When was your Country's first bank robbery?

Bretrick

Bretrick

Well-known Member
Location
Perth Western Australia
13 September 1828 was the day Sydney's, and Australia's, first bank robbery took place when the Bank of Australia strongroom was breached by thieves entering through a sewer drain and stealing £14,000 (equivalent to $20 million today) mostly in notes but also some gold and silver coins.
To thwart the robbers the bank withdrew all its notes from circulation and its note printing machines worked overtime so that old notes could be exchanged for new.
People surrendering old notes were required to explain how they had acquired them and several who were unable to give a satisfactory provenance were questioned by the police.
There was a surreptitious trade in stolen old notes, at a heavy discount, and several people were subsequently charged with possession of stolen money and receiving stolen goods; most were sentenced to seven or fourteen years in the Moreton Bay penal colony.
The majority of the stolen money was never recovered.
 

Well, it must have been a very long time ago, the old memory isn't what it was, anyway, they never caught me. 😊 ;)
 
I think there was probably robberies before this but this is what I found..

Public Office, Bow Street, Dec 24, 1818


100 GUINEAS Reward


WHEREAS, on the Night of the 31st October, the undermentioned NOTES of the Sturminster and Dorsetshire Bank, under the Firm of “WARRY, COLBOURNE, BEST, and Co.” were Stolen from the Exeter Mail [coach] and being Payable at the House of Messrs. PRESCOTT, GROTE and Co., Bankers, London, Payment thereof has been stopped:- Notice is thereby given, that whoever shall give information of the Parties whole stole the same, shall upon Conviction, receive the above Reward, by applying to Mr. John Stafford, Chief Clerk at the Public Office, Bow Street; or Mr. THOMAS WARRY, Solicitor, No.7, New Inn, London:-

The person first described [below] purchased a new pair of Wellington Boots at Bath, marked in the Inside “Jones, No.16262”, and it was observed by the Bootmaker that he was awkward about the Feet, and that all his Toes seemed to be nearly of the same Length. The Boots which he bought were stuffed at the Point with Wool to be more easy for Walking.
A considerable Number of the above Notes was passed on the 3rd and the 4th Instant, at Cheltenham and Bath, to different Tradesmen, by Two Men, one acting as Servant to the other- The Description of the pretended Master (who called himself Captain Mowbray,) is as follows, viz.—Five feet 9 Inches high, rather of light but sallow Complexion, very dark grey Eyes, small Whiskers, shews a little of the Small Pox, large rough Hands, very large Feet; wears his Boots easy, very genteel in his Manner, rather long Visage, high Cheek Bones rather tapering towards the Chin, which is rather sharp, good Teeth, thick brown Eyebrows,

Nose rather long and a little hooked at the Point, but Nostrils rather large and flat, good looking, and very sharp and quick with his Eyes; active and bustling and well made, very much the Appearance and Manners of a Gentleman; brown Hair cut in the common Way;
From his having his Boots and Shoes made easy, it is supposed his quick Walking was affected; remarkably ready and quick at Figures, carries himself upright—

Was dressed in a black Coat and Waistcoat, with a blue Great Coat over, blue cloth Trowsers, and Wellington Boots, had 3 or 4 embossed Seals, and a blue Amethyst embossed Key was purchased at Bath with a Stone in the Middle, which he put upon his Watch. The Description of the other Man. Is, an Inch or two shorter than the Other, about 5 Feet 7, darker Complexion, open Countenance, small Whiskers of a sandy colour, light brown Hair, hazel Eyes, rather short dumpy Nose, not lusty nor thin, but middling—

He acted as Servant to the Other and made himself appear like one—He had on a drab coloured Great Coat with Pockets outside—Took off his Hat like a Servant and smoothed down his Hair which was particularly smooth on the Crown; upright in his Stature; rather low Forehead or perhaps it appeared so from the Smoothness of the Hair, rather a wide Mouth. They had several Great Coats with them, a Black Portmanteau [large suitcase for carrying clothes], and several parcels.—
They both appeared to be about 30 Years of Age.
 
hey, I was curious. looked it up on line.
A Scotman, Patrick Lyon did a bank heist in Philadelphia in 1798.
 

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