At the time of federation the major cities of Australia were gripped
with a new pandemic, as bored, impoverished young men began terrorising
the wider communities in a wave of crime that would become known as the
era of the push gang. Their crimes were many and usually petty, though
often violent, and the country stood still in the wake of their tyranny.
The Gangs of Melbourne is the first methodical gathering of a wide range
of push gangs ever published. Including biographies of key members, and
crimes, The Gangs of Melbourne is an Australian wealth of social
history.