History: Looking Back

Looking Back history feature: Wollongong cop & the last bushranger

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Looking Back

This studio shot of the police who captured Captain Moonlight, includes Constable Alexander Barry, 34. This studio shot of the police who captured Captain Moonlight, includes Constable Alexander Barry, 34.

By MICK ROBERTS ©

Captain Moonlite Captain Moonlite

IT’S not widely known that a Wollongong born cop was involved in the capture of the notorious Australian bushranger Captain Moonlite.

A real unsung hero, Constable Alexander Barry has largely been forgotten by the people of the Illawarra for his part in the capture of New South Wales’ last professional bushranger.

Andrew George Scott, alias Captain Moonlite, went to the gallows at Darlinghurst Gaol on the morning of January 20 1880 for his leadership of the Wantabadgery Bushrangers, who terrorised the Wagga Wagga region.

While Captain Moonlite has gone down in Australian folklore with his story documented in countless books, Wollongong born Constable Barry’s role in helping bring the infamous bushranger and his gang to justice is sadly missing from the pages of local history.

The end of Scott’s…

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About Mick Roberts

A journalist, writer and historian, Mick Roberts specialises in Australian cultural history, particularly associated with the Australian hotel and liquor industry. Mick has had an interest in revealing the colourful story of Australian pubs and associated industries for over 30 years. He is working on a comprehensive history of the hotel and liquor industry in the Illawarra region of NSW. Besides writing a number of history books, Mick managed several community newspapers. He has been editor of the Wollongong Northern News, The Bulli Times, The Northern Times, The Northern Leader and The Local - all located in the Wollongong region. As a journalist he has worked for Rural Press, Cumberland (News Limited), the Sydney city newspaper, City News, and Torch Publications based in Canterbury Bankstown, NSW.

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