1 BEN HALL RAID WEEKEND FESTIVAL Information e-newsletter Bathurst N.S.W. on 27th, 28th and 29th September, 2013 Issue 6 - August FROM THE NEWSLETTER EDITOR incorporate a family picnic and reunion down by the peaceful Macquarie River, especially on the The Ben Hall Raid took place at Bathurst on Sunday. Some may wish to put a family plaque on Saturday 3rd October, 1863, and the Ben Hall Raid Bathurst’s Pioneer Wall. Weekend Festival will mark the 150th Anniversary of the event. This is the sixth in the series of these e- I hope you are enjoying these monthly e-newsletters newsletters to be emailed to anyone interested. If of which there are just three more to go, including you would like earlier issues, just ask. this issue. I’m surprised by the number of people asking if these newsletters could be made into a The Ben Hall Raid Weekend Festival Committee of book. Maybe next year. I look forward to meeting the Bathurst District Historical Society has been some of those who have emailed or phoned. I trust meeting for almost fourteen months to bring plans that everyone will have a terrific weekend here in together for this event. The next issue will contain our fine city. an updated program for the three days. Alan McRae, FAIHA, President Bathurst District We are most grateful to Sergeant Kylie Riddell, the Historical Society Mounted Police Event Co-ordinator, for making the ooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooo arrangements for the Mounted Police to visit THE £4,000 REWARD Bathurst to take part in the weekend events. The Colonial New South Wales Government as A number of bushranger, colonial and historic time went by agreed to pay a reward for the Ben displays will be on show on the Saturday as well as Hall Gang. talks, numerous bus tours, a dinner and a number of activities that will take place during the three days. The re-enactment is on schedule. The countdown is now on with about 9 weeks before visitors start arriving in Bathurst for the weekend. If you are planning to spend some extra time whilst in Bathurst make sure you visit some of the many attractions that this historic city and district has to offer. Rick de Losa will have his superb display of historic orangeish, reddish and amber-yellow Meerschaum pipes. After the raid on Bathurst the following notification Tobacco was often appeared in a supplement of the Government stolen by the Hall Gazette, dated Wednesday, the 21st October, 1863:- gang to use them- selves or give away. “Colonial Secretary's Office, Sydney, 21st October, We know that 1863, £2500 REWARD, for the apprehension of Mickey Burke John Gilbert, John O'Meally, Benjamin Hall, Michael Burke and John Vane.” smoked a pipe and Captain Edward However, as bushranging was a hot topic amongst Montague Battye, Commander of the Western the public, many newspapers were venting their Mounted Police and Gold Escort, smoked a disbelief. The Brisbane Courier stated in part; - “In meerschaum pipe with its bowl depicting a man’s the meantime, the bushranging business engrosses arm holding a pistol though he lost it in 1861. most attention. Messrs. Gilbert, O'Meally, Vane, We hope that some families will use the weekend to Hall, and Burke are complete masters of the Western districts, and set Captain M'Lerie and his 2 three hundred policemen on the spot of utter Wales he practiced as a pharmacist there. defiance. Our canting senior daily paper prates of In 1845 he located his pharmaceutical and druggist sympathy with crime, and of elevating scoundrels business along with his surgical and mechanical into heroes. Why, it is a useless police that does dental surgery in William Street, next to the Royal this, and enables a few smart scoundrels to make Hotel. His dental business was registered in London themselves objects of admiration to unprincipled and he was a member of the Pharmaceutical Society youth.” of Great Britain and New South Wales. He was to Days later the Government had a change of heart form a partnership with Mr. Henry Butterworth but and the following appeared in the Government prior to this the Scotsman had been an assistant to Gazette Colonial Secretary's Office, 26th October, Dr. Richard Machattie. Mr. Alexander lived above 1863. The following day it appeared in a number of the business. newspapers around the colonies such as The Sydney In 1856 the partners decided to commence Morning Herald the following day - Tuesday 27th manufacturing soda water in conjunction with their October, 1863. The reward had increased to £4,000 druggist business, though this was really Mr. for the gang of four and £100 for accomplices. Alexander’s project. The business was advertised as Reward sheets were also printed for distribution. a “Wholesale Druggist and Importer of genuine From the Government Gazette it stated, “FOUR