Australias infamous Robin Hood. Neds criminal life started early. In 1869, when he was 14, he was arrested for allegedly assaulting a Chinese man. The year after, he was arrested again, this time for being a suspected accomplice of bushranger Harry Power. Both these charges were dismissed, but it was too late: Ned had caught the attention of the police. Some years later, in April 1878, a police officer named Fitzpatrick went to the Kelly home, hoping to arrest Neds brother Dan for stealing horses. Fitzpatrick claimed that while he was there, Ned shot him in the wrist, although its unclear whether Ned was even present at the time. Regardless, Neds mother Ellen was arrested for aiding and abetting an attempted murder. She was sentenced to three years imprisonment by Judge Redmond Barry (who, two years later, also sentenced Ned to death by hanging). Ned and Dan went into hiding, and were later joined by Neds friend Joe Byrne, and Dans friend Steve Hart. STRINGYBARK CREEK After Ellens arrest, in October 1878, Ned, Dan, Joe and Steve headed for Bullock Creek, where they hoped to earn enough money to appeal Ellens sentence by running a whiskey distillery. However, shortly after their arrival, they received a warning that four policemen were planning to track them down. Ned rode around the surrounding areas and found sets of horse tracks leading to Stringybark Creek, close to where the gang was camped. The gang ambushed the police camp at Stringybark Creek and found two of the four policemen – Constables Lonigan and McIntyre – around a fire. The gang drew their guns and Ned shot Lonigan. McIntyre surrendered. When the other two policemen (Sergeant Kennedy and Constable Scanlan) returned, they refused to surrender to the gang. In the exchange of shots that followed, Ned killed Scanlan and, later, Kennedy. From this moment on these four men were officially outlaws: the notorious Kelly gang. Learn how the gang was finally captured Read Donald Sutherlands letter with an eyewitness account of Ned Kellys capture Ned Kellys suit of armour The ‘letterbox-style headpiece and matching body armour worn by Ned Kelly and his gang are recognisable icons that feature prominently in the work of artists such as Sidney Nolan and Albert Tucker. In 1879 – the year before the Glenrowan siege and Neds ultimate capture – the Kelly gang began constructing the suits of armour from mouldboards, the thick metal parts of a farmers plough. They acquired these materials in various ways – some were bought; others were offered to them by sympathetic farmers; a few were stolen. The suits allowed the gang to walk away unharmed from close-range shooting, but they also served a less practical function: they made the gang members – Ned in particular – seem larger, more intimidating; even ghostly. The shock factor of the metal-clad Kelly would have been much to Neds advantage during the Glenrowan siege. After the gang was killed and Ned captured, the police officers involved in the capture wanted to keep parts of the suits as souvenirs. Various pieces of the suits were separated, some making their way into private ownership. But after years of research to determine which pieces belonged to which gang member, Ned Kellys complete armour is now in the Librarys collection. The Library has also created a video featuring a virtual reconstruction of the armour and background to its creation. View a video of Ned Kellys suit of armour The Jerilderie letter Theres no denying that Ned Kelly was a notorious criminal, feared around Victoria and beyond as a robber and murderer. Despite this, he had many sympathisers who believed that he was a symbol of the Australian spirit – an enduring underdog with the courage to challenge the authorities. This perception was no doubt fuelled by Kellys ‘Jerilderie Letter, an 8000-word manifesto in which he justifies his crimes and exposes what he viewed as unfair police persecution of himself and his family. Ned dictated the letter to Joe Byrne, who rewrote it in neater handwriting. The letter was written in 1879, around the time the gang robbed the Jerilderie Bank. Ned gave the letter to the banks accountant, Edward Living, and told him to have it published. Living, however, hopped on a train to Melbourne and passed the letter on to the police. The letter was eventually uncovered and presented at Kellys trial in 1880. Although it uses somewhat rough language and contains little grammar or punctuation, the Jerilderie Letter offers a valuable insight into Ned Kellys personality. It tells the story of a young man forced into crime by situations beyond his control. The events the letter describes also provided inspiration for Peter Careys prize-winning novel, The true history of the Kelly Gang. Read the original letter online Listen to a fictionalised soundscape of the Jerilderie siege Kellys death mask In the 19th century, it was common for plaster death masks to be made of the face and skull of executed criminals. At the time, these masks served several purposes. Firstly, death masks were used for phrenological analysis, whereby the shape of a persons head is studied to determine their character traits. Secondly, they were often put on display in public places to serve as a reminder of the power of the police force. If ever the police wanted to show off its ability to capture a notorious criminal, it was after the execution of Ned Kelly, who – with his gang – had eluded police for years. So when Ned was hanged, several death masks were made of his skull. One was put on display in Bourke Street and was no doubt a source of fascination for the Victorian public. Another is now in the Librarys collection.
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 02:30:00 +0000
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