the minting

of coins in Britain and around the world. Their first

steam-driven screw press was built in 1786. The

British monarch and Treasury, by the late 1700's,

were coming under increasing pressure to sort out

the nation's coinage problems, not to mention its

colonies such as New South Wales. British

Parliament set up the ‘Committee on Coin’ to

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overcome the counterfeiting and shortage of coins.

Boulton begged the Government to allow him a

licence to strike official coinage which was granted

and the so-called ‘Cartwheel coins’ were born and

designed by Conrad Heinrich Kuchler who worked

for Boulton. Matthew Boulton believed that copper

coins should be worth the actual value of the metal

content. Boulton's steam-powered equipment could

turn out fifty cartwheel pennies each minute and

almost the same for the twopence coin (below).

Ironically, these hefty cartwheel penny pieces were

to be the first coins officially shipped out to the

Colony of New South Wales. Boulton's cartwheel

pennies (about 650 English pounds worth) arrived

in wooden barrels in Sydney in 1799.

The front of the ‘cartwheel coins’ feature the side

portrait of King George III complete with laurel

wreath, who approved the design in May 1797.

Around the edge is “GEORGIUS III D. G. REX”.

The reverse has the Roman figure ‘Britannia’ seated

on a rock amidst the waves (and the first time she

appeared on official coinage) with a line of man o’

war ships on the horizon. In her left hand is a trident

slanting above a shield which bears the Union Jack.

A small branch is being held in her right hand.

Around the wide edge in incuse letters is

“BRITANNIA – 1797”.

Boulton's penny contained a full ounce of copper

and was often used as weights and greengrocers and

shopkeepers did use them for this. Another usage

was that eight of the pennies could be lined up on a

piece of cloth - their combined length being an

imperial foot so haberdashers were happy also.

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MEETING CONCERNING BUSHRANGER’S

RAID HELD IN THE BATHURST COURT

HOUSE

(From the Bathurst Free Press – from Monday 5th

May, 1863.)

“In consequence of the appearance of Gilbert and

his party in Bathurst on Saturday night last, Dr.

Palmer issued circulars to several of the inhabitants

inviting them to attend at the Court House on

Monday morning, to consider what means could be

adopted for the protection of the town in the present

emergency. The circumstance that a meeting was

called having been made public, a large number of

persons collected together, and about half past

eleven o'clock the Court House was tolerably well

filled. Amongst the persons present were observed

the greater part of the most respectable residents in

the town in addition to several magistrates and

other gentlemen residing in the vicinity.

Dr. Palmer was called to the chair, and said that in

consequence of what had occurred on Saturday

evening last, when a gross attack had been made by

a party of armed men upon the residence of Mr.

McMinn and also upon that of Mr. De Clouet,

whom they robbed, he had deemed it necessary to

call them together for the purpose of discussing the

question “what can be done for the protection of the

town?” He thought it was not probable that the

bushrangers would visit the town during the night

but he hoped that all the residents who could do so

would arm themselves and be prepared to meet

them if they should visit Bathurst again. He would

have convened a public meeting by advertisement or

printed circular, but that course would have

involved considerable delay which was not

advisable in the present emergency.

The police appointed to town duty were fourteen in

number, being one senior constable and six others

for day duty, and one senior constable and five

others for night duty, besides the one housekeeper

all those men were all well armed and were ready at

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a moment’s notice to give assistance if required. He

was of opinion that, it would be better at that

meeting to deal with the question in a general way

rather than go into minute particulars, for he

believed that there were some who would convey the

intelligence to the bushrangers, and he had no

doubt, there were some, in that room who were

prepared to adopt that course.

Later photo of the current Court House

He thought it would to wise to appoint a committee

to deal with the minutes of the matter, and by that

means arrangements might be made that would not

reach the ears of the bushrangers. A great deal had

been said about the police, but he knew that they

were ready and anxious to do the utmost in their

power; he referred to two or three facts to prove the

truth of this statement.

Messrs. Hawkins, Farrand, McGuigan, Webb,

Smith, Stanger, Parker, Rotten, De Clouet and

Curtis took part in the discussion which then

ensued. It was argued that five policemen were not

sufficient, for night duty in the town, and that in

order to the proper protection of the inhabitants a

number of special constables should be sworn in

and they, with the town police, should be placed

under the orders of the police magistrate (who

resided in town), and not have to wait for

instructions from an officer of the force, whose duty

might call him fifty or sixty miles from Bathurst. It

was also contended that business would be much

better managed if a committee were appointed, as

many suggestions might be made and some plans

adopted, which, if made publicly known, would most

likely be defeated in consequence of the system of

bush telegraphy now in operation.

