Australian History: Friends and Heroes
The Bushrangers Friends
Bushrangers could never have done so well if they did not have the support of many bush workers, small farmers and people who lived in Country towns. They approved of what the bushrangers did, for they too hated the police and the rich squatters. They admired the bushrangers' bravery, their daring ants and their skill at riding. Country people often helped bushrangers by giving them food and hiding them from the police. Sometimes they told lies to the police to help the bushrangers get away. Sometimes they got rid of the tracks of a bushranger's horse so that his trail would be hard to follow.
They often passed a message from one person to another until it reached the bushrangers in hiding. This was called the (bush telegraph' . Of course, not everybody in the bush approved of the bushrangers Some people did not inform the police because they were frightened. Some bushrangers attacked and robbed door people as well as rich squatters, banks and coaches, Their actions made them feared and hated.
Were the Bushrangers heroes?
Many Australians today think of the bushrangers of the gold rush days as heroes. They imagine them to be brave robbers who did not kill unless their own lives were threatened. But of course this isn’t true for all bushrangers. Read about individual bushrangers on the links below and make up your own mind.