O'Meally worked as a stockman, looking after cattle and sheep on his father's farm, Arramagong Station in the Lachlan River valley. His father, Paddy O'Meally, also ran a shanty (a very basic hotel), called "The Weddin Inn", on Emu Creek. The inn was the only hotel in the district. John OMeally, and another one of Gardiner's gang, Alex Fordyce, sometimes worked at the shanty. The gold escort robbery was planned there.