The Last Bushrangers

Description

Australia's last bushrangers - the Kenniff brothers - were Queensland's equivalent of the Kelly gang. Seasoned in petty crime, horse stealing and cattle duffing, in 1902 they were accused of the most ghoulish, violent murder. Deep in the Carnarvon ranges George Doyle (a police constable) and Albert Dahlke (station manager) were slain, incinerated, and their remains stuffed into saddle bags. With their superb bush skills and horsemanship, the brothers evaded the law for months. Finally, starving and exhausted, they were captured to face the wheels of justice. Mike Munro investigates the story of these last bushrangers - the circumstances around the murders, the sensational trials presided over by Sir Samuel Griffith, the public support, the controversial evidence of Aboriginal tracker Sam Johnson, and the brothers' fates. It is a story set against the backdrop of Federation and a country's maturing identity. And, importantly, it's a story that is personal. If not for Mike's grandfather changing his name in shame from that of his notorious relatives, this major figure in Australian television would be known to us as Mike Kenniff.;1. The secret -- 2. A long way from Tipperay -- 3. The overlanders -- 4. War declared -- 5. The flashpoints -- 6. Murder -- 7. The manhunt -- 8. Capture -- 9. Preliminary skirmishes -- 10. The trial begins -- 11. The defence -- 12. The verdict -- 13. The appeal -- 14. The last throw of the dice -- 15. The aftermath -- 16. An enduring fascination -- 17. The documentary -- Epilogue -- References -- Acknowledgements -- List of picture credits. 1. The secret -- 2. A long way from Tipperay -- 3. The overlanders -- 4. War declared -- 5. The flashpoints -- 6. Murder -- 7. The manhunt -- 8. Capture -- 9. Preliminary skirmishes -- 10. The trial begins -- 11. The defence -- 12. The verdict -- 13. The appeal -- 14. The last throw of the dice -- 15. The aftermath -- 16. An enduring fascination -- 17. The documentary -- Epilogue -- References -- Acknowledgements -- List of picture credits.