The Hatfield Bushrangers had a short career as highwaymen, rampaging across the Balranald, Hayfield and Ivanhoe districts for just four days in 1879 before being captured.

The members of the gang were 21-year-old Thomas Gorman, a jockey and colt-breaker who was described in newspaper reports as being “determined looking man, hook nose, grey eyes, thin lips, spare whiskers, no moustache.”

The description of Charles Jones, a stockman from Queensland was similarly blunt. “Short, thick set, bullet headed, dark hair cropped short, and slight moustache, about 21 years, and a determined customer, with a great amount of bravado.”

The youngest of the fledgling gang was 19-year-old William Kaye, also a stockman from the area, who was described as “tall, slop built, fair complexion, no whiskers.”

Perhaps the most uncomplimentary description was saved for the fourth member, William Hobbs, a cook from the Hatfield Hotel.

“This accused is about 33 years, of stunted growth, and slight personal physique. He was formerly a sailor, and has his right arm de-formed, bowed inwards, as also his right leg. He, however, seems to have much worldly experience, combined with some mental capacity, and can so well supposed to have been not the least useful of his party, in spite of his inability to ride well.”

In the weeks prior to their four men starting out as bushrangers, three of the gang had been running in wild horses from Tyson’s Juanbung Run into the Hatfield paddocks for themselves. In the process they “sweated two of Mr Grainger’s horses, badly breaking down a valuable mare.”

This was apparently the cause of some “ill feeling and hard words”, which came to a head on a Friday afternoon in February 179

Mr Grainger and his storeman, Day, were set upon by the gang with their fists, but defended themselves so the gang retreated into the Hatfield Hotel, pelting Grainger and Day with bottles and sardine tins as they fled.

Mr Day jumped on a horse to head to Balranad for help but was held up by Gorman and Hobbs, each armed with a revolver. They ordered him to dismount but instead Day spurred on his horse, as Gorman took aim. Fortunately, the revolver misfired, but he was next confronted by the rifles of Jones and Kaye at the front of the hotel. Day again ignored their orders to dismount, but an insences Gorman appeared, snatched the rifle from Jones and fired twice at Day as he fled. The last bullet struck the horseman.

It was about 6pm on Friday February 21, 1879 and the gang held up Mr Grainger, a neighbour named Hartshorn, the district bailiff, Hartwell, and his son. Unarmed, they were forced to comply, and watched on as the gang rifled through the cash box. Because banking had occurred the day before, the tin held only £2 and a cheque for £30. Grainger quietly let the cheque fall behind the counter unseen by any of the gang.

After taking all they wanted from the store, the gang went to the dwelling house, taking Grainger with them, and demanded of Mrs Grainger a valuable revolver known to belong to Day. Finding no cartridges, they left it behind them, but helped themselves to news clothes, after trying on various shirts and pantaloons to find the ones that fit best. They then marched Grainger and the rest down to the public house, and made him shout drinks everyone, and covering the hostages with their revolvers.

Bizarrely the gang taunted Mr Grainger, as reported by the Deniliquin Chronicle, and published in the Melbourne Argus.

“Jones produced a tin whistle, which he plays well, and required Mr. Grainger (a very corpulent gentleman) to dance a hornpipe. The serio-comic appearance of the perspiring dancer, coupled with the grotesque appearance of the crippled sailor Hobbs, as he mounted guard with a loaded revolver in his gammy hand and a glass of shandygaff in the other, caused roars of laughter from the rest, even in this unpleasant predicament.”

The gang left 10 pm, taking two of Hartwell’s horses and three. Gorman told Grainger that if he went to Balranald within four days he would blow his brains out.

The following morning, having assumed the name of the Kelly Gang, they stuck up Freadman the hawker, at the Government tank a short distance from Till Till station. They bailed up a total of 14 men working at the tank, but robbed only the unfortunate hawker, taking £40 in money from a him and two valuable rings straight off his fingers. After they ransacked his cart, they headed off to rob Till Till Station.

They first appeared at the men’s hut, and called the cook out saying they were the Kellys. Calm under pressure the cook replied if they were, they had better come in and have something to eat, but the gang declined. They rounded up the 20 or son men and herded them to the homestead.

Mr Crombie, the manager, and the overseers were absent, in town, or out on the run, leaving Mrs Crombie and the servants home alone to face the novice bushrangers

Mrs Crombie was assured by Gorman that if all the cash and the firearms were delivered up, no one

would be “molested ‘. He ordered the store to be opened, and they took rations and ammunition.

