The True Story of Ned Kelly

[Music] my interest in Ned Kelly started when I was 10 an old gardener called thom mayne told me the Kelly story and lent me a book a book in which Ned was a straight-out hero the police were the villains of the story it was all wonderful stuff and I completely believed it so when I found another book about Ned Kelly a couple of months later in which Ned was the villain and the police were the heroes I was a bit surprised up to that stage but I had read in books was true so I realized at the age of 10 that if I wanted to find out the truth about Ned Kelly I'd really have to find it out for myself so 54 years later I published my biography of Ned Kelly and I am still learning picture pond have produced this version of the Kelly story which will introduce you to Ned Kelly you may like to hunt further and find out more about him if you do I hope you'll have as much fun as I've had over the 60 years I have been looking for the truth of Ned Kelly and his story Ned Kelly was born in December 1854 the eldest son of Irish ex-convict John red Kelley and Ellen Quinn daughter of an Irish immigrant the couple were married on the 18th of november 1850 at San Francis Roman Catholic Church Melbourne for the first few years of their marriage they lived with Ellen's parents at Wallin it was after they moved to a small farm and beverage probably on the lower slopes of Mount Fraser that Ellen gave birth to a baby boy the couple named him Edward but he would always be known as Ned as net approached his 6th year a Catholic school was built in beverage at school Ned was a likable lad and one of his fellow students Fred Hopkins remembered him as a tall and active youngster who excelled all other boys at school games in 1864 red and Ellen now with six children sold their land in beverage and moved north in Avenel red rented 40 acres of grassland near Hughes Creek and established a Dairy Herd Richard Shelton a seven year old boy was playing on the banks of Hughes Creek when he slipped and disappeared into the water Ned witnessed this and saved the young boy from drowning for his bravery Ned received a beautiful green silk and gold bullion sash from the grateful Shelton family shortly after this Ned's father died Ellen Kelly now with seven children settled on some land three miles out of greeter 88 acres of bush unfenced on poor soil with the help of her brothers she began developing the land at 11 mile Creek San Francis church where red and Ellen were married is still standing on the original site in Melbourne it is dwarfed by the modern city and as a reminder of how things have changed since the 1860s the original Quinn homestead in wollen is still standing situated on the Epping Gilmore Road the house has National Trust Heritage listing and thanks to its current owners is in surprisingly good condition for a wooden structure nearly 150 years old [Music] the town of beverage a small settlement on the outskirts of Melbourne has a well marked exit on the busy Hume freeway Kelly's Street running down to the southeastern corner of the town takes you to the old house although in the sad state of disrepair it's a tribute to Reds workmanship that it has survived this long [Music] the other end of town is the Catholic Church where Ned attended school here at the Piniella & District Historical Society Museum the silk sash ned received for saving dick shelton is on display this fragile piece of cloth is one of Ned's most prized possessions [Music] Hugh's Creek today is a picturesque watercourse meandering through the gently rolling hills around avital another site worth a visit is the Avenel cemetery where Ned's father John red Kelley is buried also buried here is Richard Shelton and his parents the Kelly home site here at 11 mile Creek is clearly visible from the road running between Drita and venality Creek still flows through the property and the bald hill behind the original selection known as Kelly's Lookout still stands guard over the land situated on private property access is difficult to obtain sadly all that marks the site today is a pair of lonely chimneys standing among the ruins of what should be one of Australia's best preserved historical sites [Music] one of Ellen's visitors at 11 mile Creek was Henry Johnson alias Harry Power a middle-aged bushranger who had just escaped from Petrich Jail the chance to earn some money for his family and the thrill of playing the role of highway robber with Harry was obviously a temptation too strong for the young Ned to resist it was during this time with him that Ned learnt the skills of Bush ranging most importantly the value of abroad sympathize a network that would prove so invaluable in the future with the help of the quittance at Glenmore station in the King River Valley Harry set up a permanent camp on the western wall soon reports that Harry had a young accomplice came flooding in Harry was an old rogue with a fierce temper and after one of his outburst Ned decided to leave him and head for home [Music] he was only back at 11 mile Creek