Caesar, John (1763?-1796), is regarded as Australia’s first bushranger—that is, an outlaw operating in the remote countryside. He was also known as Black Caesar. Like many early bushrangers, Caesar was an escaped convict. During the 1790’s, he robbed European settlers and Aboriginal people in the British colony of New South Wales.
Caesar was probably born in Madagascar, off the southeast coast of the African mainland, around 1763. Historians think he may have been enslaved and taken to Britain’s American Colonies in North America in the 1770’s. It is unknown whether he escaped or was released from slavery.
In the 1780’s, Caesar was working as a servant in Deptford, near London, England. In 1786, he was arrested and found guilty of theft. He was sentenced to serve seven years as a convict in Australia. In 1787, Caesar sailed with the First Fleet, the first group of ships to carry convicts to Australia. The fleet arrived in southeastern Australia in 1788. British authorities established a penal colony (settlement for prisoners) at the site of present-day Sydney, New South Wales.
In New South Wales, the colonial government forced convicts to work as laborers or servants. Many convicts received little food and suffered under harsh working conditions. In April 1789, Caesar was found guilty of stealing food. For this crime, his seven-year sentence became a life sentence. Caesar escaped in May, but he was soon captured. After escaping again in December, Caesar lived for a month as an outlaw, stealing food from settlers and Aboriginal people.
In January 1790, Caesar was injured during an encounter with an Aboriginal group. He surrendered to colonial authorities a short time later. In March, Governor Arthur Phillip of New South Wales sent Caesar to Norfolk Island, about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) northeast of Sydney. Caesar returned to the Australian mainland in 1793, but he escaped again in 1794. He robbed farms and settlements before he was recaptured later in 1794.
In 1795, Caesar’s work party was attacked by the Aboriginal warrior Pemulwuy, who opposed colonial settlement around Sydney. Caesar fought with and seriously injured Pemulwuy during the attack. The settlers celebrated Caesar as a hero for his actions.
Caesar made his final escape in December 1795. He became the leader of a gang of escaped convicts in the Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) area. The colonial government blamed Caesar’s gang for many robberies. However, it is unknown how many crimes the gang actually committed. On Feb. 15, 1796, a settler named John Wimbow tracked Caesar down and killed him at Liberty Plains, outside Sydney.
