The Last Bushrangers : when history becomes personal -- the story of the murderous Kenniff Gang

Australia's last bushrangers - the Kenniff brothers - were Queensland's equivalent of the Kelly gang. Seasoned in petty crime, horse stealing and cattle duffing, in 1902 they were accused of the most ghoulish, violent murder. Deep in the Carnarvon ranges George Doyle (a police constable) and Albert Dahlke (station manager) were slain, incinerated, and their remains stuffed into saddle bags. With their superb bush skills and horsemanship, the brothers evaded the law for months. Finally, starving and exhausted, they were captured to face the wheels of justice. Mike Munro investigates the story of these last bushrangers - the circumstances around the murders, the sensational trials presided over by Sir Samuel Griffith, the public support, the controversial evidence of Aboriginal tracker Sam Johnson, and the brothers' fates. It is a story set against the backdrop of Federation and a country's maturing identity. And, importantly, it's a story that is personal. If not for Mike's grandfather changing his name in shame from that of his notorious relatives, this major figure in Australian television would be known to us as Mike Kenniff.;1. The secret -- 2. A long way from Tipperay -- 3. The overlanders -- 4. War declared -- 5. The flashpoints -- 6. Murder -- 7. The manhunt -- 8. Capture -- 9. Preliminary skirmishes -- 10. The trial begins -- 11. The defence -- 12. The verdict -- 13. The appeal -- 14. The last throw of the dice -- 15. The aftermath -- 16. An enduring fascination -- 17. The documentary -- Epilogue -- References -- Acknowledgements -- List of picture credits. The story of Australia's last bushranging gang - the murderous Kenniffs. Easter Sunday, 1902, deep in the Carnarvon Ranges a police constable and station manager are slain then later incinerated, their remains stuffed into saddlebags. Accused of the ghoulish crime are two members of the bushranging Kenniff gang, fast gaining notoriety as Queensland's equivalent of the Kelly gang. Yet the murders are a bold escalation from the petty fraud, horse stealing and cattle duffing the gang is known for. Starving and exhausted after three long months on the run, the brothers are finally captured, and so the wheels of justice start to turn. The story of the Kenniffs has fascinated Mike Munro for decades - ever since he found out these last bushrangers were his family. If not for Mike's grandfather illegally changing his name in shame from Kenniff to Munro, this major figure in Australian television would be known to us as Mike Kenniff. But who were Mike's relatives? What drove them to their life of crime? And were the brothers really responsible for such terrible murders? In answering these questions Mike Munro takes us back to the dawn of Federation, when bush skills and horsemanship could help outlaws escape the police, when remote pastoralists were vulnerable targets for thieves and marauders, when race and class divides were entrenched - but resented - and when brutal, feckless outlaws faced the ultimate punishment. This is a story that is both gripping and personal, and an insight into an Australia just coming of age. PRAISE FOR THE LAST BUSHRANGERS 'All families have a secret ... but Mike's is a doozy! This touching, TRUE story is a terrific read!' Di Morrissey 'A thoroughly informed, lively and balanced page-turner' Steven Carroll, Sydney Morning Herald