for one night when the bonala police raided the Kelley Hut and arrested Ned on two charges of highway robbery the charges would eventually be dropped but while remanded in custody Ned was thoroughly interrogated by superintendents hair & Nicolson senior officers in the Victorian police force Ned supplied them with some information but he was certainly not the key informant in fact it was Ned's own uncle Jack Lloyd who collected the five hundred pound reward for leading superintendents here in Nicholson to a sleeping and very surprised Harry that is hide out above the King Valley powers look out as it is still known as an impressive place with a commanding view of the entire King Valley from the public lookout it is obvious why this was a favorite spot for Harry the main road which was only a track in Harry's day has changed its course very little since and is still visible for miles in either direction this poplar tree marks the Quinn property and is clearly visible from the lookout when observed from the valley floor powers lookout is barely noticeable even with the large structure built there today Ned's bad luck continued when wild right lent him a horse but neglected to mention it was stolen Ned was caught riding the horse by senior constable Hall which resulted in three years hard labor he was released on the 2nd of February 1874 and returned to the northeast for 3 years he led the life of an honest man working in a variety of jobs including timber fella he also tried his hand at building utilizing the skills of stone masonry he'd learnt in prison one Saturday while Ned was having a drink at the Imperial Hotel in Beechworth wild right waltzed into the bar there was a score to settle regarding the stolen horse incident and Ned's term in jail a boxing match was organized on the flat beside the creek at the rear of the hotel the fight would be London prize ring rules [Applause] after 20 rounds which could have lasted for hours wild right conceded defeat commenting years later that Ned gave him the hiding of his life Beechworth today is a remarkably intact colonial town with many of the significant buildings of this year are lovingly restored [Music] it was here on this River flat just behind the main street that Ned and Wilde had their famous bare-knuckle fight [Music] this region has so much to offer the real Kelly enthusiast the town's layout and streetscape are largely unchanged the Burke Museum has a permanent Kelly exhibition the courthouse has been restored and reopened to the public in 2001 these holding cells for the courthouse and below the council building are there for all to see and experience the Hibernian and commercial hotels in the main street are where the gang would have often socialized finally the house at Chesney Vail that Ned helped build in 1876 it's privately owned it's pink granite construction makes it easily recognizable even after a hundred and twenty six years [Music] Ned decided to quit his job at the mill and go into business with his american stepfather George King Ned maintained that police persecution and harassment was the reason he gave up the life of an honest man to start what was arguably the most successful horse stealing operation in Australian history this highly successful racket continued for many months until a mysterious incident at the Kelly homestead on the fifteenth of April 1878 constable Fitzpatrick a former friend of Ned and boyfriend of his sister Kate tried to arrest Dan Kelly for horse stealing Fitzpatrick's version of the ill-fated visit claims that Ned shot him in the wrist and he was hit on the head with a shovel by mrs. Kelly Ned would later claim that he was nowhere near the house at the time of the incident but was also charged with attempted murder mrs. Kelly with a baby at her breast was put away for three years hard labour Ned and Dan offered to surrender themselves in return for their mother's release but this offer was ignored two weeks after the trial two separate police parties were dispatched into the wombat ranges to capture the brothers who were now accompanied by Joe Byrne and Steve Hart it was the 26th of October 1878 when sergeant Kennedy along with constables Lonnegan Scanlon and McIntyre made camp at stringy bark Creek no more than a mile from the Kelly's hideout at Bull Creek the boys became aware of this and decided their only option was to try and disarm them it was about five o'clock in the afternoon when constable McIntyre and Lonnegan heard someone sing up there up and throw down your arms the gang advanced Ned and then with firearms Jones deep unarmed McIntyre obeyed Lonnegan did not he dived behind a log and drew his revolver Ned - game shot and killed Mac and I then told Ned Kennedy and Scanlon were out on patrol and expected back soon when the two policemen returned Ned and the others again called upon them to surrender their arms Scanlon swung his gun around and blasted the shot of Ned the returning fire hit its mark the policeman slumped in his saddle and fell Kennedy dismounted and began shooting from