Bathurst Rebellion

Quick Facts: Who was Bathurst Rebellion?

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Bathurst Rebellion

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Major convict uprising in New South Wales, Australia, involving bushrangers and colonial forces.

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Origins & Early Life

The Bathurst Rebellion of 1830 was an outbreak of bushranging near Bathurst in the British penal colony (now the Australian state) of New South Wales. The rebellion involved a group of escaped convicts who ransacked villages and engaged in shootouts over the course of three weeks. Led by 25-year-old English-born convict Ralph Entwistle, the group numbered up to 80 men at its peak, making it the largest convict uprising in New South Wales history since the Castle Hill rebellion of 1804. The rebels became known as the Ribbon gang on account of Entwistle wearing "a profusion of white streamers about his head". Entwistle was a Bolton labourer convicted of stealing clothing and transported to New South Wales in 1827.

Career & Major Achievements

After arriving in Sydney, he and a few other convicts were assigned to squatter John Lipscombe and sent across the newly traversed Blue Mountains to work on his land, near Bathurst. In November 1829, Entwistle and another assigned servant drove one of their master's bullock drays to Sydney Markets to deliver wool, and on returning to Bathurst, in the heat of the day, stopped for a skinny dip in the Macquarie River. Governor Ralph Darling and his party, then touring Bathurst, happened to pass by the bathing convicts, who were subsequently hauled before the Police Magistrate of Bathurst, Thomas Evernden, and charged with "causing an affront to the Governor", despite Darling not having seen the incident. Entwistle and his companion were each sentenced to a public flogging of 50 lashes. This experience left Entwistle embittered, and within a year, he had taken up bushranging and persuaded other convicts to join him.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In late September 1830, Entwistle and his men began raiding farms, seizing firearms and liberating convicts in the process. The gang had grown to 50 members by the time they arrived at the farm of Thomas Evernden, seeking revenge, but the magistrate was absent. When the farm's overseer, James Greenwood, refused to allow Evernden's convict servants to join the gang, Entwistle and his men threatened to shoot him dead. Greenwood still refused, saying they were "not game enough" to shoot him, at the same time baring his chest. Entwistle and two other bushrangers, Gahan and Kearney, fired immediately, killing Greenwood.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1804: 1804 Milestone — Led by 25-year-old English-born convict Ralph Entwistle, the group numbered up to 80 men at its peak, making it the largest convict uprising in New South Wales history since the Castle Hill rebellion of 1804.
2. 1827: 1827 Milestone — Entwistle was a Bolton labourer convicted of stealing clothing and transported to New South Wales in 1827.
3. 1829: 1829 Milestone — In November 1829, Entwistle and another assigned servant drove one of their master's bullock drays to Sydney Markets to deliver wool, and on returning to Bathurst, in the heat of the day, stopped for a skinny dip in the Macquarie River.
4. 1830: 1830 Milestone — The Bathurst Rebellion of 1830 was an outbreak of bushranging near Bathurst in the British penal colony (now the Australian state) of New South Wales.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Bathurst Rebellion

True or False: “The initial catalyst for Ralph Entwistle's bitterness was the public flogging incident that occurred after a group of convicts were seen bathing in the Macquarie River.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): Governor Ralph Darling and his party passing by the bathing convicts led to their sentencing to 50 lashes, which embittered Entwistle.

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