John Whelan (1800 - 1855)

Born 1800 in England, United Kingdom

Died 26 Jun 1855 at about age 55 in Tasmania, Australia

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John Whelan was a Convict, bushranger and serial killer operating in Van Diemen's Land. He was nicknamed Rocky. He is rated along side Thomas Jeffries, Mad Dog Morgan, Alexander Pearce and John Lynch as one of the most infamous criminals in Australia's colonial history.

Biography

Rocky Whelan was a convict after the Third Fleet.

Rocky Whelan was an Australian Bushranger

Crime: ^[1]Stealing

Convicted at: Chester Quarter Sessions

Sentence term: 7 years

Ship: Marquis of Hastings

Departure date: 14th April, 1827

Arrival date: 31st July, 1827

Place of arrival New South Wales

Passenger manifest Travelled with 167 other convicts

John Whelan was found guilty and sentenced to seven years transportation. He arrived in Sydney on 31 July 1827. He escaped and took up highway robbery after he was arrested and tried he was transported to Norfolk Island, ^[2] where he was involved in the unsuccessful taking of the brig Governor Phillip. 1854 the penal colony closed and all the convicts were sent to Port Arthur. He was assigned to the public works gang, two days later he escaped again.

He and Peter Connolly took to highway robbery, they robbed homesteads they also robbed lone travellers. He and Connolly had a argument and caused the two men to separate. Rocky bailed up Magistrate Dunn, took him into the bush and said he only wanted his boots, but instead decided to shoot him through the head. He stole watches and jewellery from Mr Dunn who was returning the items from the repairers in Hobart to his friends.^[3] Rocky was caught and condemned to death for the murder of Mr Dunn.

The coroner’s report details that killed Mr Dunn by first twisting his head off to the side, knocking out is teeth and shattered the front of his skull so hard that portions of bone from the front of the face were drive through to top of the skull. After a lengthy search the remains of Mr Dunn were found on Mount Wellington. Mr Dunn’s remains were in bad condition, the abdomen had been eaten away by the wildlife. The legs had also been eaten from the boot tops to the thigh. The remaining portions of his hands were clenched over what was left of the chest.

Rocky also^[4]confessed to killing a Mr Grace near Snug and Mr Axford, near Constitution Hill plus another 2 men whom he shot through the head, but didn’t know their names nor exactly where their remains might be found. At his trial Rocky was wearing Mr Dunn’s clothes. When asked why he killed the men Rocky said that after the treatment he had received at Port Arthur and Norfolk Island he was determined to go to war against society. Rocky’s police record shows 112 offences, and that amongst other punishments, he had been flogged 12 times. On 26 June,1855 Whelan was hanged at the Hobart gaol with three other condemned men including Conolly on the infamous six man scaffold.

Sources

1. ↑ Convict Record - John Whelan, one of 168 convicts transported on the Marquis of Hastings, 14 April 1827
2. ↑ Launceston Examiner (Tas. : 1842 - 1899) p.3; 5th August, 1886 Article THE SEIZURE OF THE GOVERNMENT BRIG GOVERNOR PHILIP BY CONVICTS AT NORFOLK ISLAND IN 1842
3. ↑ The Courier (Hobart, Tas. : 1840 - 1859) p.3; 21st May, 1855 Article BUSHRANGER CAPTURED.-On Saturday afternoon the desperate and nororious bushranger, John Whelan, better known to his victims by the name of"Rocky Whelan,"
4. ↑ The Courier (Hobart, Tas. : 1840 - 1859) P.3; 27th June, 1855 Article CONFESSION OF "ROCKY" WHELAN. DISCOVERY OF THE BODY OF THE MURDERER OF MR DUNN

• The People's Advocate or True Friend of Tasmania (Launceston, Tas. : 1855 - 1856) p.3; 24th May, 1855 Article Hobart Town Apprehension of Whelan the BushRanger.

• Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW : 1900 - 1954) p.3; 16th April,1912 Article Australian Bushrangers Rocky Whealan

• Smith's Weekly (Sydney, NSW : 1919 - 1950) p.17; 26th January, 1924 Article When fate interfered with Rocky Whelans good intentions

• The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954) p.10; 10th April, 1930 Article Rocky Whelan," Bushranger Lacasten Developments (By W. J. Rowlands.-Article 3.)

• Wikipedia John Whelan Bushranger
• Storyteller Spinks - The Highway men
• Our Tasmania John "Rocky" Whelan (1800-1855) Bushranger