Graves of Gay Bushrangers Added To NSW Heritage Register

The graves of famed queer bushrangers, Captain Moonlite and James Nesbit, have been added to the State Heritage Register, offering a rare window into same-sex relationships in the 19th century, and challenging typical stereotypes of Australian bushranger folklore.

Born in Ireland in 1845 as Andrew George Scott, Moonlite committed his first crime when he was 24, robbing a bank in Egerton, Victoria, wearing a mask and cloak. He was incarcerated at Pentridge Prison for the act, where he met James Nesbitt.

After their release in 1879, the pair moved with four other young men to New South Wales, where Nesbitt was killed in a shootout near Gundagai. Moonlite reportedly wept over his body.

Captured and sentenced to death, he penned more than 60 letters and two statements explaining his actions and professing his deep love for Nesbitt.

In a letter to Nesbitt’s mother, Moonlite wrote: “… his hopes were my hopes, his grave will be my resting place, and I trust I may be worthy to be with him where we shall all meet to part no more…”

Separated for more than a century

After Moonlite was executed in January 1880, he was buried at Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney.

These letters, which were never sent, were discovered more than a century later, and in 1990, two Gundagai women campaigned for the couple to be reunited.

After 115 years apart, Moonlite’s remains were exhumed from Rookwood and reinterred at North Gundagai Cemetery. He now rests underneath a eucalyptus tree near Nesbitt’s burial site.

“Captain Moonlite and James Nesbitt were outcasts even among outcasts, who might have lived very different lives in more contemporary times,” said Minister for Heritag, Penny Sharpe.

“This listing on the State Heritage Register reflects the desire to tell the diverse stories that reflect the rich history of NSW.”

The tale is one that has intrigued Australian queers for decades, with composer Jye Bryant, writing a musical based on the letters in 2023. The preservation of their graves at a state level is a reminder of the diverse lives throughout Australian history.