"The
Captain's Lady: Mary Ann Bugg. "
by Kali Bierens (Ward)
Published
Oct, 2008
Review
by Barry Sinclair June, 2009
This
book was written by Kali as part of her requirements for the Degree of Bachelor
of Arts in Aboriginal Studies, Uni. of
On page iii Kali writes “A
closer examination of events reveals that Thunderbolt’s Aboriginal wife, Mary
Ann, was crucial to his survival. Yet she has been erased from the legend. Many
of our folk heroes could not have survived without the support of Aboriginal
Australians. However the mateship ethos continues to
exclude both Aboriginal people and women.”
This
book reveals the positive, yet seldom acknowledged, contribution the Aboriginal
people have made on the development of
On
page 22, Kali states: “ Bushrangers who formed unions with Aboriginal women became recognised as kin and therefore were expected to
reciprocate by sharing their loot. In return they were shielded from detection,
supplied with fresh horses, rations, and vital information. The value of such
alliances should not be over looked”. This alliance certainly
contributed to Thunderbolt being the longest serving Bushranger.
This
is certainly one of the best books on the life of Mary Ann Bugg
to date. It is a must read for anyone doing research on Thunderbolt or
interested in the study of race relations on the colonial frontier.
For a
link to a full copy of this book go to:-
http://eprints.utas.edu.au/8748/
The
book can be read for research purposes at Newling
Heritage Centre, at the southern end of
or write to me at