They then ordered one of the men to bring in certain horses which they knew by name. Only one of those named - a fine black horse – was in the paddock, so they had to content themselves with three inferior ones. Kaye had previously worked on the station, and knew the best horses. They left all the horses taken from Hatfield, and proceeded in the direction of Magenta station.

They next appeared in a totally different quarter, at the Victoria Hotel, about six miles from Clare station. The gang told the proprietor, Mr J Nolan, that they had stuck up Hatfield and Till Till, and that they were going to Queensland. They enjoyed a cool drink, paying their tab before they left.

That same Saturday evening they reached Prentices well-known Clare Hotel, and joined in a dance that was being held there. The four men very well known to Prentice, but not as bushrangers, and the news of them sticking up at Hatfield and Till Till had not reached Clare.

Gorman was dancing when his partner noticed something hard in his breast pocket and asked what it was. Gorman reported said “You’ll know in a day or so.”

After a couple of hours drinking and socialising they left, once again stating they were headed to Queensland.

They rode about 12 miles further, to a boundary riders hut, where they spent the night, hobbling their horses in a small horse paddock, not once considering thee Police were hot on their heels.  It is a significant

The gang unhurriedly left this hut the next morning after breakfast, going in the direction of Killera station, but separated in thick lignum in the Willandra Creek, not four miles from Kilfera.

Gorman and Hobbs set up camp in the scrub, while Jones and Kaye rode up to the station, where they purchased some rations, and told Mr Rigg the storekeeper, they were travelling to Queensland with a mob of 8O bulls. They made other inquiries as to when the mail left Kilfera and were informed that it left in about 21 hours time. Armed with this information, they left Kilfera, no doubt with plans to rob the valuable Ivanhoe mail when it passed through, and then flee for the Queensland border.

In the background, and unbeknownst to the gang, Moulamein police, who were on duty at Balranald when the information was received on Sunday morning, were about to appear.

First-class Constable Beresford, Constable Power, and Special Constable Day, had started out on Sunday morning and managed to overtake the bushrangers, after riding 180 miles, from 9am on Sunday till 7pm, on Monday.

Assisted by Aboriginal trackers from Clare, and ran their tracks to the Kilfera Station. Mr. Casey, J.P., manager of the Kilfera Station, supplied them with his best horses, and started with the police to Four-mile Down where the gang was camped.

Blithely unaware the four men were preparing supper near two small trees, on the Cape Lignum scrub. When approached the bushrangers ordered the police to bail up, and the troopers answered by calling on them to surrender in the Queen's name. The gang fired twice wildly at the police without effect.

The police promptly returned the fire, when Constable Power's horse, being unaccustomed to firing, broke away. Power, however, quickly mounted Mr. Casey's horse, and rejoining the troopers, again covered the bushrangers, who were by now trying to escape.

Several shots were then exchanged, and Power was shot through the right shoulder. The police surrounded the gang, and all the bushrangers threw up their arms and surrendered.

Their bushranging career has lasted just four days.

The Hatfield Bushranger captors - Constables Beresford and Power and Mr Day. Image: From the original edition of the Australasian Sketcher.

The gang of four was transported by Police and in April appeared in Deniliquin court before His Honor Sir William Manning.

Hobbs made a statement that he had been a sailor for nineteen years, and was “unfortunate.” He once narrowly escaped being burnt to death on a ship and on another occasion fell from the topgallant mast. He told the court he thought it would have been better if “the Lord had taken him then than that he should come to the gallows.”

His Honour said it was sad to see prisoners in such a position, especially with three being “so youthful” but said they had chosen bad careers.

“Happily, by the mercy of God, they were spared the horrid crime of murder. I have but one duty to perform, which was to sentence you all to death.”

The sentences of the men were commuted by the Executive Council. They served long terms of imprisonment, some of which was spent in painful irons. 

Thomas Gorman received a commuted sentence of 21 years imprisonment, the first three in irons. William Hobbs and Charles Jones were sentenced to 14 years apiece, with the first three to be served in irons. Willaim Kaye received a sentence of 10 years.

A news report describes the gang of four as they left Goulburn on a train, bound for Berrima Gaol.

“The Hatfield bushrangers left here today, on their way to Berrima Gaol. They sat smoking unconcernedly in the train-, and cheered as the train left the platform.”

The novice bushrangers spent the first nine months of their incarceration in solitary confinement.

1840 image of the cells at Berrima Gaol. Image: Australian Migration Centre