A Not so Brilliant Career
Unlike so many young men making their way in the colonies, Henry Shuttleworth Gannon, born in Sydney in 1856, was blessed with particular advantages. He was a member of the third generation of a family that had shed its convict heritage, and had acquired respectability, wealth and standing in the community. In particular, the Gannon family was recognised as one of the largest and most popular legal families in New South Wales. Although most of the Gannon clan lived in Sydney, Henry’s father, John Thomas Gannon, had branched out and moved to Goulburn where he established a reputable and flourishing legal concern, to which Henry, as the first born son, was the natural successor, both by birthright and talent.
It was something of a shock, therefore, to read the following 14 July 1897 newspaper report.
Who was this man, why had he apparently absconded, and was he ever tracked down? Read on ….
"Persons of Interest" 