Shortly afterwards, on
15 June 1862
, Gardiner led a gang of eight men, including Ben Hall, in robbing the gold escort coach near Eugowra, New South Wales (at what is now known as Escort Rock), of banknotes and 2700 ounces of gold worth more than 14,000 pounds.
Why did Ben Hall join a gang?
His wife Bridget had run away with Policeman James Taylor, and taken their son with her. Many believe this is the real reason why Ben decided to become a bushranger.
He stole a horse
and joined a gang. … Although some of the gang members were far more ruthless and violent, Ben Hall soon became their leader.
Did Ben Hall have a gang?
The Gardiner–Hall Gang
was an informal group of bushrangers who roamed the central west of New South Wales, Australia in the 1860s. Named after leaders Frank Gardiner and Ben Hall, the gang was responsible for the largest gold robbery in Australia’s history at Eugowra Rocks.
What were Ben Hall’s last words?
During the early hours of the morning, police and Hall’s former friend the Aboriginal tracker Billy Dargin, crept up and shot the sleeping Hall. The wounded bushranger’s last words before dying were: “
Shoot me dead Billy! Don’t let the traps take me alive.”
Is the legend of Ben Hall true?
Much of the dialogue used by Ben Hall, John Gilbert and John Dunn in the film comes directly from newspaper articles and eye-witness accounts. The
film’s story is based on real life events that occurred between August 1864 and May 1865
.
Who was Ben Hall’s wife?
Ben left home and began work on many cattle farms along the Lachlan River. He was known as a hard-working and honest stockman. On 29 February 1856, at the age of 19, Hall married
Bridget Walsh
(1841–1923), a farmer’s daughter, at Bathurst. On 7 August 1859, they had a son, whom they named Henry.
Who betrayed Ben Hall?
Hall’s bushranging career soured after the gang killed a police sergeant during a robbery, and he was declared an outlaw.
Michael Connolly
, who had previously given Hall assistance and protection, betrayed him to the police for a substantial reward. At dawn on 5 May 1865, Ben Hall was ambushed and shot by eight police.
What was Ben Hall’s nickname?
Ben Hall was an Australian Bushranger. He was famous because he stole the largest amount of money in Australian History. He had three main nicknames they were “Bold Ben Hall”,
“Brave Ben Hall”
and “The Gentleman Bushranger” and he stole from places like Bathurst, Forbes, Gundagai and east Goulburn.
What happened to Ben Hall’s son Henry?
Henry died in 1917 as a result of cancer of the lip
. Interestingly that while we are all so excited about The Legend of Ben Hall my grandmother always denied any link to him right up until her death in 1997.
What was Ben Hall’s childhood?
Ben Hall was born in Maitland, in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, in May 1837. He started his working life on
his father’s farm on the Pages River
near Murrurundi. In the 1850s his father was charged with horse-stealing but was acquitted after the principal witness did not show up for the trial.
When was Ben Hall killed?
On
5 May 1865
, the Australian bushranger, Ben Hall was shot and killed by police near Forbes, New South Wales.
How many bushrangers were there in Australia?
Over 2,000 bushrangers
are estimated to have roamed the Australian countryside, beginning with the convict bolters and drawing to a close after Ned Kelly’s last stand at Glenrowan.