In folklore, a typical outlaw hero is a farmer or other innocent person who is forced into crime by cruel police or government actions. Ben Hall is part of a long history of outlaw heroes that includes people like Robin Hood in England and Jesse James in the United States. The outlaw hero is said to be a friend of the poor, kind to women and children, and an enemy of the rich. He is said to have died bravely in a battle against the more powerful forces of the law. Ben Hall has been seen by people in Australia as such a hero; others see him as a very clever criminal who stole a lot of money.
Ben Hall was born on 9 May 1837, at Wallis Plains, near Maitland, in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. His parents were Benjamin Hall (born in Bristol, England, 1802) and Eliza Somers (born in Dublin, Ireland, 1807). Both of his parents were convicts and sent to gaol in New South Wales. They married in 1834. Ben was their fourth child. After they were let out of gaol, they moved to the Hunter Valley. Benjamin worked for Samuel Clift on a farm called the "Doona Run". Around 1839, Benjamin moved to a remote valley, north of Murrurundi. He built a hut and began farming cattle. He also found wild cattle and horses in the nearby hills. In 1842, he bought a small block of land at Haydonton, near Murrurundi, and started a butcher shop. The family worked hard, but there were problems with the police over stolen cattle and horses. Near the end of 1850, Benjamin moved down to the Lachlan River area, taking his children, Ben, William, and Mary, and his stepson, Thomas Wade.
Ben left home and began work on many cattle farms along the Lachlan River. He was known as a hard-working and honest stockman.
On 29 February 1856, at the age of 19, Hall married Bridget Walsh (1841–1923), a farmer's daughter, at Bathurst. On 7 August 1859, they had a son, whom they named Henry. One of Bridget's sisters was the mistress (lover) of bushranger Frank Gardiner; another sister married John Maguire. In 1860, Ben Hall and John Maguire leased the "Sandy Creek" farm of about south of Forbes. Hall built a house, sheds and stockyards. He raised cattle and sold them at the Lambing Flat goldfield. He met Frank Gardiner who had a butchers shop at Lambing Flat.
Historians are unsure why, but Hall's life changed. By early 1862, his marriage was in trouble. Biddy left Ben and moved in with a neighbour, Jim Taylor, taking young Henry with her. There were many criminals living and working in the area where Hall lived. He became friends with Frank Gardiner. Gardiner was already wanted for robbery and had shot two policemen before escaping. On 14 April 1862 Gardiner and Hall robbed three bullock wagon drivers. One week later the drivers saw him at the Forbes horse races. Police Inspector Sir Frederick Pottinger, who was also at the races, told the police to arrest Ben for using guns in a robbery with Gardiner. The jury at the courthouse at Orange did not think there was enough evidence to show that Hall had been one of the robbers. After he was released, the police kept a close watch on Ben Hall, to see where he went and what he was doing.
On 15 June 1862, Gardiner and a group of ten men, including Hall, robbed the Forbes gold coach near Eugowra. This coach carrying gold from the gold fields had an escort of police to guard it. The gang stole more than £14,000 in gold and money. This is about US$4 million in 2003 money value. This was definitely Australia's biggest gold robbery. Hall and several others were arrested in July. Once again the police were unable find proof that Hall was one of the robbers. The police let him go at the end of August. When Hall went back to his farm he found his house burned down. His cattle had been left in the stockyards and had died from starvation (not having enough to eat). There are claims that this was done by Pottinger to punish Hall, but not all historians agree. Hall and John Maguire needed money to pay their legal costs. They were forced to sell the lease of their farm at "Sandy Creek" to a Forbes hotel owner called John Wilson.
With his wife, young son, and his farm gone, Ben Hall slowly moved into a life of crime as a bushranger. On 1 March 1863, Hall and bushrangers Patrick Daley (Patsy) and John O'Meally, were nearly captured in the Weddin mountains by Police Inspector Norton and black tracker Billy Dargin. Black trackers were aboriginals used by the police for their skills in following people in the bush. After shooting at each other, Norton was captured and robbed. Dargin managed to escape into the bush. Hall and Daley chased Dargin through the bush for . When they caught him they told him they admired his bravery. They let him go, but told him they would rob the police camp that night. While the police were out looking for them, the gang stole guns and ammunition from the police camp. The police chased them but the gang had stolen better and faster horses and easily escaped.
Frank Gardiner went to Queensland to hide from the police after the Eugowra robbery. Hall took over as leader of the gang. For three years Hall carried out well-planned and daring crimes. They robbed mainly farmhouses, stagecoaches carrying mail and gold, and country hotels. Hall's gang included John Gilbert as his lieutenant, his main helper. In 1863 the other three members were John O'Meally, John Vane and Michael Burke. Burke was only 20 years old. He was shot and killed on 24 October 1863, during a robbery at Henry Keightley's house at Dunn's Plains. Vane wanted to shoot Keightley for killing Burke, but Ben Hall stopped him. Instead he asked for a £500 ransom. Mrs Keightley had to ride to Bathurst at night to get the money from the bank. A few weeks later on 19 November, O'Meally was shot and killed during an attempted robbery on Goimbla Station (farm). Vane gave himself up and was sent to gaol. Two other men, James Gordon, alias James Mount (known as "The Old Man") and John Dunleavy, joined the gang but Gordon was captured trying to flee in Victoria and Dunleavy surrendered after being badly wounded in a gunfight. sometime around October 1864, Hall and Gilbert were joined by John Dunn who had a warrant out for his arrest after failing to appear in court over a robbery-under-arms charge.
The police seemed powerless to stop the Ben Hall gang. The gang were very busy in the district during 1864. For example:
Hall's gang robbed Robinson's Hotel in Canowindra and held all the people of the town hostage for three days. Nobody was hurt and Hall even got the people to play music and dance. The local policeman was locked in his own cell. When the people were set free, Hall paid them money. The gang paid the hotel owner for the food and drink that they had used. The capture of the town is made famous in a song called "John Gilbert".