Well known bushranger of that era, Frank Gardiner, with his gang including Ben Hall, John Gilbert, John O'Meally, Henry Manns, Alexander Fordyce, Daniel Charters, John McGuire and John Bow set up a blockade with two bullock teams, blocking the road below a large granite boulder.

The gang of bushrangers, dressed in red serge shirts and red night caps and with blackened faces, hid behind the big boulder and other rocks, waiting for the approach of the Gold Escort Coach on this late winter's afternoon.

Driven by John Fagan, the coach was forced to slow down when reaching the blockade, at which point the outlaws fired upon the coach, causing the horses to rear up and in the commotion the coach overturned.

Two of the Police officers, Condell and Moran were hit in the gun fire.

The gang loaded the coach horses with the strong boxes and mail bags and departed.

They made off with 2067 oz of gold and 700 pounds from the Oriental Bank, 521 oz of gold from the Bank of NSW and 129oz of gold and 3000 pounds from the CBC Bank.

It was the biggest gold robbery in Australia's history and in today's value would be about $4mil. Different stories state different amounts in today's value.

Members of the Escort sought help from Hanbury Clements of a nearby station, who set off to Forbes for help. Mounted Police arrived at the robbery scene early on Monday morning.

The mail bags and boxes were found four miles from the robbery scene and the tracks of ten horses.

Of that gang all were either arrested or killed. Hall, Gilbert and O'Meally were shot, Manns was hanged, and the rest were gaoled for varying terms.

Charters became a Crown witness and was pardoned.

After 10 years gaol and because of a change in public opinion, Gardiner was released and exiled. He died in San Francisco in 1904.