drugs, chemicals, perfumery, toilet requisites and THOUSAND POUNDS REWARD - FOR THE sundries.” At one time Mr. Alexander advertised APPREHENSION OF JOHN GILBERT, JOHN that every drug used in dispensing was tested before O'MEALLY, BENJAMIN HALL AND JOHN VANE use and guaranteed in strict conformity with British AND ONE HUNDRED POUNDS REWARD FOR Pharmacopoeia and he had one of the largest and ACCOMPLICES. best stocks in the colony. Whereas the above named persons are charged with the commission of numerous and serious offences, and have hitherto eluded the efforts to apprehend them. It is hereby notified that the Government will pay a reward of one thousand pounds for such information as will lead to the apprehension of each of the offenders named. The Government will also pay a reward of one hundred pounds for such information as will lead to the conviction of any person or persons for harbouring, assisting, or maintaining either of the above named offenders. All such information communicated by any person charged with the commission of an offence will entitle his case to favourable consideration by the Crown, and will in all cases be regarded by the police authorities as strictly confidential; and in the event of payment of any of the rewards above offered, the name of the recipient will not be disclosed. The above rewards are offered in lieu of all other previously payable by Government for the apprehension or conviction of the offenders above Bathurst’s pioneering families would have similar named.” problems to today such as - dandruff, aches and sprains, dropsy, gout, jaundice, lumbago, measles, WILLIAM FORSTER abscesses, eczema, bee stings, boils, piles, Colonial Secretary's Office, 26th October, 1863 ringworm, scarlet fever, toothache, warts, blood ooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooo disorders and the list would go on. Firstly many J.L. ALEXANDER - DRUGGIST people would treat disorders with home remedies with items such as Goanna oil, hops, glycerine, Another business operating when Ben Hall’s gang Boar's (pig) grease, opium, laudanum, ointment of rode into Bathurst on 3rd October, 1863 was Mr. tobacco, cod liver oil, oil of almonds, Condi’s J.L. Alexander’s “The Bathurst Chemist”. James crystals, carbonate of soda, sulphur or cream of Lyon Alexander, M.P.S., was born in Scotland and tartar, olive oil, nutmeg, copper sulphate, camphor, before emigrating to the Colony of New South oil of aniseed, eucalyptus, kerosene and more, most 3 of which could be purchased from Alexander’s Battye and his wife, whom he had married in Chemist. Canada, sailed back to England before sailing to the colony of New South Wales, arriving on 29th Chemist shops in the 1860s were very different December, 1847. He had been appointed as aide-de- from today. Almost all prescriptions had to be made camp to his uncle, Major-General Edward Wynyard, from various ingredients which were commonly who had been appointed commander of the military crushed up in a brass or bronze mortar and pestle. forces of Australia. Ingredients for the recipe would be painstakingly measured out on a set of balance scales, often hand- When payable gold was discovered near Bathurst in held in the early days. Several ceramic tiles would 1851, Governor Charles Fitzroy appointed Battye to be used for rolling out pill masses before making it undertake the reform of the Military Mounted into tablets or pills. Mr. Alexander would have Police so they could perform duties on the invariably measured out his liquids in conical or goldfields and undertake escorts of gold. When cylindrical measures made from glass which were Major-General Wynyard was ordered to sail for graduated in minims, ounces or in tablespoonfuls. England in 1852 Captain Edward Battye decided to retire from the 23rd Royal Welsh Fusileers and the The shelves would have displays of small ceramic Army and undertook to stay with the police. pots with all sorts of contents such as cold creams, ointments, bear’s grease, pomades, toothpaste, Captain Battye, along with nine troopers, rode up to salves as well as creams for shaving. Each would Bathurst arriving on 5th June, 1851. Arrangements have its own decorative lid to tempt the customers. had been made to accommodate the men at the Pharmacists had to make up creams and ointments Shepherd’s Home Inn on the corner of Piper and mixing the ingredients on an ointment slab and Rankin Streets. Mr. James Maher had built the inn mixed with a spatula. Their ‘Surgical and and was the first licensee, though Mr. Slee took Mechanical Dentistry Department’ could supply over afterwards, followed by Mr. Conroy. An artificial teeth set in gold, celluloid and vulcanite in application was made by Mr. Bulger but it was English or American designs at moderate prices. refused so one assumes that Mrs.