Ben Hall (9 May 1837 - 5 May 1865) was a noted Australian bushranger of the 19th century. Benjamin Joseph Hall (18 March 1899 – 20 May 1985) was an American actor who started performing as a boy and worked for three and a half decades, mainly in small parts. ... Ben Hall (1881-03-06 – 1963) was a football player, manager and trainer, who played as a centre half. ... is the 129th day of the year (130th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1837 - 1901) 1837 (MDCCCXXXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... Bushrangers, or bush rangers were outlaws in the early years of the European settlement of Australia who had the survival skills necessary to use the Australian bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities. ...

Portrait of Ben Hall

Image File history File links BenHallPainting. ... Image File history File links BenHallPainting. ...

Early life

Ben Hall was born on 9 May 1837, in Maitland (though some reports say Breeza^[1] and others assert at Wallis Plains on Samuel Clift's Doona (or Dono Range) Station which was near Caroona on the Liberty Range, not far from Quirindi, New South Wales^[2]), in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. His parents were Benjamin Hall (b. Bristol 1802) and Eliza Somers (b. Dublin 1807), both convicted for minor stealing offences and transported to New South Wales. They married in 1834 and had numerous children; Ben junior was the third. After they received tickets of leave they moved to the Hunter Valley and Benjamin senior squatted on a small area of land in an isolated valley. Here Benjamin built a rough hut and began raising cattle and collecting any wild cattle and horses he could find in the hills. In 1842 he bought a small block of land near Murrurundi where he established a butcher shop. The family were hard working but there were numerous brushes with the law regarding the dubious ownership of cattle and horses. is the 129th day of the year (130th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1837 - 1901) 1837 (MDCCCXXXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council. ... Quirindi is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, near Tamworth. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... “NSW” redirects here. ... This article is about the English city. ... For other uses, see Dublin (disambiguation). ... A ticket of leave was a piece of paper issued to convicts transported from Britain who had served a period of probation, and had shown by their good behaviour that they could be allowed certain freedoms. ... Location of Murrurundi in New South Wales (red) Murrurundi (31°45′S 150°50′E) is a rural town in the Upper Hunter Valley, in New South Wales Australia. ...

About the end of 1850 Ben senior moved down to the Lachlan River area taking with him some of children Ben junior, William, Mary and stepson Thomas Wade. It appears that Ben junior never returned to Murrurundi although his father died in 1851. Young Ben worked on numerous cattle properties along the Lachlan and gained a reputation as a hard working and reliable stockman.^{[citation needed]} The Lachlan River is a significant river in central New South Wales, Australia. ...

Ben Hall

In 1856, at the age of 19, Hall married Bridget Walsh (1841 - 1923) at Bathurst.^[1] One of Bridget's sisters was the mistress of Frank Gardiner; another sister married John Maguire. On 7 August, 1859, Ben and Biddy had a son, also named Benjamin. In 1860, Ben Hall and John Maguire jointly leased the "Sandy Creek" run of 10,000 acres (40 km²) about 50 km south of Forbes. Hall built a house, sheds and stockyards and established a stock of cattle which he sold at the Lambing Flat goldfield; this was where he met Frank Gardiner. Image File history File links YoungBenHall. ... Image File history File links YoungBenHall. ... Frank Gardiner (Born 1829, Rosshire Scotland - Died c. ... Lands Office at Forbes built 1898; an all timber building in the Federation style de Havilland Vampire monument next to Lake Forbes Forbes is a town and Local Government Area (see Shire of Forbes) in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia, located on the Newell Highway between Parkes... The Roll Up banner around which a mob of about 1,000 men rallied and attacked Chinese miners at Lambing Flat in June 1861. ...

Bushranger

Ben Hall

What happened next in his life remains shrouded in mystery, but circumstances and chance caused Ben Hall to turn from a successful grazier to an infamous bushranger. By early 1862, his marriage was in trouble and Biddy left to live with a man named James Taylor from Humbug Creek now called Ungarie. ^{[citation needed]} At this time there were many highwaymen operating around the area where Ben Hall lived and he would have known most of them. Robbery became almost a way of life for many young men. In April 1862, Ben was arrested on the orders of Police Inspector Sir Frederick Pottinger for participating in an armed robbery at a race meeting. He was later acquitted of the robbery due to a lack of evidence but when he returned to Sandy Creek, his house was burnt down and all his cattle and horses were gone. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (600x735, 81 KB) http://www. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (600x735, 81 KB) http://www. ... Bushrangers, or bush rangers were outlaws in the early years of the European settlement of Australia who had the survival skills necessary to use the Australian bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities. ... Umgarie is a town in Australia, the Second major town of the Bland Shire, located in the Central West region of New South Wales. ... Official portrait of Frederick Pottinger Sir Frederick William Pottinger (1831-1865), police inspector, was born on April 27, 1831 in India, second son of Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Pottinger of the British East India Company, and his wife Susanna Maria, née Cooke, of Dublin. ...

