Elizabeth Jessie Hickman (née Hunt; 6 September 1890 – 1936) was an Australian bushranger. She had multiple aliases but is often referred to as The Lady Bushranger. In the 1920s she established herself as leader of a gang of cattle thieves in the area that is now Wollemi National Park. Forgotten for several decades after her death, she has been the subject of two recent books: The Untold by Courtney Collins (2012), and Out of the Mists: The Hidden History of Elizabeth Jessie Hickman (2014).
Jessie Hickman | |
|---|---|
 Prison photograph taken 15 August 1913 | |
| Born | Elizabeth Jessie Hunt 6 September 1890 |
| Died | 1936 (aged 46) |
| Resting place | Sandgate Cemetery |
| Occupations | |
Early life
editJessie Hickman was born in either Burraga or Carcoar, New South Wales. At the age of eight she was sent to live with a travelling circus, attaining a reputation as a skilled roughrider – she was named Australian Ladies Roughriding Champion in 1905 and 1906.[1][2]
Career
editHickman eventually became the ringmistress of Martini's Buckjumping Show, and may have been married to its one-time owner Martin Breheny (known as James Martini).[1] In 1913 she had a son with Benjamin Hickman; the two married in 1920 and separated in 1924.[1] She is rumored to have been married to an abusive third man, John Fitzgerald (known as "Fitzy"), whom she is alleged to have killed in self-defense.[3][4]
Jessie Hickman was jailed twice in the 1910s for thefts.[1] In the 1920s she established herself as leader of a gang of cattle thieves in the area that is now Wollemi National Park.[2] She was charged with cattle rustling in 1918 and 1928, but was acquitted on both occasions.[1] Her legendary exploits included "escap[ing] from custody while in a locked toilet aboard a moving train" and "steal[ing] cattle in a police holding yard".[3][5]
Death and legacy
editHickman died of a brain tumour in 1936 and was interred in an unmarked grave in Sandgate Cemetery.[3] Although she was largely forgotten for several decades, she has recently been the subject of several books, including The Burial by Courtney Collins and Out of the Mists: The Hidden History of Elizabeth Jessie Hickman by Hickman's granddaughter Di Moore.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Di Moore (2009). "Elizabeth Jessie Hickman - My Bushranger Grandmother". Open Writing.
- ^ a b Drake, Jack (2012). The wild west in Australia and America. Boolarong Press. pp. 135–136. ISBN 9781921920479.
- ^ a b c Emma Nobel (5 January 2017). "The Lady Bushranger: Remembering Australia's Forgotten Female Outlaw". Broadly.
- ^ Margaret Burin (3 December 2014). "Australia's lady bushranger: the life of Jessie Hickman sparks film industry interest". ABC.
- ^ a b Mike Scanlon (10 October 2014). "Out of the mists: Search for truth about Elizabeth Jessie Hickman". Newcastle Herald.