behind the horse McIntyre seized the opportunity jumped on Kennedy's horse and rode away leaving Kennedy to fight it out he retreated from tree to tree changing shots with Ned and he was shot through the chest Ned later explained he was sorry he shot Kennedy and would not have done so if he thought he would surrender as the night closed in and storm clouds gathered three police lay dead only constable McIntyre had escaped soon the gang were officially declared outlaws and a 2,000 pounds reward offered for their capture dead or alive the sight of the stringy bark Creek Police murders is marked by what is commonly known as the Kelly tree the road is clearly marked at the tree easy to find a metal plate is embedded in the tree and will be completely overgrown in a few more years well though in the approximate area the tree is not in the exact location of the shootings repeated mining and timber milling over the last hundred and twenty years have changed the landscape and possibly the creeks course this site has most of the characteristics associated with the battle flattest ground with a slight slope to the west this is the site of the hearted Bullock Creek the gangs secret retreat [Music] it's easy to see why Ned was concerned about the troopers camped at stringy back the two locations are indeed very close with the help of friends and relatives the gang remained at large until the 9th of December when they reimbursed to stage some daring raids with superbly executed bank robberies at euro er then jewelry netting a total of four thousand pounds the gangs notoriety increased the authorities responded by lifting the reward to 8,000 pounds representing almost two million dollars in modern-day currency sometime prior to the holdup a 56 page document known as the Gerald Dorrie letter was written by Ned and Joe outlining the events at stringy bark and the outlaws perspective on the situation in northeastern Victoria in this letter we get a glimpse of Ned's vision for a republic and his role as a revolutionary rather than an outlaw after Gerald Dorrie the gang disappeared for 16 months Joe's friend Aaron Sherritt was able to capitalize on the situation by offering to help the police find the gang in return for his friend Joe's life being spared Aaron's precarious role as double agent enabled him to convince superintendent hare and troopers to make camps in caves on the wool shed Valley at night they would move down the valley to keep watch on the Byrne homestead where it was hoped Joe and Ned would eventually return this farcical vigil added to the growing suspicion regarding Aaron's true motivation and alliances with the police meanwhile the gang moved among loyal friends and family it was this huge band of loyal supporters that brought the Kelly outbreak to its climax police had tried locking them up for up to three months without trial or evidence and it had simply backfired on them swung even more people to support of the Kelly cause now at the end of a series of disastrous seasons in the middle of a bitter land war between small Selecter farmers and the big squatters the police came up with an even more disastrous ploy they provided the lands Department with lists of names of Kelly friends and relatives and no one on that list was allowed to take up land in the Kelly country farmers were being denied the right to make a living in the land they knew among the people they knew and this swung the Kelly outbreak into rebellion now came talk of a republic the Evergreen Irish dream achieved in France in America soon to be achieved in South Africa dreamt of in Australia the Republic of northeastern Victoria a fantastic plan that came extraordinarily close to success but also was to bring about the destruction of the Kelly Gang it was March 1880 when banana police accompanied by Aboriginal black trekkers were dispatched to investigate the mysterious theft of plow mould boards from a number of selectors properties Ned had concocted what can only be described as a fantastic yet sadly fatal plan to construct four suits of body armor for a climactic battle with police each suit weighed between ninety and a hundred pounds making Swift movement difficult riding a horse virtually impossible police had been living in Aaron Sherrod's Hut on surveillance for several weeks on the night of Saturday the 26th of June 1880 there were four police hiding at the house it is widely considered that Aaron's role was more in favor of protecting the gang and hoodwinking the police yet he was finally and probably wrongly denounced as a traitor by the gang and their sympathizers it was about 6 o'clock when he heard the voice from outside his hat it's Anton wicks and I've lost my way Aaron opened the door to give directions Joe burned his clothes lifelong friend appeared out of the dark and shot him dead the terrified police would not emerge to make an official report until midday Sunday this contributed to the delayed arrival of a special police train lured to the district by Aaron's murder it was the first crucial error of