Despite the popular image of bushrangers, in the main, being nothing more than scallywags, most were murderous thugs.
Author Peter Macinnis calls on his considerable knowledge of history and his skills as a wilderness walker to uncover the naked truth about our earliest and least known bushrangers in his new book, Not Your Usual Bush Rangers.
While he does find a couple of 'endearing' bushrangers - Moondyne Joe and Diver Fitzgerald - most he encoutners were violent villains.
One such villain was John Fuller aka Daniel Morgan. Described by authorities as 'an evil man', Daniel Morgan was not averse to shooting people during a robbery.
Morgan went on a murderous rampage so it is not surprising the government placed a 1000-pound price on his head.
After holding up a Victorian family homestead in 1865, Morgan was tracked by police and shot down.
The book is, indeed, an unusal take on the Australian bushranger story. One of the best sections is at the end, where Macinnis has published the lyrics from some great bushranger songs.
- Not Your Usual Bush Rangers, $34.95, The Five Mile Press, fivemile.com.au
