In the main he has some excellent material & some excellent drawings throughout the book. The first two pages of the story is a brief summary of the life of Thunderbolt, on page 8, 4th paragraph, Noel states"...he was convicted of stealing horses from his employer on the Tocal run", however while Fred Ward was charged with stealing horses the police could not prove it & the charge was altered to, "being in possession of stolen horses." He also states that "In June 1860, Ward was granted Ticket-of-Leave for the Mudgee district. The Ticket was wasted, as September 1861 saw him once again charged with horse stealing". In fact the charge was "being late for muster" & a further charge was added of being in possession of a horse on which he could not prove ownership. In fact Fred had borrowed this horse from where he was working in Stroud.

On page 20, 3rd paragraph, Noel says, "Young John was more worried about his employer's reactions than his fate with the outlaws". He continues to call him John Coglan throughout the remainder of the book, yet at the top of the page he correctly calls him James Coglan ( should be Coghlan). On page 30 Noel Says Mr. Buchanan concluded his Inquiry, "From the foregoing evidence, and from the appearance of the body, I am of the opinion that the deceased Frederick Ward, alias Thunderbolt, met his death from a gunshot wound inflicted by a member of the police whilst in the execution of his duty." In fact the Mr Buchanan's finding at the end of the inquiry "THE VERDICT Given by the jury was Justifiable Homicide."
(Added:Written by J. D. Leece, J.P.)

It was only after the identification by Monckton on Sunday that Constable Walker rewrote his statement in an official report at Uralla Police Station on Sunday 29th, May 1870." Dr. Spasshatt, also was unable to complete his autopsy report which was done on the 26th May & it also is dated the 29th May 1870, again after Will Monckton identified the body. One only has to read the difference in the wording of the two reports of Constable Walker to realise that the body had not been identified as that of Fred Ward on the 26th May, despite the assertion by many authors, that it was identified immediately as that of Fred Ward.

At no time during the inquest was the name "Fred Ward" used as a proof of the body's inentity. The reports were altered on the Sunday after young Will Monckton had "identified " the body as that of Fred Ward. These ammended reports were the ones sent to Sydney later in the week supposedly, as the evidence given at the inquest, thus beginning a cover up of the true facts of "The Death of Thunderbolt".

Despite the many mistakes in the book it is an interesting addition to your library. The book normally sells for $5.50 however it is currently on sale at the Uralla Visitors Information Centre together with a folder of the paintings by Phillip Pomroy for the special price of $8.00