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| Sydney Gazette |
McCarty's farm, Birch Grove, was on the northern bank of the river - opposite the slowly-growing village of Elizabeth Town - and was the location of the punt that provided the only transport across the river at that time.
The robbery by nine bushrangers might today be called a home invasion and from the newspaper's description it was a well organised raid, with a suggestion of inside information. The ordeal lasted through the long hours of the night, during which time the thieves demanded items from a pre-prepared list which included details of where things were stored in the McCarty home.
The spelling of Denis McCarty's name has varied over the centuries and the following article from the Sydney Gazette opted for "Dennis McCarty".
"The farm-residence of Mrs McCarthy, wife of Mr Dennis McCarthy, at New Norfolk, some miles distant from Hobart Town, was forcibly entered on the night of the 28th of October, by bush rangers, with their faces blackened, and robbed of property, consisting of wearing apparel, tea, sugar, jewellery, &c. &c. to a very considerable amount, stated to be 600l. and upwards.
"There were several persons in the house when they entered, besides Mrs McCarthy, the whole of whom they bound with cords; but thinking it safe, as they were armed, to release Mrs McCarthy and a servant man, to attend their wants while they chose to remain, they desired tea to be made; conversed with the two liberated persons without restraint or reserve, and at the approach of morning went off with their booty in a boat, also Mr McCarthy's property, which we do not hear had been recovered.
"During their stay and conversation they declared themselves to be part of a gang of sixteen, of whom one out of the three or four that shewed themselves upon this occasion avowed himself to be the leader; stating with perfect ease and familiarly; at the same time, that only nine were employed on the present business.
"This chief, as he styled himself, produced a schedule of the various property the house contained, with a description of the places where deposited; and from this written information, and uniform detail demanded the articles as expressed to be delivered up to them; which it would have been vain to deliberate in complying with.
"Among the leading articles enumerated in the scroll, was a cask of gunpowder 70 to 80lbs weight; a pair of double barrelled pistols, and a musket, all which they unfortunately got possession of. They took two chests of hyson tea, leaving one of black, saying, that Mrs. M. and family had drank green tea long enough.
"The whole of her wearing apparel, which had been for years accumulating from the best specimens and patterns of Europe or of India; they also secured in packages, and took away with them together with every trinket, or moveable of value the premises contained; and on a request from Mrs. McCarthy, that they would return to her a favourite box or case, the intrinsic value of which was trifling; unseasonably adding to the solicitation, that she hoped to experience honor, even among thieves, they refused compliance, and angrily replied, that they were not thieves; but freebooters living at large in the wild woods.
"On their departure they took the precaution to re-bind Mrs. M. and her servant, and threatened them with death if they offered to impede their escape by the slightest alarm. The number of fugitives from the several settlements in Van Diemen's Land amounted to 36, the 24th of September last; viz. 27 from Hobart Town; one from Restdown; and eight from Launceston."
At the time of the home invasion, Denis McCarty was in Sydney fighting smuggling charges. He would later state a figure of 546 Pounds for the property stolen by the bushrangers. This translates to about $49,000 in today's money and it was not the last the McCartys and the rest of Elizabeth Town/New Norfolk would hear of the bushrangers. Far worse was to come in 1815.
SOURCE: Sydney, SITTING MAGISTRATE—W. BROUGHTON, Esq. (1815, February 4). The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), p. 1. Retrieved January 16, 2015, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article629052