Ned's rebellion plan which included the derailment of the strain the surviving police would then be overpowered by sympathizers gathered at glen rowan today if you venture a few kilometres out of Beechworth there are a number of sites worth a visit few things have survived the tyranny of the years if you take time you can still see Anton wicks fruit-trees Wix was their insureds neighbor and the person Joe Byrne used to lure sherek to his death still to be seen are the irises planted at the front of Aaron's Hut from the road leading into watershed Valley you could look south to the surrounding hills and see where the police camped in caves with Sheriff to spy on mrs. burns house these huge boulders that form the caves are unchanged and the views to the valley are magnificent Aaron knew this country well and was able to convince her to camp here even though they could not see the Burns Hut from this spot of all the situation's Ned and the boys had been in this was their defining moment when their immortality was born at Glen Rowan they would launch themselves into the Australian psyche and become part of the fabric of Australian culture it was sometime after midnight Saturday June the 26th when their dad Steve arrived at Glen Rowan their first attempts to sabotage the railway tracks were unsuccessful so Ned called on stationmaster stained Street plait layers Sullivan ridden and a group of navvies by the time the task was finally completed it was nearly dawn Joe and Dan arrived at Jones in soon after here they would all await the arrival of the special police train expected in the early hours of Sunday morning Sunday saw a steady stream of people detained by the gang at Jones in and stained streets home where the women and children were held by Sunday evening there were a total of 62 prisoners it had been 24 hours since Aaron's murder and still no sign of the special train the whole plan hinged on a surprise first strike as Sunday rolled on with still no sign of the Train the plan should have been abandoned on Sunday night Ned made the decision to release 21 prisoners he felt he could trust it was late Sunday night when schoolmaster colonel after winning Ned's trust was allowed to go home with his wife and children however cur knows true agenda was to foil the gangs derailment plans it was 2:30 Monday morning when he scampered through the bush armed with a red scarf and camp the driver of the pilot train saw the crude signal have brought the locomotive to a halt Curnow warned the police on board the tracks ahead had been broken from here the train proceeded cautiously towards Glenn Roeder Joe who first heard the train approaching Ned ordered the lights to be dust with the troopers advancing the gang now in their armor took up positions along the front of the inn in the bright moonlight they could plainly see the figure of hair running towards the inn armed with a shotgun Ned took aim and fire sending a bullet crashing into his wrists the rest of the gang then opened fire sending startled police ducking for cover despite his armor ned was hit in the left arm and right foot in the first minute about sixty police bullets penetrated the flimsy in mortally wounding three civilians including 13 year-old Jack Jones Ned had given orders to fire to signal rockets to mobilise the small army of sympathizers once the train had been derailed in the confusion the unfortunate decision was made to launch the Rockets anyway Ned would now have to warn the sympathizers not to attack the heavily armed police Ned badly injured made his way to his mayor concealed at the back of the inn and rode to the sympathizers meeting place he had decided his loyal supporters must take no further part in the bungled plan it was about 4:30 a.m. when Ned returned to the hotel in an attempt to rescue his mates as the end of the end a volley of police fire cut through the building mortally wounding Joe with his best friend dead Ned decided to leave the in thinking that Dan Steve were following but when he met Tom Lloyd he realized there must still be inside by now Ned had been bleeding heavily for nearly three hours and was fading in and out of consciousness yet he would make one final attempt to save his brother and friend the Sun had begun to rise when police noticed something huge and strange moving through the bush Ned called out to the boys come out and we'll whip the buggers Dan and Steve appeared at the back door and opened fire while the police continued their unrelenting barrage on Ned staggering forward he found cover by a huge fallen tree fifteen yards away sergeant Steele took aim and fired a charge of buckshot at Ned's unprotected ladies hitting him in the right knee a second blast from Steele's weapon sent the ironclad outlaw crashing to the ground after struggle they removed his helmet and realized it was Ned himself Steele would have executed him then and there that was stopped by constable Bracken one of Ned's prisoners for the previous night Ned was taken to the railway station where he was treated for wounds to his