Australian History: William Westwood
In 1836 William Westwood was sent to Australia as a convict. He was only sixteen years old and had been found guilty of stealing a coat. He was sent out to work on a farm as a convict servant. He was very cruelly treated being whipped for even the most minor mistakes or offences.
Westwood ran away from the farm and joined a bushranger called Paddy Curran. Soon they split up and Westwood continued on his own. For a year he stole horses and robbed mail coaches, farms, shops and hotels. He also stole fine clothes as he liked to be well-dressed and play the gentleman bushranger.
Early in 1841 he was caught and locked up. A few days later he escaped and continued with his bushranging. Because he stole only the best and fastest horses he was very hard to catch. He covered distances so quickly that no one ever knew where he would turn up next. His first major set-back was when he went to a hotel and called for a meal. She grabbed hold of him and screamed. A carpenter working nearby rushed in and hit Westwood over the head with a hammer. He was then taken prisoner and given a jail sentence for life. Twice he tried to escape from jail, but each time he was caught. His third attempt to escape, from Port Arthur in Tasmania, was successful.
Once more he went back to bushranging but was soon caught. This time he was sent to the harsh Norfolk Island prison. Punishments included flogging, being chained up and being locked for a month in a small dark cell with no light at all. It was too much for Westwood. One day, when even harsher rules for the prison had been announced, he snapped. Calling on other convicts to follow him, he led a mad dash for freedom. The rebellion was quickly over, the convicts were no match for the armed soldiers and had to give way. In his break for freedom, Westwood had killed five men. He was hanged along with several other prisoners for the rebellion.