Their execution effectively put an end to organised bushranger gangs in NSW.

The Clarke Gang were considered the most ruthless bushranger gang in Australian history.

Led by Thomas Clarke, they went on a murder and robbery spree in the Braidwood district of NSW from 1865 to 1867.

Edgeworth's Gary Lawless tells Topics that his great grandmother's father, Alexander Bradley, was a member of the gang.

Over to you, Gary:

He was captured by police in October 1866, convicted and sentenced to six years' jail in Darlinghurst Prison.

Along with Bradley, there were many other references to brushes with the law in the early history of my family. It seems that quite a few of my ancestors have, at one time or another, lived up to the surname of Lawless.

I documented our family tree for my late father for his 80th birthday. Neither he, nor any of our family, had any real idea of our history.

As I researched our ancestors, and as our tree grew, I found many references to trouble with the law. Once I had completed the tree, I put a short family history book together for my father and other family members.

It all started with the First Fleet and a lady named Jane Langley. She was sent here with a sentence of seven years for theft. She arrived with the fleet on the Lady Penrhyn.

Jane deserves a story of her own, as she was a very resilient woman with an interesting history.

The Lawless legacy starts with my great-great grandfather, John Francis Lawless, a former convict from Ireland. He arrived in NSW in 1831 and married Jane's granddaughter Sophia in 1842.

From there, the story gets interesting. Within the history of my branch of the Lawless family, there are references and historical records of larceny, horse, sheep and cattle theft, family disputes resulting in violence and many court appearances.

In John's case, there was also a short committal to "the receiving house for lunatics" at Darlinghurst in 1872 for "abhorrent behaviour".

While at the Queanbeyan lock-up, where he was held for his own protection while waiting for transport to Darlinghurst under escort, he attempted suicide at least twice. Luckily, he was unsuccessful on each occasion.

So as you can see, the Lawless name was in some cases certainly appropriate for some branches of the family tree.

Overall, an interesting story of our family roots unfolded and the project was well worth the time and effort it took to document it. There is a lot more to the story.

I encourage anyone who has not researched their own family history to do so. It is hard work, but the rewards are worth the effort.

An Aussie bloke walks into a bar wearing one thong.

A patron asks him: "What happened mate? Did you lose a thong?"

The bloke replies: "Nah mate, I found one."

Did you hear about the two baked beans that hitchhiked around Australia? They ended up in Cairns.

What is a kangaroo's favourite kind of music? Hip hop.