arms legs feet hands and groin more than 28 wounds in all at 10 a.m. a ceasefire was called and the remaining civilians were released at around 3 p.m. a sadler gave permission to set fire to the inn by now there was close to a thousand spectators gathered father Gibney rushed into the burning hotel followed by two policemen who were merged with Joe burns body give me informed police that Dan and Steve were dead the charred remains would not be retrieved until the burning hotel was completely destroyed with the crowd gathering around their remains and growing more hostile by the moment Sadler was forced to make the unlikely but prudent decision to surrender the bodies to the gathered sympathizers led by Maggie skillion Kate Kelly dick Hart and wild right today the scene is pretty well mapped out for the thousands of tourists that flocked to Glenn Rowan each year the town is unashamedly the tourist headquarters of Kelly country [Music] these sitemaps are a reasonable guide to one of Australia's most famous historical locations Ned Kelly's last step from the railway bridge you can easily see the immediate layout of the siege area the battle site lying between the station and hotel the trench where the police took covered during the first volley is marked by these pole men it was here that superintendent hare was wounded in Church Street there is a plaque that commemorates the position where Ned supposedly fell [Music] further investigation has revealed that this small stump is closer to the actual site either way it does not detract from the significance of the CJS the station itself has been restored to its original state and is not hard to imagine a badly wounded Ned being treated at this exact spot news of the tragedy soon spread throughout the colony and beyond Ned was taken by train along with the body of Joe burned of the banana lockup amid fears of a rescue attempt by sympathizers following day Joe burns body was hanging on a door to be photographed to many the spa Cobb and rather six spectacle remains one of the most startling illustrations of the authorities desperate yet vain attempts to undermine the courage of these four young men whose exploits have endured as some of the most poignant and memorable in Australian history upon his arrival in Melbourne Ned slowly recovered strength in the jail hospital despite repeated written and verbal requests he was refused permission to see relatives to arrange his defence after five weeks Ned was transported to beets worth for the police-court committal hearing for the murder of police at stringy bark Creek the trial was then transferred to the Supreme Court in Melbourne commencing on the 28th of October 1880 the judge was Sir Edmund Barry the same judge Barry who had sentenced Ned's mother to three years hard labour only two weeks before the shootings had stringy back ned's barrister henry massey binden was a young and inexperienced lawyer the trial lasted two days during which the Crown's prime witness the survivor of the stringy bark shootings constable McIntyre gave her Juris accounts of the murder of Lonnegan at stringy bark Creek finally the jury delivered a verdict of guilty as charged Ned commenting during a remarkable dialogue with Barry I dare say but a day will come at a bigger Court than this when we will see which is right and which is wrong Redmond Barry then sentenced the prisoners to death in the usual form ending with the words may the lord have mercy on your soul Ned replied I will go a little further than that and say I will see you there where I go the old melbourne jail in melbourne CBD is one of Victoria's most popular tourist attractions with almost a hundred and fifty thousand visitors per annum the jail is a stark reminder of the harshness of the 19th century penal system [Music] [Music] the condemned cell where Ned's spent his last hour is open for inspection also on display as a suit of armor a revolver and one of Ned's death masks at the end of the long row of cells is the hangman's workplace the trapdoor noose and release lever old chilling examples of a more brutal past when a young man called Ned Kelly uttered those famous words such as life Ned Kelly was executed at 10:00 a.m. on the 11th of November 1880 his body was left to hang for half an hour then it was taken down and wheeled across to the melbourne jail dead house where a group of doctors and students hacked it to pieces and removed virtually every organ what was left was placed in a red gum coffin the following day and buried in an unmarked grave in the jail grounds and that should have been the end of the story but of course it was really only the beginning Ned Kelly and the legend which grew around him had become immortal [Music]

Channel: bluerangestudio

Views: 579,667

Keywords: Ned Kelly, The Kelly Gang, The true story of the Kelly Gang, The true story of ned Kelly, Bush rangers, The true History of the kelly Gang, The True History of Ned Kelly

Id: wlICFFZRBIA

Length: 36min 20sec (2180 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 15 2018