John Caesar | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1763 |
| Died | 15 February 1796 (aged 32–33) Liberty Plains, Colony of New South Wales, Australia |
| Cause of death | Gunshot wound |
| Other names | Black Caesar |
| Occupation | Servant |
| Children | Mary Anne Fisher Power |
| Conviction(s) | Theft (1786) Theft (1789) |
| Criminal penalty | Transportation – 7 years Transportation – life |
John Caesar (c. 1763 – 15 February 1796), nicknamed "Black Caesar", was an 18th-century convict and one of the first people of African descent to arrive in Australia. He is considered to be the first Australian bushranger.[a]
Born in Madagascar, he was enslaved in the United States in the late 1770s. Caesar later moved to south England where he was tried in 1786 for stealing £12. His sentence was transportation to New South Wales for seven years. In January 1788 he arrived in Botany Bay on the First Fleet convict ship Alexander. 15 months later Caesar was tried for stealing food and sentenced to transportation for life. He escaped into the bush but was caught two months later.
Caesar made another escape in 1789; he subsequently surrendered and returned to the colony. He escaped again in 1794 but was quickly recaptured. He seriously wounded Aboriginal warrior Pemulwuy in late 1795. In December, Caesar made his fourth and final escape from custody. Governor John Hunter offered a lavish reward for his capture. In February 1796, Caesar was shot and killed by ex-highwayman John Wimbow. Caesar left a daughter, Mary Anne Fisher Power, whom he had fathered with English-born convict Anne Power.
- ^ "To-day's True Short Story". The Manning River Times and Advocate for the Northern Coast Districts of New South Wales. Vol. 82. 13 May 1950. p. 5. Retrieved 5 July 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Chingaipe 2024, p. 182.
- ^ The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (29 October 2020). "bushranger". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 21 December 2024.
- ^ Cheek 2018, p. 1.
- ^ "THE FIRST GREAT BUSHRANGER". The Australian Star. No. 2717. New South Wales. 17 October 1896. p. 7. Retrieved 5 July 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
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