Edmund Matthew Bond

(1831-1901)

Edmund Matthew Bond arrived in Sydney in December 1831 as a four day old infant. His father established himself as a squatter and Edmund followed in his father's footsteps. 

In 1861 Bond was the owner of the Bungamore Station on the King River. When his neighbour Evan Evans reported his horse stolen, Bond accompanied him to retrieve it. They located their suspect, John Fuller near the Bungamore Station. As Bond was to report four years later at the inquest into the death of Fuller (now known as Dan 'Mad Dog' Morgan.)

“I have seen the deceased, and recognize him as a man I knew three or four years ago as Down the River Jack, alias Bill the Native. I saw him at that time about a mile and a half from by paddock fence as Bungamore Station, King River. I pursued him at that time, and fired at him with a charge of shot. I fired at the man’s left arm. He dropped a coat, which I a’terwards picked up, riddled with shot, and supposed from that I had wounded him. I identified the deceased by his general appearance.” 

After his wounding, Down the River Jack resurfaced as Dan Morgan, bushranger. He was soon nicknamed 'Mad Dog' after his killing of John McLean in 1864, following shortly afterwards by the murder of Police Sergeant David Maginnity and later that year Sergeant Smyth.  By now Morgan was the most feared bushranger in the colony, being especially fond of robbing squatters. He had not forgotten his wounding by Evans and Bond and in April 1865 he went to the home of Evans to kill him and Bond Evans was not home and after a spate of highway robberies Morgan moved to Peechelba, near Wangaratta. It was here that he was ambushed and shot dead by a force of men including nearby squatters and police.

After his lucky escape from Morgan, Bond continued his successful career as a grazier and moved to the larger estate of Benambar Estate in Albury. Around 1884 Bond and his wife, Sarah Frances arrived in Preston, firstly in Tyler Street Preston and later moving to Murray Road. Sarah Frances was his second wife, the first Jenny having passed away. In 1884 Bond's daughter Louisa Ann, married the local doctor, William Cleland Wilkinson. Bond had two sons who still lived in the Albury area. In 1899 Bond had a stroke which left him paralyzed. He passed away in 1901, leaving property to the value of £4,900 and personal assets of £19,864, worth nearly $3 million in today's currency (2019).

THE INQUEST ON MORGAN.  Empire. (Sydney, N.S.W. 1850 – 1875) April 17, 1865, p.2
Ovens and Murray Advertiser (Beechworth, Vic. 1855 1918), Dec. 14 1901, p.4