Dan Morgan was born in Campbelltown, New South Wales, in about 1830. His mother was an Irish convict. Even as a teenager, Morgan was in trouble for attacking policemen and stealing. When he was twenty, he left for the Victorian goldfields. Four years later he was charged with robbery and sentenced to twelve years' hard labour. Morgan served only six years before he was allowed to go free with a ticket of leave. He fled back to New South Wales and started robbing travellers and farms. Unlike many bushrangers Dan Morgan was brutal and often attacked people for no good reason. But he was a good bushman and, like other bushrangers, relied on the bush telegraph to tell him who was travelling and where the police were. In 1864 Morgan became more reckless and more brutal. In June he shot and wounded a bush worker near Albury. Morgan sent another worker to get help, but when he thought he was going to the police instead, Morgan shot him in the back. Later that year, two policemen passed Morgan on the road. They did not recognise him and one said 'hello' as he rode past. Morgan shot him dead.