Bushrangers

Bushrangers were criminals who lived in the Australian bush. Learn about the different eras of bushranging, the types of crimes they committed and why some people supported bushrangers.

The majority of Australia's first bushrangers were convicts who escaped harsh punishment working in chain gangs or penal stations. When these convicts escaped, they had to find a way to survive in the Australian bush.

During the gold rush, bushranging flourished in New South Wales and the newly formed colony of Victoria. Explore bushranger objects at the National Museum of Australia and learn about the Eugowra gold escort robbery.

Bushranging declined in the 1870s and 1880s as Ned Kelly, our most famous bushranger, began his criminal life. At the State Library Victoria, we examine items relating to Ned Kelly and his gang.

There were female bushrangers, First Nations bushrangers and bushrangers with Asian and African heritage. Learn about four lesser-known bushrangers, and how historians analyse primary and secondary sources.