The Lady Bushranger

Out There in the Capertee Valley

Jen Gherardi • 20 January, 2015

Just been out there in big bold country (Capertee and up to Rylstone) and travelling alone. The people are great. Don’t you just love Aussies. Heaps of people helped me drag 60 kg of camera gear off platforms and were just darn nice.

Jessie spent the summers higher up in the Nullo Mountain area but also further south (especially during the bitterly cold winters and deep snow) in the Capertee Valley around Bogee. The Capertee area is famous for birdwatching. The scenery is truly “western” as in traditional cowboy western.

NSW State Library – Nice Beards Gentlemen

Jen Gherardi • 20 January, 2015

Recently went on a Research Recce to NSW to check out the private box of research there on the Lady Bushranger, deposited by author Pat Studdy-Clift.

I was surprised at how good looking Andy Black was. During a severe winter he invited Jessie off the mountain to his hut and then roped her into his cattle stealing enterprise. Andy is in the centre of the photo below. There is information out now, that he fathered a child with Jessie, who was then raised as a child of Jessie’s brother, Ken Hunt. The decendents of this child Dorothy, are proud of their infamous relative.

A Bushranger’s Cave

Jen Gherardi • 20 January, 2015

A few years ago we were helped to visit the Nullo Mountain Cave. Jessie had spent long stints up there and had amazingly hauled some turniture up there ; a bed, table and small cupboard. The remains of the bed and cupboard are still there. Her teapot was taken to a local museum.

Nullo Mountain and Jessie’s Hideout

Jen Gherardi • 20 January, 2015

When Jessie first absconded from a domestic violence situation, she headed to remote bushland on Nullo Mountain. Here she set up one of her main cave hideouts. Even now the cave is so remote only a few people know how to get there. The cave is very high up and accessible from only one side. Back then a huge tree blocked the front aspect of the cave. Once Jessie climbed up there she was safe and could see anyone approaching. She certainly had a gun with her and we can assume she would have used it if the police ever found the cave.

Location Visit to Kandos, Rylstone, Nullo Mountain and Capertee

Jen Gherardi • 20 January, 2015

The beautiful area on the “other” side of the Blue Mountains is country with stunning mountains, canyons and rangelands. On the boarder of a national park in this remote location was where Jessie spent most of her adult life. In short; the agricultural areas (cattle farming) merge into the remote forests (Wollomi) and mountainous terrain.