author
Francis Augustus Hare
Best known for helping bring the Kelly gang story to its dramatic end, he lived a life that moved from colonial South Africa to the Victorian goldfields and into the police force of 19th-century Australia. His career mixed frontier hardship, public controversy, and a place in one of Australia’s most famous historical episodes.
1 Audiobook
The Last of the Bushrangers: An Account of the Capture of the Kelly Gang
by Francis Augustus Hare
About the author
Born at Wynberg near Cape Town in 1830, Francis Augustus "Frank" Hare later went to Australia during the gold rush era and eventually joined the Victoria Police. Before he became widely known, he worked in the rough conditions of colonial life and built a reputation through years spent in the goldfields and country districts.
Hare is most often remembered for his part in the pursuit of Ned Kelly and the Kelly gang. As a senior police officer, he was involved in the events leading to the 1880 siege at Glenrowan, an episode that fixed his name in Australian history and also exposed him to criticism, debate, and lasting public attention.
After his police career, he served as a magistrate. He died in 1892, leaving behind a story shaped by migration, public service, and the violent edge of life in colonial Australia.