ARARAT - A book chronicling the life and times of the man responsible for the murder of police sergeant John McNally in 1856 is nearing completion.
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The text, which is yet to be titled, tells the story of William Sydenham Smith and how his life of crime led to him crossing paths with Sergeant McNally.
Sergeant McNally was the first member of the Victorian Police force to be slain in the line of duty.
The research team of Marion McAdie, Greg Vivian, and Ian Batty along with author Laurie Moore have spent over 12 months on the book.
Mrs McAdie said she along with the genealogical society wanted to find the facts surrounding the murder of Sergeant McNally.
"Unfortunately, after much research we still know little about McNally or his partner Constable John Moore, who was wounded in the same incident," she said.
The book uses Smith's history to provide a broader context to the death of McNally.
"Like the public perception of most Australian bush rangers, Smith comes across in most accounts as a one-dimensional person," Mrs McAdie said.
"His origins from England as a transported convict at the age of fifteen, his brutal treatment for minor misdemeanours at the hands of a ruthless system, his heroism in saving lives during his imprisonment, and his eventual participation as a free man in colonial New South Wales and Victoria, have never been mentioned before.
"As in many cases of murder by bush rangers, the victim hardly rates a mention and we hope that this book may help recognise the heroism and positive contributions made by the early police on the goldfields."
Mrs McAdie said she believes it is an important story because it tells of how a young William Smith was transported to Botany Bay at the age of 15 for stealing a handkerchief.
"It traces his experiences as a convict around Sydney, Norfolk Island and Tasmania before he escaped in a whale boat from Tasmania," she said.
The book goes on to show how the young boy became a hardened bush ranger who, between the years of 1852 and 1856, became the notorious 'Gypsey Smith', a subject of fascination for the newspapers and police as he and his gang of desperate convicts created fear among the gold diggings of Victoria.
The story culminates in the events at Cathcart diggings on October 16, 1856 when the bush rangers were confronted by Sergeant McNally and Constable Moore, leaving one dead and the other wounded.
"After the eventual capture of the bush rangers near Maryborough, Smith's mate was hanged but a strange fate awaited Smith, and this is detailed in the forthcoming book," Mrs McAdie said.
Although the story revolves around a bush ranger, it is set among the goldfields of 1850s' Victoria.
It touches on the lives of many ordinary people, the legal system, the squatters, and the impacts of convicts who came in large numbers to look for gold and rob and terrorise the infant community.
"It is a good read and one that is set in Sydney, Norfolk Island, Tasmania, Melbourne, Yackandandah, Moliagul, Maryborough, Amherst, Beaufort, Ararat, Cathcart and Hay in New South Wales," Mrs McAdie said.
The book's author, Laurie Moore retired from Sydney to live in Western Victoria thirteen years ago.
Mr Moore's first book involved nearly ten years of research by Mr Moore and his wife Dianne.
It told the story of the last declared outlaw in Australia, Jimmy Governor, who was the fictional character, Jimmie Blacksmith, in the book written by Thomas Keneally.
Since then he has written 'Shot for Gold', a bush ranging story that happened near Smythesdale, a draft for a book on the Clark Gang of Braidwood, and has now put together the history of the killing of the policeman, Sergeant John McNally, and the convict and bush ranging events that led to his death in October 1856 at Cathcart.
Mrs McAdie said despite all the hours of research the team still can't place an exact location of the burial site of sergeant McNally.
"We would love to hear from people about the exact location," she said.
"We think the site is located in the north west corner of the now Cathcart cemetery."
The team hope to have the book finished by the 157th anniversary of the event on October 16 this year.