Mr Smith thought it would be taking too much into

their own hands to attempt to place the police under

the contro1 of the Police Magistrate, as it would be

interfering with the powers conferred upon the

Superintendent of Police under the Police Act.

Mr. Rotten coincided with Mr. Smith in his opinion

upon that part of the subject, and thought that by

taking the police from under the control of their

own officer and placing them under the control of

another, they would be attempting to override an

Act of Parliament.

Mr. Farrand had no doubt that on the question of

legal right Mr. Rotton was correct in what he had

said, but the present was a time of great emergency,

and he thought they were not asking too much by

the resolution before the meeting, and, in the

absence of the Superintendent of Police, he was of

opinion that the Government would be justified in

acceding to the request of the inhabitants of

Bathurst.

Mr. De Clouet argued the expediency of secrecy

what they had already said would be all known, and

if they went, into a private room to discuss the

matter, it would soon be known outside and

discussed at the corner of every street; plenty of

volunteers could be obtained if the Government

would pay them, but he did not think it was

necessary to swear in special constables.

The following resolutions were put and carried. “It

is the opinion of this meeting that, for the better

protection of life and property in this town, a

number of special constables should be immediately

sworn-in and equipped by the Government, and

parties willing to volunteer to form a mounted body

(and find their own horses) for protection at night,

be immediately enrolled, and that they may be

placed under the control of the police magistrate

and magistrates; and that the Inspector General be

requested to place the police at present allotted for

the protection of the town under the same

authorities. That a committee be appointed to take

into consideration the necessary steps for protecting

life and property in Bathurst, and also to

communicate with the Government as to the

schemes to be devised for the capture of

bushrangers, and the suppression of bushranging.

The committee to consist of the Mayor, the Police

Magistrate, Mr. Webb; Dr. Machattie, Mr.

Robinson, Mr. Hawkins, Dr. Connell, Mr. W. Lee,

Snr.; Mr. John Dargin, Mr Stranger, Mr. J. C.

White, Dr. McDonagh, Mr. Kenna, Mr. J. De

Clouet and Mr. William Farrand; five to form a

quorum.”

Dr. Palmer stated to the meeting that he had just

received the following telegram from the Colonial

Secretary-: “From the Colonial Secretary to the

Police Magistrate. The Government will most

cordially co-operate with the inhabitants of the

town of Bathurst in any steps such as you suggest.

Keep me apprised of anything you hear. In the

absence of the police officer you may do what you

think best.”

After a vote of thanks to Dr. Palmer for the action

he had taken in the affair, and for his conduct in the

chair, the meeting broke up.”

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BUSHRANGER BOOK FOR SALE

9

Prominent Bathurst architect Henry Bialowas, who

recently received a prestigious Award from the

Australian Institute of Architects Country Division

for his design of the Cathedral Bell Tower and

convenor of the Bathurst Town Square group has

written a book called “Ten Dead Men” a speculative

history of the local Ribbon Gang.

The book was officially

launched by the then Mayor

of Bathurst, Paul Toole,

with the event conducted by

Marie Sullivan. Marie is the

Architect of the Macquarie

2010 bicentenary

commemorations for Gov.

Lachlan and Mrs. Elizabeth

Macquarie and as chair,

influenced the New South

Wales Government to

endorse the program as well

as securing the patronage of

Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO

Governor of NSW.

Introductory remarks said: “Ten Dead Men” probes

into the facts and fictions that feed the story which

in parts feel uncompromisingly bleak-a sunburned,

grimy-nailed saga wrung from the on-going process

of civilising a largely untamed and often brutal

1830s Australia. There’s an engaging ebb and flow

to Henry’s narrative style and a sense of foreboding

that tragedy is inevitable. The book pulls no

punches. Importantly, it doesn’t resort to shock

tactics. Instead it provides a well researched

analysis of a truly remarkable story by examining

and developing several central themes. ooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooo

BATHURST NEWSPAPERS RECORD

BEN HALL ANTICS

A small, four page paper, “The Bathurst Advocate,”

made its bow to the local citizens on Saturday, 3rd

February, 1848. It cost nine pence a copy, and in

keeping with newspaper style of the times, the front

page consisted of advertisements. It announced that

it was printed by “Benjamin Isaacs, sole proprietor,

at The Bathurst Advocate office, William St.”

