John O'Meally facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John ('Jack') O'Meally
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An artist's impression of the bushranger, John O’Meally (detail from the 'Gardiner's Gang' mural in Chesher-street, Eugowra, NSW).
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John O'Meally
June 1840 Cunningham Creek, near Murrumburrah, New South Wales, Australia
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| Died | 19 November 1863 (aged 23) 'Goimbla' station, near Eugowra, New South Wales
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| Resting place | Gooloogong, New South Wales |
John O'Meally (born 1841 – died 19 November 1863) was an Australian bushranger and criminal. He was part of Frank Gardiner's gang. This group robbed the gold escort coach at Eugowra. This robbery was the biggest gold theft in Australia's history.
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Early Life of John O'Meally
John O'Meally grew up working on his father's farm. It was called Arramagong Station. This farm was in the Lachlan River valley. John helped look after the cattle and sheep there.
His father, Paddy O'Meally, also ran a small, simple hotel. It was known as "The Weddin Inn" and was on Emu Creek. This inn was the only hotel in the area. John O'Meally sometimes worked at the inn. Another member of Gardiner's gang, Alex Fordyce, also worked there. The big gold robbery was actually planned at this inn.
Joining Frank Gardiner's Gang
On 15 June 1862, a special coach was robbed. This coach carried gold from the goldfields of Forbes to Bathurst. This event became one of Australia's most famous robberies. John O'Meally and some of his friends were part of the gang. Frank Gardiner led this group.
A week after the robbery, police caught two of the robbers. Their names were Henry Manns and Charlie Gilbert. Charlie Gilbert was the brother of another gang member, John Gilbert. John Gilbert almost got caught but managed to escape. He went straight to "The Weddin Inn." There, he met up with Ben Hall and O'Meally. Together, they captured the police and freed the two prisoners.
With Ben Hall's Gang
In July 1863, O'Meally and Gilbert tried to rob a bank. This happened in Carcoar during the daytime. People believe this was the first bank robbery in Australia to happen in broad daylight.
On 30 August 1863, O'Meally tried to rob John Barnes. This happened near Wallendbeen station (a large farm). Barnes owned shops in Cootamundra and Murrumburrah. O'Meally tried to take Barnes' saddle. Barnes rode away to escape. However, O'Meally shot and killed him. Barnes is buried in the Cootamundra cemetery.
The Battle of Goimbla
John O'Meally was shot and killed on 19 November 1863. This happened while he was trying to rob Goimbla station (farm). Goimbla was near Eugowra. This event is now known as the "Battle of Goimbla."
The Campbell family lived at Goimbla. They bravely fought against Ben Hall's gang for two hours. The National Museum of Australia has several items from this battle.
- A letter from the people of Forbes to David and Amelia Campbell. The first person to sign it was author Rolf Boldrewood. He later wrote a famous Australian bushranger novel called Robbery Under Arms.
- A silk cloth given to Amelia Campbell. The ladies of Upper and Middle Adelong gave it to her. It has a message stitched into the silk. This message praised Campbell for defending the farm.
- A silver tea urn, 490 mm (19 in) high. This was also given to Amelia Campbell. It has words engraved on it. These words say: "The ladies of Upper & Middle Adelong present this token of esteem to Mrs Campbell, as an appreciation of her heroic conduct displayed during the attack at GOIMBLA by bushrangers on 19th Nov. 1863."
John O'Meally is buried in an unmarked grave. It is in the Anglican cemetery at Gooloogong.
Images for kids
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An artist's depiction of the robbery of the gold escort coach near Eugowra by Gardiner's gang of bushrangers (an engraving by Frederick Grosse, published in June 1862).
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John Oxley Norton (1827-1880), police sub-inspector at Forbes in 1863.
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William-street in Bathurst, photographed in the early 1870s.
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Micky Burke, bushranger, died in October 1863 at 'Dunn's Plains', aged 20 years.
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Henry and Caroline Keightley of ‘Dunn’s Plains’, near Rockley; illustration from White's History of Australian Bushranging, Vol. II (1903).
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A depiction of the fatal shooting of Jack O'Meally at 'Goimbla' station (a painting by Patrick William Marony).
