Sydney Jim

William Thornton (181629 September 1858), alias Sydney Jim, was an English convict who was transported to the penal colony of New South Wales in 1836. He was later transferred to Tasmania, where he escaped and, in 1858, formed part of the colony's last bushranging gang. After committing numerous raids and robberies across Tasmania, he was killed in a shootout with the police.

Life Convict years Thornton was born in Shropshire, England in 1816. On 1 March 1836, he was convicted at Salop Quarter Sessions of stealing sheep and received a sentence of transportation for seven years to the penal colony of New South Wales. He arrived in Sydney aboard the convict ship Prince George on 8 May 1837. After his arrival, Thornton absconded multiple times, receiving corporal punishment for his offenses.

In 1843, Thornton escaped into the bush and was later caught with firearms. He was sent to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) later that year, but soon escaped again, only to be quickly recaptured. In 1844, he escaped and, after committing robberies, was captured and convicted. He made other attempts to escape, including an incident in which he was involved in a mutiny on the Governor Philip in 1845.

Bartlett Adamson covered Thornton's bushranging career in the article "Sydney Jim Pays a Visit", published in Smith's Weekly in 1940.