1. John O'Meally, known informally as 'Jack' O'Meally, was an Australia bushranger.
33 Facts About John O'Meally
1. 2.
Jack John O'Meally was shot and killed during an attack on the 'Goimbla' station homestead in November 1863.
3.
John O'Meally was born in June 1840 in the vicinity of Cunningham Creek, south-east of Murrumburrah, the eldest of ten children of Patrick O'Meally and Judith.
4.
John O'Meally's father had arrived in Sydney as a transported convict in February 1832 aboard the Norfolk, sentenced with his younger brother to seven years for sheep stealing.
5.
Patrick John O'Meally was granted his Ticket of Freedom in February 1839; in July the same year he married Julia Downey at Galong.
6.
The children of both families probably received at least a rudimentary education; in September 1853 it was recorded that a schoolmaster named John O'Meally Smith was living on the property.
7.
Young Jack John O'Meally worked as a stockman on the 'Arramagong' run.
8.
John O'Meally was described as "tall, smart, and a splendid horseman".
9.
In June 1860 Patrick John O'Meally was granted a publicans' license for the Weddin Mount Inn, built beside Emu Creek on the 'Arramagong' run.
10.
In June 1861 John O'Meally placed the property, including stock and buildings, up for auction and Daley discovered the lease was held in John O'Meally's name only.
11.
John O'Meally then absconded, after which his identity as a ticket-of-leave holder absent from his district was discovered.
12.
On nightfall the troopers met Alex Fordyce on horseback who said he had come from John O'Meally's and was on his way to Nowlan's.
13.
John O'Meally named the participants in the gold escort robbery, but did not implicate Ben Hall or Jack O'Meally.
14.
John O'Meally told him to go to the corner of the room with the others who were being detained, but Cirkel, a strong and determined man, resisted and began to struggle with John O'Meally.
15.
On Thursday, 30 July 1863, Gilbert and John O'Meally were thwarted in their attempt to rob the Commercial Bank at Carcoar in the middle of the day, managing to escape from the town when the alarm was raised before they could carry out the robbery.
16.
Gilbert and the third man rode to each side of the coach and John O'Meally came to the front of the horses, shouting at the driver to "bail up".
17.
John O'Meally, who had approached from the opposite side, had managed to secure a horse and the five bushrangers then galloped through the scrub and onto a flat, when they turned and kept their pursuers at bay with their rifles, having a longer range than the police revolvers.
18.
John O'Meally reached their horses but one broke away in the confusion, leaving Vane to escape into the surrounding bush on foot.
19.
At about midday on 30 August 1863 a Murrumburrah store-owner named John Barnes, accompanied by John Hanlon, an assistant-storekeeper, were riding near 'Wallendbeen' station, travelling from Murrumburrah to Cootamundry, when they were bailed up by O'Meally and Gilbert.
20.
John O'Meally fired his revolver at Barnes and then galloped after him, firing three more times.
21.
The squatter, Alexander McKay, emerged from the house and John O'Meally ordered him to the station store where he selected boots, a coat and hat, the bushranger explaining it was "for my mate, for he lost them last night in a skirmish with the police".
22.
John O'Meally presented his revolver at the storekeeper who immediately dropped behind the counter and called out for assistance.
23.
John O'Meally fired at Vane, with the bullet passing between Vane's arm and his body.
24.
The response in the colonial press to the burning of Patrick John O'Meally's house was scathing, labelling the act as "the distinguishing characteristic of a weak government".
25.
De Clouet owned a racehorse named 'Pasha' which Gilbert coveted, so he, Vane and John O'Meally dismounted and entered the rear of the yard.
26.
John O'Meally later recalled that "the old lady was very kind when she saw what had happened, and got me some Holloway's ointment to dress the burns, at the same time remonstrating with us for pursuing such evil courses".
27.
John O'Meally had been tending to the horses during these negotiations.
28.
When he returned, John O'Meally rejected the ransom proposal "and declared his intention to revenge the death of his companion", but eventually he was "pacified by the others".
29.
John O'Meally rushed out the back door onto the verandah, where he encountered a man who shot at him twice in quick succession.
30.
Jack John O'Meally was initially buried on 'Goimbla' station, at a location about fifty yards from the homestead.
31.
The corpse was exhumed and reburied in the cemetery at Gooloogong, south-west of Canowindra, where other members of the John O'Meally family were interred.
32.
On 2 March 1864 a public meeting was held in the Chamber of Commerce in Sydney, to decide on the best method of "expressing approval of the gallant conduct" of David Campbell of 'Goimbla' "in repelling the attack of the bushrangers upon his station, and by the death of John O'Meally breaking up the gang that so long infested the Western districts".
33.
However, the optimism following John O'Meally's death proved to be premature.