Ben Hall (9 May 1837 – 5 May 1865) was an Australian bushranger of the 19th century. Operating mainly in New South Wales, he was known variously as 'Bold Ben Hall', 'Brave Ben Hall' and 'The Gentleman Bushranger' for his avoidance of bloodshed and his audacious raids, many of which were intended simply to taunt the police.[1] Unlike many bushrangers of the era, he was not responsible for any deaths, but was nevertheless shot dead by police acting under the Felons Apprehension Act 1865, which allowed known bushrangers to be shot and killed rather than taken to trial. The legality of this killing remains controversial.[2]
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Ben Hall was born on 9 May 1837, in Wallis Plains (though some reports incorrectly say Breeza[3][4]), in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. His parents were Benjamin Hall (born Bedminster, England 1805 [5]) and Eliza Somers (born Dublin, Ireland 1807), both convicted for minor stealing offences and was transported to New South Wales. They married in 1834 and had numerous children; Ben Junior was the fourth child and third son. After they received tickets of leave, they moved to the Hunter Valley, where Benjamin Senior worked for Samuel Clift on the Doona run. In about 1839, Benjamin squatted on a small area of land in an isolated valley north of Murrurundi. Here Benjamin built a rough hut and began raising cattle and collecting any wild cattle and horses he could find in the hills. In 1842, he bought a small block of land near Murrurundi, where he established a butcher shop. The family were hard-working, but there were numerous brushes with the law regarding the dubious ownership of cattle and horses.
About the end of 1850, Benjamin Senior moved down to the Lachlan River area, taking with him the children Ben Junior, William, Mary and his stepson Thomas Wade. It appears that Ben Junior never returned to Murrurundi, although his father did in 1851. Young Ben worked on numerous cattle properties along the Lachlan and gained a reputation as a hard-working and reliable stockman.
In 1856, at the age of 19, Hall married Bridget Walsh (1841–1923) at Bathurst.[3] Kitty, one of Bridget's sisters was the mistress of Frank Gardiner; another sister married John Maguire. On 7 August 1859, Ben and Biddy (as she was called) had a son, whom they named Henry. In 1860, Ben Hall and John Maguire jointly leased the "Sandy Creek" run of 10,000 acres (40 km²) about 50 km south of Forbes. Hall built a house, sheds and stockyards and established a stock of cattle which he sold at the Lambing Flat goldfield; this was where he met Frank Gardiner.
What happened next in his life remains shrouded in mystery, but circumstances and chance caused Ben Hall to turn from a successful grazier to an infamous bushranger. By early 1862, his marriage was in trouble, and Biddy left to live with a man named James Taylor from Humbug Creek, which flows south from Lake Cowal. At this time, there were many highway men operating around the area where Ben Hall lived. After Biddy left, he began associating with the notorious Frank Gardiner. In April 1862, Ben was arrested on the orders of Police Inspector Sir Frederick Pottinger for participating in an armed robbery whilst in the company of Frank Gardiner. The charge was dismissed due to a lack of evidence.
On 15 June 1862, Gardiner led a gang of eight men, including Hall, and robbed the gold escort coach near Eugowra of banknotes and 2700 ounces of gold worth more than 14,000 pounds.
Hall and several others were arrested in July, but once again the police were unable to gain enough evidence to formally charge him. He was released about the end of August. However, he and his partner at Sandy Creek faced mounting legal costs and were forced to transfer the lease of the property to John Wilson, a Forbes publican.
From then on, estranged from his wife and young son, and with the property gone, Ben Hall gradually drifted into a life of crime.
In one instance, Hall and his gang bailed up Robinson's Hotel in Canowindra and held all the people of the town captive for three days. The hostages were allegedly not mistreated, and were provided with entertainment. The local policeman was subjected to some humiliation by being locked in his own cell. When the hostages were set free, the gang insisted on paying the hotelier and giving the townspeople "expenses". The aim, which was achieved, was to make public the gang's power and lampoon the police.
In late 1864, during the robbery of a mail coach near Jugiong, John Gilbert shot and killed Sgt. Parry. Then in January 1865 Constable Nelson was shot and killed by John Dunn when the gang raided a hotel in Collector. In early 1865, the authorities determined on radical legislation to bring an end to the careers of Ben Hall together with Johnny Gilbert and John Dunn. The Felons Apprehension Act was pushed through the New South Wales Parliament for the specific purpose of declaring Hall and his comrades outlaws, and meant that they could be killed by anyone at any time without warning.
Between the periods of 1863 to 1865, Ben Hall and his gang had one of the most prolific periods of any bushranger or outlaw. Over 100 robberies are attributed to them in this time, including the holding up of 21 towns and the theft of 23 racehorses.[6] The Cobb and Co coaches of the time published the proviso in their schedules at the time: "Ben Hall permitting".
By May 1865, Ben Hall had decided to escape from New South Wales. However, he was betrayed by a man who had previously given the gang assistance and protection. The police were waiting, and at dawn on 5 May 1865 Ben Hall was ambushed by eight policemen who were armed with double-barrelled shotguns and .56 calibre Colt rifles. Hall was outnumbered eight to one, and fled without firing a shot. He was shot in the back as he ran away, eventually being shot 30 times.
Ben Hall's body was taken back to Forbes where an official inquest was held. He was buried at Forbes cemetery on Sunday 7 May 1865 [1] and a headstone was erected in the 1920s. His grave is well maintained and attracts many visitors.[7]
In 2007, Peter Bradley, a descendent of Ben Hall's younger brother Henry, announced he was calling for the inquest into the bushranger's death to be reopened. Bradley believes that as the Felon Apprehension Act had not yet come into force when Hall was killed, he was deliberately killed, despite the original inquest finding a cause of justifiable homicide.[2] He cited that the Act did not become law until 10 May, five days after Hall was shot to death by police.[2]
A memorial called "Ben Hall's Wall" is located in Breeza, south of Gunnedah, New South Wales.
"Ben Halls Gap" is a small section of State Forest named in memory of the bushranger's father, and is located south of Nundle, New South Wales
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