The remarkable story of William Buckley
Macclesfield convict whose name lives on in Australia

Many sons of Cheshire have left their mark on the four corners of the world, but one whose story is stranger than fiction was William Buckley. Born in the late 18th century near to Macclesfield, the son of a humble farmer, Buckley stood out as a young man by virtue of his size.

He was said to have been 6ft 5ins in height when he volunteered for the King’s Own Regiment of Foot and, apparently, he was “as plucky as they make ‘em.”

Afterwards he fell in with men of bad character and was tried at Chatham, accused of attempting to murder the Duke of Kent. Found guilty he was initially put to work on fortifications at Woolwich and then, at the age of twenty-three, he was transported, on board the “Calcutta”, to Port Phillip, in New South Wales, to labour as a mechanic.

The rigours of convict life were not to Buckley’s liking and he was determined to make his escape. A plan was hatched with three comrades, but in making their dash for freedom, one of them was shot and killed.

Buckley and the other two continued into the bush, but the prospect of striking through wild country was too much for his companions who decided to return to the settlement. Buckley would have none of it, better to die than to become a captive again.

After plodding on for many days he was almost dead for want of food and in despair lay down alongside what turned out to be the grave of a aborigine chief. As fortune had it, the widow of the chief visited the grave, found Buckley and was convinced that her husband had returned from the dead in the form of this giant white man.

There was great rejoicing throughout the village and Buckley was instantly made chief of the tribe... and he stayed with them for thirty two years. They were a wild people and some accounts say they even practised cannablism.

In 1835 Buckley was discovered by the founders of Melbourne and though he could speak only a few words of English it was not long before his native tongue returned as fluently as in the days of his youth.

The authorities granted him a free pardon and he acted as interpreter between natives and settlers for several years. His astounding story is perhaps better known in Australia than Cheshire, for Buckley’s Falls were named after him and three miles from Geelong is a cave in which he was said to have lived.


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