An advertisement from a June 1849 Advocate newspaper

The “Advocate” went along well for a year or so,

then the proprietor was in trouble. He published an

item from a contributor, which led to libel action,

and in addition to being obliged to pay £40

damages, he had to serve an obligatory gaol

sentence. Soon afterwards he disposed of the paper,

which was sold to Mr. William Ferrand, who

changed the name to the “Free Press”. On 31st July,

1858, the goodwill and plant were bought by J.C.

White, who renamed the paper, “The Free Press and

Mining Journal.”

On 17th March, 1858, the “Bathurst Times” first

saw the light. In true newspaper tradition of getting

to press whatever the obstacles, the first issue of the

“Times” triumphed over difficulties. It told its

readers: “Almost all our type was not delivered by

the carrier from Sydney until noon on the 15th. inst.,

when we had given up all ideas of publishing

today.”

“At the present moment one of our firm is on the

road in quest of the carrier, having started from

Bathurst on horseback at six o’clock on Monday

morning with the intention of proceeding until he

found him, even to Sydney.” The “Times” was

published by a partnership of Messrs. W. Wheeler

and E. G. Wilton. The partnership was soon

dissolved, and Wilton went to Forbes, where he set

up a paper called the “Lachlan Observer.”

In 1859 he returned to Bathurst and, with his

brother, Mr. T.T. Wilton, he re-established the

“Times”. In 1873 the goodwill, and presumably the

plant, was sold to Messrs. Dowse and McDougal. In

1881 the “Bathurst Times” became a daily.

The Free Press and Mining Journal took keen

interest in all proceedings at the Bathurst Court

House each time one or other of the bushrangers

appeared.

Newspaper personnel frequently attended the Police

Office to get reports on the latest robbery or

something else newsworthy. One was the attack on

the Assistant Gold Commissioner’s home at Dunns

Plains near Rockley when Mr. Keightley was held

for a £500 ransom. During the melee Michael Burke

was shot. Mrs. Keightley had to drive a horse and

sulky into Bathurst to get her father, Henry Rotton,

to organise the ransom money from the bank.

When the Ben Hall raid took place on Bathurst on

Saturday 3rd October, 1863, one of the paper’s own

staff was involved, a Mr. John Hunter, a

compositor, who was seated at Mr. De Clouet’s inn

reading newspapers when confronted.

There was another great news story when Father

McCarthy brought John Vane to Bathurst so he

could surrender to the Police Magistrate, Dr.

William Palmer. This procedure took place in front

of the Bathurst Court House in November 1863.

10

Afterwards John Vane was imprisoned in the old

Bathurst Gaol at the rear of the Court house.

The attached Police Magistrate’s room is seen to the

left of the Court House.

The newspaper relied on the Bathurst Telegraph

Office and they relied on them to deliver any

telegrams promptly. One such news story took place

on Monday 28th September, 1863, “News has just

reached here that Gilbert, O'Meally, Ben Hall,

Burke, and Vane have stuck up Mr. John Loudon's

house at Grubbenbong, near Carcoar. They

handcuffed all the inmates while they searched the

house for policemen they had been told were there.

Finding none, they went to prosecute their search

elsewhere. They said before leaving Mr. Loudon's

house that if any more troopers were sent from

Bathurst they would capture them and take them in,

handcuffed, to Carcoar.”

The Free Press and Mining Journal often sent

articles and information on to other newspapers in

the southern colonies via telegram.

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SPONSORS SO FAR

The Bathurst District Historical Society is indebted

to a number of sponsors to help with the financial

commitments of staging the Ben Hall Raid

Weekend Festival on 27th, 28th and 29th

September. The first are:-

• Bathurst Regional Council

• Keystone

• Panorama Paints

• P & B Hennessy

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BEN HALL’S GANG

VISITED QUEEN CHARLOTTES VALE

The village we now call Perthville was initially

known as Queen Charlottes Vale. It was then called

Perth until it was finally changed to Perthville in

1908 (primarily due to mail direction problems with

Perth in Western Australia). Local papers at the

time noted numerous suggestions for the new name

such as Perth Vale, Charlotte Town and

Bridgetown.

A later photo of Perthville

The Queen Charlottes Vale area was named after

Queen Charlotte, wife of the King George III (1738-

1820), with the area settled since the 1820s. By the

1850s the population was increasing to a point that

in 1863 plans for a village, to be known as Perth,

had been drawn up and surveyors sent to survey it.

Initially it was basically a road junction with the

branching of three roads some six miles out of

Bathurst ‘in a southerly direction’. In 1859, even

before the village was surveyed, land was donated

to allow for the construction of a Methodist Church

which was finally opened in May 1863. By the early

1890s this church was too small so it was altered

and enlarged.

