(The following article was written by me for the May edition of The Hobart Magazine.) If you happened to have been walking along Murray Street in early 1817 you may have observed a rough sailor-looking fellow with a profusion of coarse hair sitting outside the gates of the old gaol, working with a pair ofContinue reading “The Knitting Bushranger”
Tag Archives: Tasmanian Bushrangers
The Indefatigable
Nine members of the Howe gang, including Michael himself, were transported on the Indefatigable in 1811. This ship was the first to make the direct voyage from England to Hobart, arriving in the Derwent on the 9th of October 1812. Also on board were members of the 73rd regiment, which included future Howe gang memberContinue reading “The Indefatigable”
The Murder of Peter Septon
On the evening of the 26th of August 1817, Tasmanian bushranger Peter Septon was killed by George Hillier, a recent addition to the gang. Two members of Michael Howe’s gang, Peter Septon and Richard Collier, were sleeping in a hut at the back of Gordon’s Plains (Evandale) when George Hiller decided he would murder theContinue reading “The Murder of Peter Septon”
EARLY TROUBLES OF THE COLONISTS by J. E. Calder (Pt. 1)
TASMANIAN HISTORY. EARLY TROUBLES OF THE COLONISTS Illustrated by a Sketch of the Career of Michael Howe, “The last and worst of the Bushrangers.” Written by J. E. Calder. Transcribed by Aidan Phelan. Introductory View of the State of the Country between 1813 and ’18. — I think that there are but few in theContinue reading “EARLY TROUBLES OF THE COLONISTS by J. E. Calder (Pt. 1)”
The Real Michael Howe
For over two hundred years, the story of bushranger Michael Howe has been greatly distorted, with the facts buried beneath murky layers of falsehood and political disinformation. Since colonisation, Australia has been home to many bushrangers and convict bolters, with most experiencing a twisting of their story by newspapers and writers of the time; indeed,Continue reading “The Real Michael Howe”
Michael Howe and the Tallow Chandler’s Shop
In 1816, Michael Howe and his gang rounded up a number of horned cattle belonging to Stynes and Troy and took them to Murderer’s Plains, near Oatlands. The farmers had once been loyal to the gang and had shared in their plunder, but their loyalty had since wavered. Requiring more items to exchange for provisionsContinue reading “Michael Howe and the Tallow Chandler’s Shop”
A Lesson from the Lawless
You should know we have you in our sights Mr Humphrey and I dare say you should be expecting us. A man with as desperate a character as yourself should not be expecting any less. It is no secret the way you treat the convicts under your charge, I have heard firsthand how you driveContinue reading “A Lesson from the Lawless”
The Temporary Hut at the Fat Doe River
On the 17th of April 1815, Corporal Thomas Miller and his party of soldiers from the 72nd regiment, came upon one of the Howe Gangs temporary huts at the Fat Doe River. Drawing close to the makeshift shelter, the gangs kangaroo dogs began barking and growling, alerting William Martin and Richard McGwire, the only gangContinue reading “The Temporary Hut at the Fat Doe River”
Michael Howe: Governor of the Woods 