The most bizarre Australian Bushranger ever The Birdman of the Coorong

Question

The town of Meningie, South Australia wanted to get more people interested in the area after the devastating 2006 to 2010 drought. They ask the locals if they had any local stories, the story of James Francis Peggotty was told when a decades old magazine article titled The Birdman of Coorong  was found. A story about the most bizarre bushranger ever. He learned to ride Ostrich’s in South Africa.

He was a diminutive Ostrich riding, (The ostrich’s were bred in the area for their feathers) jewellery wearing bushranger. It is not known if he was a actual person although he has a birth date and was said to be born in Ireland. If true he disappeared in the Coorong area after being shot with a 1 million dollars worth of gold jewellery. Not sure if this is just a myth but it’s a interesting story 

Comments

I love a good ornithological tale!

Answer 1

People's imaginations aren't that good; he had to be real. There's a man I've seen a couple times in NYC, who has a long white beard, wears a white wedding dress, and rides around on rollerskates with a parrot on his shoulder. So I completely believe there was a tiny outlaw riding ostriches out there somewhere.

Comments

The guy in NYC would be interesting to see. Yes it seems too wild to be made up, he has a birthday  1864 place of birth Ireland plus I was reading one of the articles and there is meant to be a letter his father in Ireland sent his Uncle in Australia. He would of been a interesting character if he was real. The town of Meningie, South Australia seem to think he was, but that could be to attract tourists 

Answer 2

Paguette, Pigott, Paggotte variations of the name found on findmypast

Comments

Thank you Marion I haven’t  looked under variations of the name Peggotty I will see if I can find anything