AustLit

Very likely based on Ambrose Pratt's drama, Thunderbolt; Or, Three Days with Thunderbolt, the story is a semi-fictional account of the life of Frederick Ward (aka Thunderbolt). The story sees Ward, a cattle drover and horsebreaker from Windsor, NSW, trying to earn enough money to pay for his forthcoming wedding. His life changes, however, when he is accused of cattle theft and sentenced to seven years at Cockatoo Island. When he eventually escapes, he learns that his fiancée has died of grief. He sets out to get his revenge on society by taking up a life of crime as a bushranger.

The film's narrative includes scenes such as Thunderbolt being rescued from a police trap by a girl of mixed Aboriginal and European heritage, his raid on a country hotel, and his eventual death during a gallant struggle with the police.

A film version of the life of Captain Moonlite, from his initial arrest to his capture by police. The film is said to be based on a play by the same name written by W.J. Lincoln.

According to a contemporary review:

'The robbing of the Egerton Bank, the fight with the Victorian police at M'Creedy's farm, the sticking up of the gold escort, the struggle at Wantabadgery Station, and the capture of Moonlite, are all vividly represented, and the numerous little glimpses of Australian scenery enhance the pleasure of the picture.'

Source:

'Moonlite in Picture', Evening News, 31 December 1910, p.7.