Bushrangers in Bulleen

John Woods, the first settler in Bulleen, had his hut ransacked by bushrangers on Febuary 4th, 1838.  After the Melbourne races, a neighbour was going to visit Woods when he was surprised by ?ve escaped convicts.  They took his double barrel pistol and made him lead them to Woods hut where they took some articles and half his meat and flour.  Then the convicts went off.  Trigg, the leader of the gang called out, "Stay where you are or I will put the contents of this piece through you".   The convicts were part of a public work gang in Melbourne.  They were bullock drivers, sawyers and assistants to the surveyors. Their names were: William Hiscock, Will Lavender, James Luff, William Trigg, George West and Will Banfield.  That evening after being locked up for the night they had escaped.  Ten days later the gang turned up at James Simpsons but on the Werribee River.  Simpson and his neighbour Wedge both had leases on the land that later became part of Werribee Park.  Simpsonís servant, Richard Plummer, was in bed, when his dog barked outside the door.  He looked out and saw some men running up fast.  He slammed the door and tried to put trousers on but they burst in.  They were all armed.  The leader said ,"You are all alone, will you get a light and something to eat and we will not hurt you".  While Plummer prepared a meal the convicts ransacked both Simpsonís huts, then told him to go to bed. 
George Tobin, the captain of Fawkners cutter "Childe Harolde", had sailed down the bay to the Werribee River where he anchored at Simpsonís station ready to load wool.  Unaware that anything was wrong, he walked up to the hut and entered to find three convicts pointing guns at him.  They asked who he was and when he said he was master of the "Childe Harolde" they replied, "You are just the man we want".  Tobinís assistant on the cutter, Thomas Gower, had gone off to do some shooting.  Returning to the cutter, he walked into the gang.  Trigg told him to row a small boat up to Mr Wedge ís landing and said "We wonít thank you if you do, but if you donít, we will shoot you".  Both Wedge and Darke were in the hut where Lavender was guarding them with a double-barrel pistol.  The  gang robbed Wedgeís huts but were careful to only take half the food.  They loaded the goods onto the boat and told Gower to row back to the "Childe Harolde".  Both Tobin and Gower were then made to take the cutter down the river and were put ashore, but Gower was called back.  Luff gave him a pound note, saying that is for working so hard. 
Foster Fyans, police magistrate of Geelong, hearing that a gang of bushrangers had stolen the "Childe Harolde", commandeered a cutter, the "Lapwing", and set off in pursuit.  The convicts had not gone far before they ran aground on lndented Head due to an unfavorable wind.  When Fyans found the ship, shots were ?red, but the convicts ran off into the bush.  Fyans turned back to  port and ordered a party of troopers to search the area from Corio to the Barwon river.  Four days later the troopers captured West and Trigg hiding behind a log, and Hiscock who was lying wounded nearby.
Eight miles further on they came upon the remainder of the men.  They were all well armed but surrendered.  They were carrying: ten pistols, six fowling pieces, four powder ?asks, one shot bag, two powder canisters, one hankerchief of powder and a bag of buckshot.  Also among the items they had stolen were clothing, a spy glass, razor, burning glass, a book ëBeauties of Shakespeareí and one silver pencil case. 
It is a coincidence that when John Wood came to Port Phillip, two years before, he was in partnership with Richard Wedge on the Werribee River. 

1989 06 DTHS Newsletter