What drove the Bushrangers into Bargo and Burragorang?

Dan Morgan stick up

There are many individual famous bushrangers in Australia but, the Shire of Wollondilly certainly had it fair share of rogues.

Wollondilly is 1½ hours south west of Sydney by today’s modern transport. Its 2,560 square kilometres stretches from Bargo in the south, Appin and Menangle in the east, Warragamba in the north and includes the Nattai wilderness, Burragorang Valley and Yerranderie.

But why were so many bushrangers active in this area? I’ll tell you after I describe the goings on of the 1800s.

Bargo Brush

The area known as Bargo Brush was first explored by white man in 1798. It incorporates the area from Appin to Bargo. (The last remaining stand of this thick scrub can be seen at Wirrimbirra Sanctuary today.) The scrub was dense, and roads often impassable due to their poor quality especially after bad weather. Journeys were long, tedious and fraught with danger.

The district became notorious for escaped convicts who turned to ‘bailing up’ coaches and even more dark and murderous deeds. In fact, it was the most notorious section of road in the colony. Even Ben Hall and his gang (John Gilbert and John Dunn) were active in the district for a period.

Burragorang Valley

Burragorang Valley was settled early in the history of the colony. It became a desired holiday destination and well known for its guesthouses but suffered for many years from escaped convicts in the area.

Because of the nature of the bush in the valley, bushrangers and cattle thieves were able to hide whole herds of cattle for several months. The bushrangers would not only rob people travelling along the road but also hold up the houses in the district.

The Valley is said to have inspired Rolf Boldrewood’s Robbery Under Arms.

Razorback

The road over Razorback Range, also part of the Great South Rd, was difficult to traverse leaving many travellers weary and vulnerable to horrific murders, unexplained accidents and notorious bushrangers of the worst kind. The tales are augmented with the ghost stories of the victims.

Appin

‘Mad’ Dan Morgan (William John Owen) was born near Appin. His nickname ‘Mad Dan’ or ‘Mad Dog’ came from his violent mood swings. He was a thief and a murderer.

Warragamba

Jack Donahue is one of Australia’s most famous bushrangers. He was a transported convict who escaped twice from the clutches of the law. He finally met his end when shot resisting arrest near Warragamba. His deeds and capture are remembered in the song “The Wild Colonial Boy”,

Wollongong to Campbelltown

A mail coach running from Wollongong to Campbelltown seemed immune, according to an 1866 Sydney Mail report, until it was struck twice in a fortnight that year. What is interesting about the report is not the mention of the hold up, but the coach was unique in being unaffected by the activity until that time.

So why were there so many bushrangers in the district?

In Sydney Town rumours abounded about a land of plenty beyond the settlement. The convicts living in misery, and desperate for freedom, readily believed the myths. There were two stories doing the rounds.

The first was of a passage overland to China and a journey of just 240 kilometres. The second story was of a free white indigenous settlement where life was easy and plentiful.

To dispel these myths, two expeditions were initiated called “expeditions of anti-discovery”.  The first in 1798 by Governor Hunter to explore the Bargo Brush district. Although Hunter was not attempting to make any discoveries even with his superiors he pretended they were.

With the same mindset in 1802 Governor King sent a similar expedition into the Burragorang Valley and Blue Mountains

The explorations did nothing to dispel the myths that prevailed well into the 1820s and 1830s.