The Legend of Jessie Hickman by Mark Greenwood, illustrated by Frané Lessac

Title: The Legend of Jessie Hickman

Author: Mark Greenwood, illustrated by Frané Lessac

Genre: Non-fiction

Publisher: NLA Publishing

Published: 1^st October 2025

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 32

Price: $24.99

Synopsis: This non-fiction picture book brings to life the fascinating but little-known story of Jessie Hickman (1890 – 1936), Australia’s so-called ‘Lady Bushranger’. If you believe in legends …This non-fiction picture book brings to life the fascinating but little-known story of Jessie Hickman (1890 – 1936), Australia’s so-called ‘Lady Bushranger’.

A woman who lived outside the norms of her time, Jessie was a brave and formidable woman, with a life full of adventure, action and danger. At the age of 8, she joined a travelling bush circus, learning to perform as a whip cracker, sharpshooter and rough rider. She would perform dangerous feats, like tightrope walking or handstands on bare-backed ponies. When the circus closed, became an outlaw and cattle rustler, famous for her daring escapes.

The end matter includes information on travelling circuses in Australia, bushrangers and buckjumping, as well as a timeline of Jessie’s life and accomplishments accompanied by historic images.

This lavishly illustrated picture book immerses the reader in the wilderness of what is now the Wollemi National Park as Jessie’s life unfolds with every turn of the page.

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Bushrangers are a big part of the Australian bush mythology, Australian history and are often included in our history lessons. Often, these bushrangers are male, or the ones we know the most about are male. Think Ned Kelly, ‘Mad Dog’ Daniel Morgan, Captain Thunderbolt, and Ben Hall. These are the names that are often synonymous with bushrangers, the names that people remember or that are acknowledged in stories, books and in statues or art.

But did you know there were female bushrangers as well? The women who were bushrangers might not be as well known, but they contribute to the bushranger narratives and stories just as much as the men. These women were never in my history books at school, and like a lot of stories about women are becoming more well known these days as we seek to tell more stories from history than people have previously been exposed to.

Some of the women who were bushrangers included Mary Ann Bugg and Jessie Hickman. A new picture book by Mark Greenwood and illustrated by Frané Lessac explores Jessie Hickman’s story, going through her life in a circus to the circumstances that drove her to becoming a bushranger and defying the law as often as she could. Jessie’s story explores what it meant to be a woman living outside of what society expects from her, and what drove her to the choices she made after the circus closed down. Everything in this story is simply told, but filled with exquisite detail in Mark’s narrative, and Frané’s beautiful illustrations. They bring Jessie’s story to life, and to light for readers who may not have encountered her before, or only know her name in passing.

The current crop of historical non-fiction books coming out at the moment from various publishers like NLA Publishing show that there are so many avenues of Australian history to explore and learn about. It gives people a chance to dip their toe into new knowledge, and from there, expand on what they have learned in other books or articles online. And they might give scope for more stories to be explored and new information to be uncovered. Books like this are educational, informative and interesting, giving readers something new to read. Something meaty to read alongside the other fabulous picture books out there. There is room for these amidst the fun stories, because we need it all. They all contribute to the diversity of Australian literature and enhance how we understand our history and culture.

Jessie’s story is important, and there are many more that may not have been told that are important as well. Too many stories were hidden for too long, and bringing them to light has to start somewhere. Because it opens the door to more diverse stories coming out for all ages, and I think children’s and young adult literature is doing a brilliant job of this at the moment. This was a fantastic book and I love what these two do when they create books together.