Author(s): Peter Spencer

Australian Culture

New England Bushranger History - If you ask most Australians, ‘what do you know about the bushranging era of Australian history?’, many would mention Ned Kelly and a few might also name Ben Hall. But as history shows, there are many other men who took to a life of crime back when our nation was made up of colonies. It started with convict escapees, known as ‘Bolters’ as they escaped and bolted into the bush, through to Australian born colonials.

These men, over the years, have become legends. Romantic symbols of daring and heroic opposition to the British system of our colonial past. The truth of the matter, in most cases, was vastly different.

There was one bushranger who was active longer than any other, his name was Fred Ward, also known as Captain Thunderbolt. He ruled the roads in the New England area of New South Wales. During his near seven years of highway robbery, he took a number of accomplices to aid in his ‘trade’. What sets Captain Thunderbolt apart from all the other bushrangers through his almost seven-year reign, is not one of his victims was killed or even shot. It is believed also that he never shot a member of the police either. A police constable was wounded on one occasion, but it was attributed to one of Fred’s off siders. Legend has it, Thunderbolt was even considerate to the ladies he held up, gaining the reputation as the ‘Gentleman Bushranger’.

Peter Spencer's great grandfather, William Monckton, was one of Thunderbolt’s accomplices during 1868. For young Will Monckton, running away at age 13 and joining Captain Thunderbolt for a life of crime seemed like a better prospect than being abused by a cruel stepfather. For almost a year, he rode with the outlaw until he was eventually captured and sentenced to 6 years imprisonment, with 1 year of hard labour in an adult prison. He was only 14 years old.

In Too Young to Hold a Gun he has taken points of historical fact and endeavour to paint a picture of what it was like for William. This is his debut novel based on William Monckton, his great-grandfather. It is a fictionalised account told from William’s perspective. It reveals, firsthand, the hardships of a life on the run and the challenges of returning to community life after serving time as a convicted felon.