Who Were Australian Bushrangers? A Short Guide to Australia’s Outlaws

Bushrangers were outlaws in colonial Australia who survived by escaping into the bush and living outside the law, often committing robberies, horse theft, and raids on settlements during the 18th and 19th centuries. The term originally referred to escaped convicts who used the vast, rugged Australian landscape as a place to hide and evade capture.

Unlike typical criminals, bushrangers became deeply tied to the identity of early colonial Australia. The harsh environment, limited policing, and wide-open terrain made it possible for them to move across large distances while avoiding authorities. Over time, some bushrangers became infamous folk figures, with stories about them spreading through newspapers and oral tradition.

One of the most well-known bushrangers was Ned Kelly, who became a symbol of rebellion against colonial authority. His final stand in homemade armour at Glenrowan in 1880 turned him into a legend that still divides opinion today, some view him as a criminal, others as a resistance figure against injustice.

Bushranging declined in the late 19th century as policing improved and rural Australia became more connected through railways and telegraph lines. However, the stories of bushrangers remain a major part of Australian folklore, reflecting themes of survival, resistance, and identity in the early colony.

Bushrangers are remembered less as simple criminals and more as complex figures shaped by the realities of frontier life in colonial Australia.

Project The Great Southern Land

by The Museum of Time

20 May 2026