John "Rocky" Whelan

John Whelan, also known as Rocky Whelan, was a bushranger and serial killer operating in the Huon Valley in 1855 in Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania, Australia). He was a tall man for his times, standing at 6’1” and of heavy build, and was named Rocky for the crags and deep pock marks of his face.

Crimes

Whelan was found guilty and sentence to seven years in the Chester Quarter Sessions in 1827. He was put on the Marquis of Hastings and transported from England and arrived in Sydney in on the 31 July 1827. ^[1] He escaped from the custody of the Crown and took to highway robbery for which he arrested and tried in Sydney, then transported to Norfolk Island, where he was involved in the unsuccessful taking of the brig “Governor Phillip.”

For these crimes Rocky spent a total of eighteen years on Norfolk Island after which, in 1854 the penal colony closed and all the convicts were relocated to Port Arthur. He was sent to Hobart and was assigned to the public works gang. He only lasted two days before he absconded again, this time into the rugged bush land of Mount Wellington which stands over Hobart. Roaming the countryside with Peter Connolly with whom he was incarcerated with on Norfolk Island the two took to highway robbery. Like all bushrangers in Tasmania, they targeted the many isolated homesteads for plunder; but they also roamed the forests ambushing lone travelers, robbing them. An argument one night in Hobart caused the two villains to separate only to come together again on the gallows months later.

Capture and death

Whelan was captured on 19 May 1855 in Hobart outside a bootmaker shop. He had gone to the shop with a pair of boots he took off Magistrate Dunn. The boots had Dunn branded on them and were left by the front door. A passing constable saw the boots that belonged to the missing Dunn and with the help of a civilian managed to arrest the outlaw. Whelan did try to use his weapon by it failed to fire. The decomposed body of Magistrate Dunn was found three days later on the slopes of Mt Wellington.

Confession of "Rocky" Whelan

In a declaration taken in the presence of the Colonial Secretary Whelan acknowledged to the murder of a young man near Stoney Steps, whom he afterwards heard was Mr. Dunn. Whelan also confessed to the murder of another man who is supposed to be the missing Mr. Grace. It is believed that the remains of the unfortunate man will be found about two miles from Brown's River. Mr. Grace was last seen alive in the vicinity of the Snug. He also admitted to the murder of an elderly gentleman at the foot of Constitution Hill. The victim supposed to be Mr. Axford. He also confesses to two other murders, both cases he shot them both through the head.

The clothes in which Whelan was dressed upon being apprehended for the lesser though still capital offence for which he was executed, have been identified as belonging to the late Mr. Dunn.^[2]

Whelan was hanged at the Hobart gaol with three other condemned men (including Conolly) on the infamous six-man scaffold.

He ranks alongside Alexander Pearce and Thomas Jeffries as one of the most infamous criminals in Australia's colonial history.

References

External links