Book Listing

Bushranging and the Policing of Rural Banditry in New South Wales, 1860–1880

The spectacular 1860s bushranging outbreak in New South Wales evolved out a complex set of circumstances. The bandits' mastery of their environment and the symbiotic relationship they enjoyed with their supporters is revealed here as being central to their fleeting success.
Through the extensive use of police and government records this book pares away the layers of myth surrounding bushrangers. For the first time the challenges the bandits posed to the new police force are explored in detail, as is the native-born population's need to have its voice heard above the cacophony of the gold rushes.