Can You Help John Dooling, the Bushrangers Project and Collaborative Profile of the Week

Question

The Bushrangers Project and the Collaborative Profile of the Week Present

John Dooling (1856-1882)

John Dooling was a Bushranger.

1. Sources are needed.
2. Can he be connected to the global tree?
3. What did he do wrong that set him on the bushranger's path?
4. What was he before?
5. What were some of his later misdeeds?
6. Perhaps some quotes from "The Wild Colonial Boy" would be appropriate.
7. What is know about his last years?

It’s helpful to the collaboration and to save duplication of work, if you post an answer here before working on some aspect of the profile. But please feel free to simply add to the profile whatever you’ve found out with it’s source.

The Bushrangers Project

There are 3 distinct groups of Australian Bushrangers.

The first era of the Australian Bushrangers was the Convict Bolters. Bolters was a term first used in Van Diemens Land they were convicts who had escaped, and started robbing settlers. These men fled to the bush stealing what they could to survive. Little is known about these men such as John Ceasar, Mathew Beady and Jacky Jacky. They were usually only known in the area were they operated.

The 2nd era of the Australian Bushrangers coincided with the outbreak of the Goldrush in the 1850s, when men and mail coaches carrying large quantities of gold and cash made easy targets. Men such as Ben Hall, Mad Dog Morgan and Captain Thunderbolt became notorious, the newspapers of the day ignored these Bushrangers exploits in favour of the latest Gold strikes. When the gold fever started to recede these outlaws began to make the newspapers.

The 3rd era of the Australian Bushranger, and its last, was from 1878-1880. After 1878 there were no Bushrangers until the Kelly Gang. Ned Kelly and his 3 gang members came to symbolise the hated and distrust poor Australians felt towards the police. The public became fascinated with  Ned Kelly and the Kelly Gang, as more space was devoted to the Kelly Gang in newspapers then any other Bushranger. Captain Moonlight was another Bushranger of this era.

Thank you

Answer 1

I will try and find sources for his convict parents.  His father William was possibly from Tipperary

Comments

Excellent Veronica, just what the profile needs.

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Thank you everyone for your help.

Answer 2

Hello Anne, was his name originally John Donahue?  name of John Donahue becoming Jack Doolan, Jack Dowling, Jack Doogan and even Jim Doolan  here is the link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Donahue.  Or am I looking in the wrong place.  

Comments

I think that must be someone else, because the dates are off.

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I thought that too, but I'm confused reading Wikipedia.

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Sally its confusing because the song the Wild Colonial Boy was written about a number of Australian bushrangers.

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This is our Wild Colonial Boy :) http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/doolan-john-12889

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According to 'A Pictorial History of Bushrangers, 1966 Landsdowne Press, Melbourne. Paul Hamlyn revised edition 1970. H. Nunn, Bill Wannan and Tom Prior.'  'Bold Jack' Donohoe was the original 'Wild Colonial Boy', they state his name was not Duggan, Dowling or Donahue implying these were all different people.  He was from Dublin d1830.  I've added the Wild Colonial Boy category to his profile so he is connected to this group.

Answer 3

I love this project!

Assuming his father was William Dooling, I have added details of John's paternal grandmother and aunts and uncles based on William's convict indent records.

Comments

Great job Leigh Thank you.

Answer 4

William Dooling Convict arrived Hobart 1849. Married Anne Burke in Hobart 1852. Anne was also a convict, arriving Hobart 1850. Children born Hobart - William in 1852 and Catherine (Kate) in 1853.Then follows: John born 1856 in Castlemaine, Thomas 1859 in Miners Rest, Ballarat, Patrick 1861 in Miners Rest, Ballarat and James 1863 in Ballarat.
Patrick died in Bendigo in 1861 aged ten. Family living in Bendigo in 1870's. Their name is often spelled as Doolan.

DOOLING Given names James  EventBirth  Father's name / Spouse's family name William  Mother's maiden name / Spouse's given name Anne (Bourke)  Reg. year 1863  Reg. no 12103

DOOLING Given names Patrick  EventBirth  Father's name / Spouse's family name William  Mother's maiden name / Spouse's given name Ann (Burke)  Reg. year 1861  Reg. no 7722

Ref:  https://online.justice.vic.gov.au/bdm/indexsearch.doj

 

Comments

Thank you Debra, that confirms the birth of his two siblings James and Patrick