Talk:William Buckley (convict)

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His biography http://www.williambuckley.org/biog_overview.html says he died on January 30.

There are other worthy explanations for the derivation of the expression (common still in Australia) "Buckley's chance", which should perhaps be mentioned. See http://www.anu.edu.au/ANDC/Ozwords/Oct%202000/Buckley's.html

I believe it is most likely that it comes from the large store called Buckley and Nunn's. That is, "You have two chances, mate: Buckley's, and None."

I agree with the date and reference to "Buckley's chance" above.
In my original submission of "William Buckley (convict)" I had 30 Jan as the date Buckley died, and "Buckley’s chance" was deliberately omitted due to its irrelevance in relation to William.
These errors were edited in by Tannin – who should have known better as he lives in Ballarat, just a blip on the map from where Buckley lived with the Aborigines.
If anybody wants to fix up Tanin’s faux pas be my guest. I don’t see it as my job to go around "wiping his bottom".
Tell 05:15, 14 Feb 2004 (UTC)

I changed the sentence relating to Buckley's chance, because the Macquarie Dictionary (4th ed, 2005), entry on this (p. 192), states: " ? from William Buckley, influenced by the pun on the name of the Melbourne department store Buckley and Nunn." Which seems slightly more positive about the William Buckley etymology. The "?" seems to mean "unknown" or "uncertain" in Macquarie entries. And the reference linked in the article, to an article by Fred Ludowyk of the The Australian National Dictionary Centre, says there is a slight chance (not Buckley's :-) that the term originated as a reference to the convict, but no one knows for sure. Grant65 | Talk 18:21, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

Phew!! I am glad that this has been resolved...

When Major Mitchell came through the (now named) Gundagai area on his returning north leg of his Australian Felix expedition, he recorded William Buckley being just south of Gundagai adjacent to the Wantabadgery area. William Buckly was making bread and Mitchell noted his huge size. This Wantabadgery/Hills Creek area is where Major Mitchell got 'lost'. I am not sure who conjured up this 'got laost' tale as Mitchell went up Nacki Nacki Creek and must have called on Hannibal Hawkins McCarthur the slaver who lived up there at 'Ellerslie'. Perhaps Mitchell was trying to get Hannibal Mcarthur lost rather than being lost himself. Mitchell then went back to the Murrumbidgee and crossed it where William Buckly was cooking at/near present day Wantabadgery/Hillis Creek where these days, the heritage listed Yabtree Station is near Mundarlo Bridge. Recorded in Mitchell's 'Three Expeditions' Journals online.