Dignum and Comerford
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Dignum and Comerford were Joseph Dignum and George Comerford (died 1837), Australian convicts, bushrangers, and murderers. They were arguably the first bushrangers in the Melbourne region.[1]
Comerford was a convict who escaped in 1837 and teamed up with eight other men in the bush around the Port Phillip region. He and two of the men, Joseph Dignum and a shoemaker, murdered the other six. Dignumn then murdered the shoemaker.[2] The men were later recaptured.[3]
In August 1837 the men were sent from Sydney to Port Philip.[4]
On 30 December 1837 Comerford took members of the police back to where the massacre took place and managed to escape, fatally shooting a policemen escorting him.[5][6]
Comerford was captured again, pled guilty to the murder and was executed in May 1837.[7][8]