EPIC AUSTRALIAN BUSHRANGER SERIES GALLOPING AHEAD

Producer  Gary Hunn  outside  the house where Ned Kelly spent the  first four years of  his short life. 

With  40 hours of  film  shot in  two expeditions  following in the footsteps   of  Australian  bushrangers , Magnetic Island  musician,  songwriter  and   roving  honorary   ambassador  for  the American state of  South Dakota ( he composed  a  special song  for them )  ,  Gary  Hunn   is  bubbling  over  with enthusiasm  about  his  project . He spends hours sitting   in  a  darkened  room   editing  the  exciting   footage .

Film crew :  Director of Photography , son Kelly Hunn , with camera ,  and Mitchell Booth , audio engineer, at John Dunn's grave ,  Pioneer Park ,  Eastern Suburbs Cemetery , Sydney .

More relentless than a bounty hunter  , his   exhaustive  research  has  involved  interviews with authors of books on  bushrangers, visits to various  state  memorials, access to  locked up very important sites , even with instructions to watch out for a  bull  ,   several  museums ,  astounding  leads ,  hundreds  of   pages of  old  court  and  family  documents .  Currently  he  is  reading  the  death  cell  letters  of   Captain   Moonlight .

Death mask of Andrew George Scott, aka Captain Moonlight . His head was removed while his body was  still  warm   and  the  mask  made.

By  the way, do you know that  the acknowledged world  authority on  Ned  Kelly  is  an  American woman  in North Carolina  who  has  never  been  to Australia  ?

  

It is surprising  that  some  major television network here or overseas  has not  contacted   Gary  as  he plans ,  at  this  stage , to produce  two   films  on   bushrangers  and  has another major project in mind . There is  an  international  and   particularly  strong   American  connection   in  the  series.  His  research  is  being   carried  out  at  his  own  expense.

 

He  advances the  theme that  there is a direct line from the French Revolution, the Irish rebellions, the  brutal  treatment  of  convicts  in  Australia , the  Eureka Stockade ,  through to  the present day political system , the  Australian  Labor  Party , even  Paul Keating ,  and  unions . 

 
Without a doubt , he says , the brutal treatment of convicts   played a  big part   in  men  becoming bushrangers  .  Three  million  lashes  were given to  convicts  in  three  years  during  the  reign  of Governor  Darling.
 

A raconteur  par excellence  , Gary's  enthusiasm  for the  project  and his  knowledge on the  subject  produced  incredible  anecdote  after  anecdote  during an interview  with  Little  Darwin.

On  the Norfolk  Island  penal  settlement , for example, he tells   how  a special  wooden  cage  was  built in the  centre of   the  compound   and  the  troops were  instructed   from White Hall, London ,   that in the event  that  a French or  Russian   vessel  loomed off  the  island and   an invasion  appeared imminent   Irish  prisoners  were  to be  put in  the  cage and  burnt , because  it was felt  they  would  help  any  force  fighting the   British .

NEXT : Ned Kelly discoveries and  the  buried treasure of  Frank Gardiner  who  married  a  sheriff’s  widow  in America and knocked about with  famous  Wild West  identities  Wyatt   Earp  and  Bat  Masterson .