Thomas Lodge (publican)

After ten of their children had died in the Bradford slums, the parents emigrated with their son Thomas and infant daughter, Caroline, to Australia in 1842, eventually farming a small holding at Menangle.

[8] Matters deteriorated when the Lodges' Breadalbane Hotel was used as a stopover by the Hall gang after it had held up the Yass Mail.

Lodge's brother-in-law, Henry Curran, wrote up the incident, embarrassing the government, which was intent on capturing Hall and quashing support for his gang at the local level.

[10] Early in the following morning, the police party surprised Hall, Gilbert and John Dunne in a barn outside Byrne's farm.

[12] He lodged a formal complaint with the Colonial Secretary, Charles Cowper, but his letter was dismissed and none of the 20+ witnesses, including the school teachers, were interviewed.

They became, once again, respected members of the local community, running the post office, undertaking government contracts, farming and teaching music.

[15] In the literature and film concerning Ben Hall, Lodge is portrayed as a bush telegraph and supporter of the gang, even though there is no evidence of this and he was acquitted of the only abetting charge brought against him.