Elizabeth Jessie Hickman (née Hunt; 6 September 1890 – 1936) was an Australian

bushranger Bushrangers were originally escaped convicts in the early years of the British settlement of Australia who used the bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities. By the 1820s, the term had evolved to refer to those who took up "robbery under ...

. She had multiple aliases but is often referred to as The Lady Bushranger. In the 1920s she established herself as leader of a gang of cattle thieves in the area that is now

Wollemi National Park The Wollemi National Park () is a protected national park and wilderness area that is located in the northern Blue Mountains and Lower Hunter regions of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The park, the second largest national park in New S ...

. Forgotten for several decades after her death, she has been the subject of two recent books: ''The Untold'' by Courtney Collins (2012), and ''Out of the Mists: The Hidden History of Elizabeth Jessie Hickman'' (2014).

Early life

Jessie Hickman was born in either Burraga or Carcoar, New South Wales. At the age of eight she was sent to live with a travelling circus, attaining a reputation as a skilled roughrider – she was named Australian Ladies Roughriding Champion in 1905 and 1906.

Career

Hickman eventually became the ringmistress of Martini's Buckjumping Show, and may have been married to its one-time owner Martin Breheny (known as James Martini). In 1913 she had a son with Benjamin Hickman; the two married in 1920 and separated in 1924. She is rumored to have been married to an abusive third man, John Fitzgerald (known as "Fitzy"), whom she is alleged to have killed in self-defense. Jessie Hickman was jailed twice in the 1910s for thefts. In the 1920s she established herself as leader of a gang of cattle thieves in the area that is now

. She was charged with cattle rustling in 1918 and 1928, but was acquitted on both occasions. Her legendary exploits included "escap ngfrom custody while in a locked toilet aboard a moving train" and "steal ngcattle in a police holding yard".

Death and legacy

Hickman died of a

brain tumour A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and secondary ...

in 1936 and was interred in an unmarked grave in Sandgate Cemetery. Although she was largely forgotten for several decades, she has recently been the subject of several books, including ''The Burial'' by

Courtney Collins Courtney is a name of Old French origin, introduced into England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It has two quite distinct interpretations: firstly, the surname may be locational, from places called Courtenay in the regions of Loiret and Gât ...

and ''Out of the Mists: The Hidden History of Elizabeth Jessie Hickman'' by Hickman's granddaughter Di Moore.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hickman, Jessie 1890 births 1936 deaths Bushrangers