John Tennant (bushranger)

John Tennant was an Australian bushranger who was active around the Canberra district in the mid-1820s. Mount Tennent is named after him as it was on the slopes of this steep mountain behind the village of Tharwa where many people believed he used to hide, although this is now thought to be incorrect.

Tennant was born in Belfast, Ireland, and was 29 years old when he was sentenced to transportation to Australia for life in 1823. He arrived in Sydney on 12 July 1824 on the 'Prince Regent'. He was assigned to Joshua John Moore and to join other men, James Clarke and John McLaughlin, who had helped establish Moore's property Canberry or Canberra, the first European habitation on the Limestone Plains.

In 1826 Tennant and another man, John Ricks, absconded from their assigned landholder and took to the bush. In July 1827 Tennant's gang raided Rose’s outstation at the Yass River, between Murrumbateman and Gunning. Tennant was shot in the back by James Farrell. During his recuperation, he teamed up with a female bushranger, Mrs Winter. Tennant, Ricks and another man held up Pialligo station on 21 November 1827, robbing it of supplies and stowing them in a hollow tree. When collecting them, two days later they were surprised and almost captured by the Pialligo and Canberry overseers. After other robberies, they tortured James Farrell in late December 1827. Two members of his gang (Cain and Murphy) were caught near Goulburn and Tennant and Ricks were sighted near Canberry by John Casey. The authorities were now closing in on him.