Whilst there he became friends with bushrangers, Frank Gardiner, Johnny Gilbert and Henry Mann. 

Because he was youthful and did not have the appearance of a bushranger he was used as a “bush telegraph” to gather information on people travelling with valuables and report to Gardiner and his gang the location of any police on patrol. 

In June 1862, Gardiner planned the robbery of the Forbes Gold Escort. 

At Ben Hall’s suggestion, the most suitable site for the robbery was at the Eugowra Rocks which were situated close to the main road from Forbes to Orange. 

It was ideal at the time for providing perfect cover and surprise for Gardiner to rob the gold coach. 

The hold up was successful, without injury, and the gang “divided” up their spoils totalling 14,000 pounds worth of gold and bank notes.

Henry Fordice and Henry Mann were eventually sentenced. Mann became the first person to be hanged for a crime in which no person was killed. 

John Bow was sentenced to be hanged but three days date before the due date his sentence was committed to penal servitude for life. 

In 1874, after twelve years in goal he was given a special pardon and was released.   

There is no confirming evidence he came back to reside in Mudgee.

An “old Mudgee Boy” writing in the Brisbane Daily Mail of 21 March, 1922, gives some interesting reminiscences of the bushranging days. 

He tells of the bushranger named John Bow who later became Mayor of Mudgee. Bow was one  of Gardiner’s gang.  His sister married a Mudgee butcher by the surname of Bollard (Holburird?).  When Bow was convicted she traversed half the State getting signatures for his release.

She presented the petition to the Governor and Bow was let off hanging with imprisonment for life. Later the Premier, Sir Henry Parkes, released a number of prisoners, including Bow. 

He came back to his old town of Mudgee and joined his brother-in-law in the butchering business, ultimately acquiring all four shops. Later on the ex-bushranger became an alderman, and was ultimately elected as Mayor of his native town.

Many similar articles appeared in provincial newspapers stating that Bow did become the Mayor, but not one newspaper can be traced denying that Bow ever was elected, Mayor of Mudgee. It is presumed that the “old Mudgee Boy”, mentioned above, was William Dighton, of Charleville, born in Mudgee in 1843. He wrote droving articles for the Brisbane Daily Mail and the Mudgee Guardian. Dighton often visited Mudgee and obviously knew of the bushranger, John Bow. 

There is evidence that Bow on his release took up an area of land at Lake Cargelligo. He died at Woodside, Lake Cargelligo, NSW on 4 March, 1895, supposedly from heart disease, at the age 52 years, and is buried in the Presbyterian section of the local cemetery.  Bow never married.

If Bow returned to Mudgee he may of lived there between 1874 and 1895, during the period Mudgee  was a municipality.

Unfortunately mayoralty records for that period cannot be currently located.

Also search of relevant newspapers do not disclose any confirmation that John Bow was once Mayor of Mudgee. Truth or fiction?

by Roy Cameron