20. Bushrangers became a part of Australian folklore, similar to American outlaws of the Old West
Bushranger was first used as a term to define convicts which escaped into the Australian bush, from whence they robbed and stole in order to support themselves. Eventually, the term came to describe the thieves and desperadoes who chose a life of crime. As with the outlaws of the American West, many became legendary figures, though their crimes were often violent and brutal. Dan Morgan, for example, was a thief, kidnapper, and murderer who terrorized towns and settlements, robbing houses, businesses, and travelers in several areas within New South Wales.
The Clarke brothers worked in the southern goldfields in the 1860s, though they didn’t dig for gold. They were responsible for more than 70 robberies and several murders (including one of their own gang members). Their career led to the passage of legislation which made it legal for any citizen to shoot a bushranger without any questions or attempt first to disarm them. The brothers, John and Tom, were eventually captured and hanged after a trial which was completed in less than one day. The bushrangers became a romantic part of Australian history and folklore, though in reality most of them were brutal murderers and unrepentant thieves.