The Clarke Gang: Outlawed, Outcast and Forgotten

Who were the Clarke Gang?

Ten years or more before Ned Kelly became famous the Clarke brothers and their associates were terrorising an area stretching from present day Canberra to the coast from 1865 to 1867.

They intimidated, assaulted, robbed and murdered police and civilians alike. They had no hesitation in killing any member of the gang suspected of being untrustworthy. They were able to escape what was then the rather short arm of the law by the vast network of relations and “harbourers”.

The author details their exploits and the terror they aroused in the population. His asks why The Clarke Gang are hardly known whereas Ned Kelly is regarded as an icon. His conclusion is interesting.