Jack Donahue

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This article is about the Australian bushranger. For the founder of Federated Investors, see John F. Donahue.

Jack Donahue (1804–1830) was a bushranger in Australia. He had numerous ballads written about him, including Bold Jack Donahue.

Jack Donahue was born in Dublin in 1804. He supported Irish nationalism and at the age of 20 was sentenced to be transported for life to New South Wales, Australia after being accused of attempted felony.

He arrived in January 1825 with 200 other convicts and was assigned to work as a servant to a settler named John Pagan on a farm at Parramatta. He was supervised during the day, but managed to escape in the night. Later, he was punished and had to work in chains for a road gang. Eventually, Donahue was sent back to work on a pig farm belonging to Major West at Quakers Hill.

Donahue again escaped to the bush with two men named Kilroy and Smith. He formed a gang known as "The Strippers." They were given this name because they stripped wealthy land owners of their clothes, money and food. The servants who worked in the farms helped the bushrangers by providing information about their masters and the whereabouts of people. These servants sometimes would give them food and shelter.

In the early years as a bushranger he was taken into custody with his gang, but he managed to escape while his companions were sentenced to death. He was managed again to escape a police shoot out. People called him the "Bold Jack Donohue," but the police considered him a dangerous criminal. In 1829, a reward of 20 pounds was offered for his capture. It was increased to 200 pounds a year later. On 1 September 1830, a group of soldiers and police caught Donahue and his gang. In the ensuing battle, Donahue was shot in the head, dying from the wound. After his death, Donahue became something of a hero.

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