Australian History: Convict Bolters
Australia's first bushrangers were escaped convicts called 'bolters' They fled into the bush and survived by stealing from settlers and travellers. Some of the bolters worked alone; others formed gangs. The biggest gang was in Tasmania between 1805 and 1814 when more than a hundred bolters were led by John Whitehead and Michael Howe. But gangs were usually much smaller. Most of these early bushrangers were in Tasmania. If you think about the beginnings of Tasmania you will remember that it was settled as a place of (secondary punishment' where the worst criminals were sent. They were desperate men with nothing to live for.
The bush around the east Tasmanian prison at Macquarie Harbour was thick and rugged. It was hard for bolters to survive, but it was just as hard for the police to find them. This was one reason why a new prison was built at Port Arthur, separated from the main- land by a narrow peninsula. A few convicts even escaped from there. One of them was the (Boy Bandit', a l6-year-old prisoner named Rares from Port Puer. He escaped in 1839 and joined two other bolters. They robbed settlers around Launceston but within a year Rares was caught and hanged.
In the early days of Australia’s history, bushrangers roamed the countryside. They lived by stealing horses, holding up farms and travelers and robbing banks and stores. Many were escaped convicts. Others were just young men looking for adventure and freedom from the boredom of everyday work.