MATTHEW BRADY
THE GENTLEMAN BUSHRANGER
When Matthew Brady was hanged in May 1826, thousands of women cried. He wasn’t exactly Robin Hood; if he gave to the poor, we’ve never heard about it. But he was good-looking and he had – well, style! Also, he was known for his courtesy to women and not killing without good cause. In fact, he only killed once and that man had deserved it. No, not quite Robin Hood, but close.
Matthew Brady started life in Australia in chains. We’re not sure why. It may have been for theft, or, according to some versions of his story, for forgery. Whatever the reason, he was sentenced to seven years and left his home in Manchester, never to return.
In Hobart, Matthew became an assigned servant. This was a system by which free settlers applied to have convicts to work for them. He hated being a virtual slave and tried to escape several times. During the first three years of his sentence, Matthew was whipped 350 times!
Finally, Matthew went to Macquarie Harbour, a penal colony on Tasmania’s west coast. No one escaped from there. That was until Alexander Pearce and seven others managed it in 1822. Of course, only Alexander Pearce had actually survived the journey, because he ate the others. But now convicts knew escape was possible.
In June 1824, shortly before Alexander Pearce was hanged, Matthew and thirteen other convicts escaped in a whaleboat, with soldiers shooting at them. Luckily for them, one of the men had been a Royal Navy navigator. He steered the boat to a place called Derwent.
There, they stole weapons and food and went inland to a place which is now known as Brady’s Lookout. It was safe. They lived there in hiding while they rode out to rob people. The gang became known as Brady’s Bunch.
Matthew nearly died when a man called Thomas Kenton, who had been receiving their loot, betrayed him. Kenton and two soldiers hit him and tied him up. The soldiers went to fetch more men. While Kenton was out of the hut, Matthew managed to burn through his ropes and grab Kenton’s gun.
He didn’t kill Kenton then. Matthew didn’t like killing. But Kenton lied about him, saying he had killed troopers. A year later, Matthew shot Kenton, as he was sneering that he knew Matthew didn’t kill people.
When Governor Arthur offered a huge reward for his capture, Matthew put up his own poster outside the Royal Oak Inn, offering a reward for Arthur’s capture.
Matthew’s men were loyal. One of the gang whom Matthew had kicked out for trying to rape a woman was captured, but refused to betray Matthew, even though he was to be hanged.
Over the next year, however, the men were killed off one by one, till only a few were left. The reward offered for Matthew had tripled to 300 guineas, around $700, which was a huge amount in those days. He had to get away before someone decided it was worth betraying him.
In late 1825, Matthew sent a message to the governor. He wanted to get out of the colony. If he didn’t, he’d capture an important settler, Richard Dry. But Arthur had done something Matthew didn’t know about: he had planted a traitor in Brady’s Bunch.
Matthew kept his word, capturing the whole house, with family and guests. He had a wonderful time and so did the women. He danced with them and sang for them at the piano. But a servant slipped out and brought soldiers to help. Matthew rode out with his men, wearing the hat of a Colonel Balfour, who had led the soldiers. It was typically cheeky, but this was his last success. He had been shot in the leg.
Governor Arthur’s spy, a convict called Cohen, told the soldiers where the gang was hiding. Matthew escaped, but his wound was still bad. He was caught by a bounty hunter called John Batman, who was to found Melbourne several years later.
Lots of people signed a petition to save Matthew’s life. It didn’t help. He had caused too much trouble to be allowed to live. While he was in prison, his admirers sent him flowers, food and fan letters. On the way to the gallows, women threw flowers at him.
Matthew bowed to the sobbing crowd, then accepted his fate.
DID YOU KNOW…?
The first crime in Australia happened only two weeks after the First Fleet arrived on 26 January 1788, with its load of convicts. Two convicts were tried for stealing. Other crimes happened only a few weeks after that.