Print this page Bushrangers: Heroes, Villains or Misunderstood?

Bushrangers occupy a unique place in Australian history and folklore. Feared as criminals yet often celebrated as folk heroes, they continue to fascinate Australians more than a century after their deaths. This course explores the lives of famous and not-so-famous bushrangers, asking why they became legends and what their stories reveal about Australia's convict heritage, attitudes to authority and changing national identity. Along the way, discover the songs, paintings, films and popular myths that have kept these colourful figures alive in Australian culture.

DELIVERY MODE

Face to face

COURSE OUTLINE

• Bolters: the earliest bushrangers
• Gold Rushes
• Following the Gold Rushes: the stars
• Heroes
• Villains
• Out of the box: different from Ned
• Their fated end

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Discuss the legal and social contexts that gave rise to succeeding generations of bushrangers.
• Recount the life stories of the best-known bushrangers, and some interesting outliers.
• Find bushranger legends in song, story, fiction, and film.
• Discuss how the liminal place they occupy morally reflects Australian historical and cultural attitudes to law enforcers and law breakers.