St. Bede's Parish

Learning from the legacy of Australia's Bushrangers

The murderous and violent exploits of the Clarke brothers, Australian bushrangers from the Braidwood district, who rode across the plains of New South Wales in the mid 1800s would eventually play a critical role in changing education for children in the colony. Today, Police play an ongoing role in working with educators in NSW to ensure children receive the best chance of learning about the law and becoming good citizens and members of the community throughout life.

Michelago Primary School, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary in March 2018 is located along the Monaro Highway, approximately halfway between Canberra and Cooma. Local police visited the school to speak to the students about the unlawful exploits of the Clarke brothers in the area nearly 200 years ago, while continuing the tradition of police contributing to the guidance and education of children to keep them on the right side of the law.
Who would have known that Bushrangers would play such a big role in shaping education and ensuring police continue to play an active role with schools and crime prevention?