Martin Cash

In Tasmania Martin Cash, The Bushranger of Van Diemen's Land in 1843In Van Diemen's Land, Cash eventually came before John Giles Price, a magistrate at Hobart Town, who sentenced him to two years in addition to his original seven years' sentence, and to four years' imprisonment with hard labour at Port Arthur. A gunfight ensued and Constable Peter Winstanley was shot by Cash and died two days later. Cash was trialled for murder in September 1843. Cash was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging, but a last minute reprieve saw him sentenced to transportation for life at Norfolk Island. They had one child, a son, Martin born in 1855. Subsequently, he travelled to Christchurch, New Zealand, where he kept several brothels, in 1860 and became a free man in 1863.[source?]

Return to Tasmania Cash died in his bed in his farm cottage, now on Montrose Road, Glenorchy in 1877. During the late 1860s he had dictated his autobiography to an amanuensis, James Lester Burke. This account, although often embellished, provides an insight into convict life. Buck and Joan Emberg later transcribed this account from the original manuscript and released it as The Uncensored Story of Martin Cash.

Popular culture He was the subject of the radio series Outlawry Under the Gums (1933) the stage play Cash (1972) by Michael Boddy and Marcus Cooney the Frank Clune book Martin Cash the radio play Shadows Alive