Thunderbolt's Hideout

Frederick Ward, better known as “Captain Thunderbolt” (1836-1870), was well known throughout the Tenterfield district. There are many caves and hideouts in the New England area, but few are as easy to visit as the one in Tenterfield.

Thunderbolt’s Hideout is 12km from Tenterfield, and is an easy walk, about 300m from the main road. He used the large area between the rocks to stable his horses and the small shelter under the large rock as a place to camp. The top of the rock made an ideal lookout, as this was the main road to Warwick during the gold-mining days.

How to Get There

Travel north on the New England Highway from the Visitor Information Centre for 1km and turn right onto the Mt Lindesay Road. Leave your vehicle at the “Thunderbolt’s Hideout” sign and follow the track to the hideout, about 300m from the road. He used that large area

Captain Thunderbolt

Thunderbolt began his bushranging career by escaing from the notorious Cockatoo Island Prison in Sydney Harbor. He was serving a sentence for horse stealing, a very serious offence in those days. The tales of his exploits are many and become more controversial with time. His daring and defiance of the troopers eventually caused his downfall at Uralla. For more information on Captain Thunderbolt, visit the History Page.