Uralla

Population: 2,300

Uralla is just 20km south of Armidale, on the New England Highway.

The town is closely associated with the bushranger known as Thunderbolt (alias Fred Ward). After escaping from prison in 1856, he, for the next six and a-half years, robbed mail coaches, as well as roadside inns, stores and private homes from Maitland north to the Queensland border and west to Bourke. At times he worked with a gang but, while his superior skills as a horseman were probably responsible for his evading capture for so long, his accomplices were not so lucky and, consequently, he often worked alone.

Thunderbolt acquired a reputation, both locally and nationally, as a gentleman. It was said he was always polite, particularly to women, and he never killed anybody.

In 1870 Thunderbolt held up a hawker at Blanch's Inn. The Uralla police were alerted. In the ensuing conflict, Ward died in a creek. Thunderbolt's Rocks are located just 300m to the north of Ward's last robbery.

More on the town can be found at Uralla.com.

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