William Lane, a devout Wesleyan, was one early

landowner who built a large home on ‘The Vale’. He

once owned the land on which the Hen and Chickens

Inn was constructed. Lane paid to erect this inn which

was constructed of bricks and timber slabs with a

shingle roof in 1855. A cellar had been dug out and

was where the hogsheads of beer were kept. It

initially boasted six bedrooms, a bar, dining room,

kitchen and verandah with the inn’s first licensee

being Mr. Samuel Walker, an Army sergeant who

had retired, though he was there only a few years.

According to the Bathurst Free Press and Mining

Journal, Henry Butler was the innkeeper at the Hen

and Chickens Inn in June 1859, this being his fourth

hostellery that he had operated in the previous

decade. Henry obviously planned to stay a while as

he catered for the teamsters travelling from Bathurst

via Evans Plains to Orange and other directions.

Butler built resting yards and paddocks for the

livestock along with erecting a blacksmith shop.

Early in 1860 a meeting was held in the village of

Perth that was the beginning of the end of the

political career for the local Legislative Council

member Mr. Henry Mort. Those in attendance

expressed their discontent with him and passed a

motion as such. Mort was a large landholder in the

region and he lost the next election.

Ben Hall and his gang of bushrangers visited Samuel

Walker’s hostellery on the night of 6th October,

1863, however it was not the first Hen and Chickens

Inn but another inn built at ‘the junction’, about half a

11

mile away near the Vale Creek. The outlaws held up

those in the hotel’s establishment

They then moved on to Mr. and Mrs. McDiamid’s

general store further along the road. Here they stayed

for a short while eating canned fish and other items as

they loaded up with tobacco, tea, sugar, tinned fish

and some material to take with them. The men raided

the store’s cash tray as well as stealing a sixpence and

shilling (below) from a money box. This location will

be visited as part of the Ben Hall Bus Tours being

conducted over the three days of the festival.

This 1842 Queen Victoria silver shilling (above) is

typical of many of the shillings that would be in

circulation during Ben Hall’s bushranging time. The

inscription on the obverse of this shilling reads

‘VICTORIA D G BRITT REG F D’. The reverse

(back) shows the Imperial Crown with “ONE

SHILLING” within a laurel wreath and the date

‘1842’ at the bottom (below.)

The first portrait for Queen Victoria’s coinage is

known as the “Young Head”.Though it was refined

and modified a number of times during its use it still

incorporated the young portrait of the queen. The

Wyon obverse coin design was formally approved

on the 26th February, 1838, showing the left facing

profile of the young Queen with her hair drawn

back into a

chignon and her

head bound by a

double fillet.

This bust was

used for her first

coins from 1838

until 1887 for

gold and silver

coins, but

continued in use

until as late as

1895 on some bronze coins. This early design was

one that the citizens in the Colony of New South

Wales were used to.

Much of the work on Queen Victoria’s young

coinage was done by the Wyon family. Firstly by

William Wyon, who died in 1851 and then by his

eldest son Leonard Charles Wyon (1826–91). After

a long dispute, in 1828 it was decided that William

Wyon would be appointed as chief engraver to the

Royal Mint in London and Benedetto Pistrucci was

given the designation of Chief Medallist of the

Mint.

William Wyon was held in high regard by Queen

Victoria. Their relationship began early for the

Queen first sat for him as a young Princess of

thirteen and he produced a medallic portrait for her

eighteenth birthday. This was followed by a portrait

in lower relief for the new Queen's coins, which

began to find their way into circulation in the

summer of 1838, and by a diademed portrait for a

medal commemorating the Queen's visit to the City

of London in November 1837.

A sixpence is a silver

coin that was worth half

that of the shilling. It

was equal in value to six

pennies, or pence. Under

the British pre-decimal

pound/shilling/pence

(£sd) system, a pound

was valued at 240 pence.

One pound was equal to

20 shillings and a

shilling was equal to 12 pence.

Queen Victoria’s reign of 63 years was longer than

any other British monarch. Known as the Victorian

era, this was a period of industrial growth and

expansion of the British Empire. Sixpence coins

until 1887 featured the “Young Head” of Victoria,

those from 1887 on featured her more mature

profile. All of the sixpences issued during Victoria's

rule and Ben Hall’s time are sterling silver.

These silver sixpences have been the focal point of

several long-standing traditions in the past. To many

they were considered a lucky coin but Ben Hall and

his mates wouldn’t have considered that point.

Young ladies on their wedding day often carried a

silver sixpence in a purse in the belief it did not

attract bad luck. Most of us have heard a version of

the following - “Something old, something new,

something borrowed, something blue and a sixpence

in her shoe.” Thus some brides placed a British

sixpence in the bottom of their shoe on their

wedding day as a good luck charm and for

prosperity. One wonders if Biddy had one in her

shoe when she married Ben Hall.

