Daniel Morgan (bushranger) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Daniel Morgan
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'Morgan the Bushranger', an 1864 woodblock print by Samuel Calvert.
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| Born |
John Owen
30 April 1830 Appin, New South Wales, Australia
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| Died | 9 April 1865 (aged 34) |
| Occupation | Bushranger |
Daniel Morgan (born John Owen, 30 April 1830 – 9 April 1865) was a famous Australian bushranger. He was very skilled at living in the bush and riding horses. These talents helped him avoid being caught by the police for a long time.
His adventures inspired a 1976 movie called Mad Dog Morgan. The film starred Dennis Hopper as Daniel Morgan.
Early Life of Daniel Morgan
Daniel Morgan was born John Owen on 30 April 1830 in Appin, New South Wales. His mother was Mary Owen, known as 'The Gypsy'. His father was George Fuller, who sold fruits and vegetables from a cart. Some people thought his father was an ex-convict named Samuel Moran.
John Owen was raised by a man named John Roberts. He was known as "Jack the Welshman" in the Campbelltown area. John went to a Catholic school in Campbelltown. He preferred being alone in the bush rather than with other people.
First Troubles
Around 1847, when he was about 17, John Owen worked on a large farm called a station. This was in the Murrumbidgee area. People said he started stealing horses and cattle. He would drive them far away to sell them.
By the early 1850s, he was known as ‘Bill the Native’. He was called a "horse thief" in the Avoca area. He lived a lonely life in the thick bush there. He often had to escape from farmers who chased him. Once, he was shot in the knee while being chased.
In June 1854, John Owen was found guilty of a crime on the road. He was using the name ‘John Smith’ at the time.
Life as a Bushranger
In June 1860, Morgan was allowed to leave prison early. He was supposed to stay in the Yackandandah district. Morgan later said he asked for a job there but was refused because he had been in prison. He then decided he would never ask for work again.
Morgan did not report to the authorities as he was supposed to. He was then declared a "prisoner illegally at large." Soon after his release, Morgan started committing crimes again.
For the next few years, he mostly stole horses and cattle. He also sometimes worked as a horse-breaker. This happened in eastern New South Wales and north-eastern Victoria.
Morgan used many different names during his life. These included 'John Smith', 'Sydney Bill', and 'Jack Morgan'. By the time he became a bushranger in mid-1863, he was most often called 'Daniel Morgan'.
People described Morgan as a tough and sometimes violent person. But many people in the areas where he operated supported him. They even gave him information.
After a police officer died during an encounter with him in June 1864, the Government of New South Wales offered a large reward. They offered one thousand pounds for his capture. Daniel Morgan died after being shot in April 1865. He was 34 years old. This happened after he held up 'Peechelba' Station in Victoria.
The New South Wales government's reward of £1000 was shared among 17 different people. John Wendlan, who shot Morgan, received £300. Alice McDonald, a housemaid who first gave information about Morgan, received £250. Other people who helped also received parts of the reward money.
Daniel Morgan was buried in the Wangaratta cemetery. He was not given a Christian burial. His grave was in the Chinese section of the cemetery. A rose bush and geranium grew at his grave. His mother planted them and visited the grave every year until 1876.
Images for kids
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Henry Baylis, a Police Magistrate, wearing the bullet that wounded him during an encounter with Daniel Morgan.
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‘Daniel Morgan, the Bushranger’, woodblock print by Samuel Calvert, Illustrated Sydney News, 16 May 1865.
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‘Morgan, the Bushranger, Sticking up “Round Hill” Station’ by Frederick Grosse (woodblock print)
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John McLean's memorial near Culcairn. McLean was an overseer who died in June 1864.
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‘The Bushranging Affray at Copabella – Morgan Shooting M’Ginnerty’, woodblock print, Illustrated Sydney News, 17 August 1864.
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The memorial to Senior-sergeant Thomas Smyth, near Henty.
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‘Capture and Death of Morgan, the Bushranger’, woodblock print by Nicholas Chevalier, published in Australian News for Home Readers on 19 April 1865.
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A photograph of Daniel Morgan after his death.
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Daniel Morgan’s grave in the cemetery at Wangaratta.
