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Published:
22/09/2003
It
all started with a skinny dip
The Ribbon gang
was founded by Ralph Entwistle, a
young english convict. Ralph had been
sentenced to life transportation to
New South Wales for stealing clothing.
He arrived at Botany Bay on board the
'John the 1st'. Eventually, he was
sent across the newly traversed Blue
Mountains to work on the land of John
Lipscombe, near Bathurst.
In November 1829, Ralph and another
prisoner were given the task of of
driving a bullock dray to the Sydney
markets.The cargo was a load of merino
wool, which would bring a handsome
return for their master. After selling
the wool, they had returned with the
proceeds and supplies down Parramatta
Rd to Lapstone Hill, over the Blue Mts
along Cox's road, down the precipitous
Mt York pass, and along the old
Bathurst road through Hartley,
O'Connell and Tarana ( a road which
can still be travelled today). On
returning to Bathurst, they paused for
a dip in the cool waters of the
Macquarie river. In fact a skinny dip!
Unfortunately for the two swimmers,
the Governor, Ralph Darling was in the
area to inspect the new settlement of
Bathurst. Just as the two were cooling
off, the governor's party were about
to cross the river. Realising their
imminent danger, the two convicts hid
on the bank behind some reeds and
tried to dress. However they hadn't
realised ! that there were two groups
of soldiers and were promptly arrested
by the second group, led by the
Bathurst magistrate!
The charge was "causing an affront to
the Governor" The sentence was a
public flogging of 50 lashes. This
sentence typified the harshness of the
times and the punitive character of
our early history. Later Ralph
Entwistle became embittered and this
incident togethor with similar ones
led to the first major rebellion of
convicts west of the Blue Mountains.
Less than a year later, Entwistle
persuaded a number of other convicts
to take up arms and take to the bush.
On September 23rd 1830, nine men
escaped from their master and roamed
the countryside in the Fitzgerald
Valley, south of Bathurst. The men
visiteed propertied and stole food,
guns, horses and ammunition. The gang
persuaded other convicts to join in
until the gang grew to around 50. One
Sydney newspaper was reporting a full
scale rebellion of 500 escapees
roaming around Bathurst! A local press
report written by George Suttor of
Bathurst mentioned the leader of the
gang wearing "a profusion of white
streamers in his hat". Some called
them the ribbon boys. Many of the gang
were of Irish extraction and may have
copied an Irish secret society known
as the 'Ribbon men' using this as a
sign of their rebellion.
An incident at the Bathurst
Magistrate's property ( near the
modern day village of Wimbledon)
turned ugly. The gang arrived there
seeking revenge for their perceived
mistreatment at his hands. Tha
Magistrate was absent, however his
overseer was shot and killed for
refusing to allow any of his convicts
to join the uprising. The convicts
there once threatened then joined in,
bringing the gang's membership to 130!
A public meeting in Bathurst, held at
the courthouse tried to rally support
for the six troopers stationed in the
town. Twelve citizens came forward to
offer armed support, while the
troopers called for military
reinforcements. The 39th regiment was
marched up from Sydney whilst the 48th
mounted police were dispatched from
Goulburn. The convict built road along
which the 48th marched over the
Abercrombie river, near Tuena is still
visible today.
The Ribbon gang headed towards the
Abercrombie river and at Trunkey
Creek, a hard core group split from
the masses and headed for the nearby
Abercrombie caves. After resting in
the caves for a while, the police and
troopers finally caught up with them.
A pitched battle took place on top of
Grove Creek Falls resulting in shed
blood on both sides and the gang
losing their horses. The rebels
retreated on foot back to the caves,
hiding in Bushranger's cave.
The Troopers decided to flush out the
Ribbon gang from the caves. It is
possible that the troopers who
searched the Bushrangers cave dropped
a pair of leg irons. These were found
over 60 years later and are now on
display at the Caves. The fugitives
attempted to head for the hills .
About 3km from the caves, they
encounterd a group of soldiers. A gun
battle ensued and the gang were
surrounded and arrested.
Ralph Entwistle and his men were
charged with murder, bushranging and
horse thieving in Bathurst. The trial
was conducted by Chief Justice Forbes.
On November 1830, ten members of the
Ribbon boys were hanged. This was the
first and largest public hanging in
Bathurst. The site of the hanging is
marked today by the council street
sign 'Ribbon Gang Lane'.
Killed in line of duty (or wounded):
James Greenwood, Overseer, murdered
Con. Geary, wounded
Two mounted police (48th) wounded
Lieut McAllister, wounded
Hanged at Bathurst November 2nd 1830:
Ralph Entwistle, aged 25, brickmaker
from Bolton
Tom Dunne, 35, shephed from Kildare
Dominic Daley, 32, ploughman from
Armagh
Jim Driver,22, brickie from Boston
William Gahan,24, ploughman from
Tipperary
Patrick Gleeson,28, labourer from
Tipperary
Michael Kearney, 23 plouhman Tipperary
John Kenny, 22, carter from Cork
John Shepherd, 24, boatman from
Wiltshire
Robert Webster,28, waterman from
Wapping
©Andrew
Jones, New South Wales
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