NAIDOC – Mary Ann Bugg: the girl who became a fierce bushranger
Jun 29, 2022
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Mary Ann Bugg, an Aboriginal woman, becomes a savvy bushranger, riding ahead to check for police and using her bush skills to gather food. She fools troopers with her education and beauty, playing a pivotal role in protecting Captain Thunderbolts.
Mary Ann Bugg used her intelligence, education, and beauty to outsmart troopers and avoid capture as a bush ranger.
Mary Ann's resourcefulness and determination as a bush ranger allowed her to protect herself, her unborn child, and successfully establish a new life.
Deep dives
Story of Mary Ann Bug, the Fierce Bush Ranger
Mary Ann Bug, a skilled bush ranger, was the true captain behind Captain Thunderbolts, the gentleman bush ranger. She was always protecting him and coming up with robbery ideas. Despite her heritage as an Aboriginal woman, Mary Ann pretended to be from New Zealand to avoid mistreatment. In addition to being a proficient reader and writer, she possessed bush survival skills which allowed her to outsmart troopers and trackers. Mary Ann showed resilience when she fought off the police during her arrest, protested her innocence and successfully proved it. Eventually, she decided to leave Thunderbolt and started a new life with a new man, having 15 children and working as a nurse.
Mary Ann's Courageous Escape and Survival
Mary Ann's resourcefulness and determination were evident when she faked labor pains to escape troopers and protect her unborn child. She established a new camp, where she demonstrated her self-sufficiency by hunting, riding horses properly, and wearing men's clothes. Thunderbolt occasionally returned, but Mary Ann soon realized she had enough of his constant disappearing acts and his affair with another woman. She ended their relationship and rode off into the sunset, never looking back. Without Mary Ann's protection, Thunderbolt was caught and killed by troopers.
Mary Ann's Legacy and Life Beyond Thunderbolt
After leaving Thunderbolt, Mary Ann fell in love with a new man and had a total of 15 children. She lived a long life working as a nurse, keeping her past as Thunderbolt's Lady a secret from her patients. Mary Ann Bug was more than just a companion to Thunderbolt; she was a fierce bush ranger, a leader, and the true captain of their operations.
Mary Ann Bugg was an Aboriginal woman who became a savvy bushranger and accomplice to Captain Thunderbolt. She was the bushranger's spy, riding ahead into towns to check for police. She also used her bush skills to gather and hunt food for the group of bushrangers she rode with. Mary Ann used her first-class education and stunning beauty to fool the troopers and avoid being caught.
Narrated by singer-songwriter Thelma Plum.
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