He was soon involved with Frank Gardiner and on 15 June 1862, a gang of 10 led by Gardiner and including Hall robbed the gold escort coach near Eugowra of more than 14,000 pounds in gold and banknotes. Frank Gardiner (Born 1829, Rosshire Scotland - Died c. ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about 1862 . ... Eugowra is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. ...

From then on Ben Hall seems to have abandoned his cattle property and taken to the roads full-time.

In one instance of his period of bushranging, Hall and his gang bailed up Robinson's Hotel in Canowindra and held all the people of the town captive for three days. The prisoners were allegedly not mistreated, and were provided with entertainment. The local policeman was subjected to some humiliation by being locked in his own cell. When the prisoners were set free the gang insisted on paying the hotelier and giving the townspeople “expenses”. The aim, which was achieved, was to make public the gang’s power and lampoon the police.^{[citation needed]} Canowindra (pronounced Can-noun-dra, not the commonly used Can-oh-win-dra) is an historic township located near Cowra in the central west of New South Wales, Australia in Cabonne Shire. ...

Death of Ben Hall

After the gang killed a police sergeant during a robbery at Collector, Hall along with Johnny Gilbert and John Dunn were declared outlaws under the Felons Apprehension Act. This piece of legislation was rushed through NSW Parliament for the specific purpose of declaring Hall and his comrades outlaws, and meant that they could be killed by anyone. However, the Act did not become law until May 10, five days after Hall was shot to death by police ^[3]. Image File history File links CaptureofBenHall. ... Image File history File links CaptureofBenHall. ... Collector is a small village on the Federal Highway in New South Wales, Australia halfway between Goulburn New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. ... John Gilbert was an Australian Bushranger shot dead at the age of 25 near Binalong, New South Wales in 1865. ... Memorial to Nelson at Collector Inscription on memorial to Nelson John Dunn (14 December 1846 – 19 March 1866) was an Australian bushranger. ... The Parliaments of the Australian states and territories are legislative bodies within the federal framework of the Commonwealth of Australia. ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

By May 1865, Hall had decided to escape from New South Wales. However he was allegedly betrayed by a man known as Michael Coneley, who had previously given Hall assistance and protection. At dawn on 5 May 1865 Ben Hall was ambushed by eight police who were armed with double-barrelled shotguns and .56 calibre Colt rifles. Hall was outnumbered eight to one, and fled without firing a shot. He was shot in the back as he ran away, eventually being shot 30 times. Coneley received a substantial reward for the betrayal of his friend and subsequently left the district to become a grazier and publican at Gobondry.^{[citation needed]} is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ...

Ben Hall was dragged first through the streets of Forbes then was buried at Forbes cemetery. A headstone was erected in the 1920s and his grave is well maintained.^[4] Lands Office at Forbes built 1898; an all timber building in the Federation style de Havilland Vampire monument next to Lake Forbes Forbes is a town and Local Government Area (see Shire of Forbes) in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia, located on the Newell Highway between Parkes...

In 2007 Peter Bradley, a descendent of Ben Hall's younger brother Henry, announced he was calling for the inquest into the bushranger's death to be reopened. Bradley believes that as the Felon Apprehension Act had not yet come into force when Hall was killed, he was deliberately assassinated, despite the original inquest finding a cause of justifiable homicide.^[3] Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... The concept of justifiable homicide in criminal law stands on the dividing line between an excuse and an exculpation. ...

A memorial "Ben Halls Wall" is located in Breeza, south of Gunnedah, New South Wales. Gunnedah is a town and Local government area (see Gunnedah Shire Council) in north-western New South Wales, Australia. ...

"Ben Halls Gap" is a small section of State Forest named in memory of the bushranger, which is located near Nundle, New South Wales. Nundle is a small town (2001 population: 257) in the New England region of northern New South Wales, Australia. ...

Folklore

• A number of folk songs celebrate Hall's life and exploits. The most notable is Streets of Forbes, which has been recorded by numerous singers and groups. Others include The Ballad of Ben Hall's Gang,The Death of Ben Hall and The Ghost of Ben Hall.
• A possible reason for Ben Hall's position as a hero rather than a criminal, and his immortalization in history as a rebel against the government of the time cannot be understood easily. He has been seen as a "chivalrous champion of the people".^{[citation needed]}

Australian folksong about the death of bushranger Ben Hall. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Ben Hall. Interesting certificates: bushrangers. NSW Births Deaths and Marriages. Retrieved on 2007-10-17.
2. ^ Orr, Hazel K. (2003). Ben Hall. Bushranger profiles. University of New England, School of Education - "The Bushranger Site". Retrieved on 2007-10-17.
3. ^ ^{a b} "Family seeks justice for Bold Ben's demise", -- Meacham, Steve, The Age, March 31, 2007
4. ^ http://www.wilmap.com.au/bushrangers/hall.html

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

External links

• Death certificate - New South Wales Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages
• Ben Hall Bushranger
• Famous Australians