The sixpence was also popular in Christmas

puddings, especially here in Australia. My father, a

Lancaster Bomber pilot during World War Two,

along with other pilots and crew, had a silver

sixpence sewn behind their brevets or wings for

12

good luck. It worked for him anyway, he came

home.

In May 1865 a school opened in Perth but due to

small numbers attending it closed the following year

in March, reopening again in October 1873 as the

Perth Public School. All schools were inspected

annually and an inspector would arrive from the

Council of Education. ooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooo

This old clock is

one of the exhibits

in the Bathurst

District Historical

Society Museum. It

was installed in the

bank which was

situated beside Mr.

Pedrotta’s Gunshop

where Ben Hall’s

gang visited during

their raid on

Bathurst. It was put in by E. Curtis & Co.,

watchmaker of Bathurst about seven years after the

raid took place.

Where this original bank was is where the ANZ

bank is in William Street now. ooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooo

DID YOU KNOW?

• That when the Ben Hall gang visited Mr.

De Clout’s hotel during their raid on

Bathurst he asked Mrs. De Clouet to hand

over the cashbox. When she finally agreed

to get it she attempted to hand over the

child in her arms to Hall while she was

getting the box, however he simply showed

her his revolver in his hands and laughed.

• That John Walsh, the father-in-law of John

McGuire, married Julia Hickey, at Bathurst

on 20th October, 1836. Julia later died after

the birth of her fourth child.

• John McGuire, son of an Irish convict,

married his employer’s daughter, Ellen. The

couple were married at St. Michael’s

Roman Catholic Church in George Street in

Bathurst on 10th November, 1852.

• Francis Bathurst Suttor, later Sir, was born

at Bathurst in 1839. His father, Mr. W. H.

Suttor, had, at the age of sixteen,

accompanied his father, Mr. George Suttor,

over the Blue Mountains in 1821. They took

up land near Peel some eight miles north of

Bathurst which they called “Brucedale”.

The same year that Ben Hall and his cohorts

raided Bathurst in 1863 young Francis

married Miss Hawkins, a daughter of Mr.

Thomas Hawkins.

• That the cabbage tree hats which the

bushrangers and others wore were literally

that – hats made from the plaited palm

fronds of the cabbage tree palm.

• That James Edward Marsden, a butcher at

the time, was one of the seventeen Special

Constables sworn in for the protection of

Bathurst residents and to assist in the

apprehension of the bushrangers by Dr.

Palmer, Bathurst’s Police Magistrate after

the raid on Bathurst on 3rd October, 1863.

Almost to the day, six years later, Mr.

Marsden on 4th October, 1869, was

appointed the new postmaster at Kelso Post

Office by colonial postal officials.

• Ben Hall, John Gilbert and John O’Meally

stole two horses on 30th October, 1863, at

Davey Plains. In exchange they left another

horse which they stated belonged to Mr.

Bernard F. Hughes. Mr. B.F. Hughes was a

hotelier, initially at Kelso in 1848. He later

transferred his Woolpack Inn to William

Street in Bathurst in 1850. He later operated

an inn on the Turon River to cater for gold

prospectors. He was also a flour miller, a

hotelier again and later landowner at Peel

near Bathurst. On a visit to Bathurst he

stayed at the Carrier’s Arms Inn run by Mr.

Charles Turner. He died there after

swallowing four ounces of tincture of

opium (laudanum) on 5th November, 1867.

BEN HALL RAID WEEKEND FESTIVAL

CONTACTS

Alan McRae, President, Bathurst District

Historical Society. Phone 63315404 evening is

best or email amcrae@lisp.com.au

Publicity & e-newsletter

email amcrae@lisp.com.au or phone 63315404 -

evening is best.

Dinner Bookings

Bathurst District Historical Society, P.O. Box 237,

Bathurst NSW 2795 or personally to the BDHS

Museum. East Wing, Bathurst Court House,

Russell Street, Bathurst. Phone 63308455

– Best times 11am – 2pm Tuesday to Sunday.

info@bathursthistory.org.au

Russell Street Activities & Space Co-Ordinator Samantha Friend, Phone 63294233

samantha.friend@hotmail.com

For other information go to our website at

www.bathursthistory.org.au for the weekend

program and more information.

© Bathurst District Historical Society

Alan McRae, FAIHA, President - Bathurst District

Historical Society and Ben Hall Weekend Festival e-

newsletter Editor