Glenrowan where Ned Kelly and his gang took 60 people hostage in 1879 before he used his home made armour to try and defend himself against the inevitable police attack.
Glenrowan. Ned Kelly (1855-80) a criminal bushranger but glorified for inexplicable reasons into an Australian folk hero but possible because of his Irish background. His father was transported as a convict and Ned married into the Quinn family suspected of cattle rustling and theft. His father died when he was 11 and at 14 Ned was arrested for assaulting a Chinese man but the charge was dismissed. Took up bushranging later that year. Imprisoned for 6 months in 1870 (aged 15). Late in 1870 imprisoned for 3 years. On release took up horse thieving with his stepfather. Both Ned’s brothers imprisoned for horse theft. Kelly’s felt themselves victims of police persecution despite their criminal activities. In 1878 went into hiding on a charge of shooting another man. Later that year he killed Constable Lonigan who was searching for Ned. Government put out a reward for Ned alive or dead for murder and bushranging. Ned’s gang took 22 people hostage on a farm near Euroa where Ned robbed a bank. In 1879 Ned and his gang robbed more, imprisoned several police and he detained 60 people at Glenrowan in a hotel. When a police train from Melbourne came Ned was prepared with his metal cylindrical headpiece and suits of armour from metal ploughs etc. The police attack took Ned down with shots to his unprotected legs. Three were killed in the Glenrowan shoot out. In 1880 Ned was tried in Melbourne for the murder of Constable Lonigan and convicted. He was hanged a couple of weeks later aged 25 yrs. Ned the cheeky underdog murderer was gone but his story and memory lives on, especially in Glenrowan the site of his last stand where several businesses try to make money from the folk hero with little museums, tacky souvenir shops and gun shooting shows!
Glenrowan where Ned Kelly and his gang took 60 people hostage in 1879 before he used his home made armour to try and defend himself against the inevitable police attack.
Glenrowan. Ned Kelly (1855-80) a criminal bushranger but glorified for inexplicable reasons into an Australian folk hero but possible because of his Irish background. His father was transported as a convict and Ned married into the Quinn family suspected of cattle rustling and theft. His father died when he was 11 and at 14 Ned was arrested for assaulting a Chinese man but the charge was dismissed. Took up bushranging later that year. Imprisoned for 6 months in 1870 (aged 15). Late in 1870 imprisoned for 3 years. On release took up horse thieving with his stepfather. Both Ned’s brothers imprisoned for horse theft. Kelly’s felt themselves victims of police persecution despite their criminal activities. In 1878 went into hiding on a charge of shooting another man. Later that year he killed Constable Lonigan who was searching for Ned. Government put out a reward for Ned alive or dead for murder and bushranging. Ned’s gang took 22 people hostage on a farm near Euroa where Ned robbed a bank. In 1879 Ned and his gang robbed more, imprisoned several police and he detained 60 people at Glenrowan in a hotel. When a police train from Melbourne came Ned was prepared with his metal cylindrical headpiece and suits of armour from metal ploughs etc. The police attack took Ned down with shots to his unprotected legs. Three were killed in the Glenrowan shoot out. In 1880 Ned was tried in Melbourne for the murder of Constable Lonigan and convicted. He was hanged a couple of weeks later aged 25 yrs. Ned the cheeky underdog murderer was gone but his story and memory lives on, especially in Glenrowan the site of his last stand where several businesses try to make money from the folk hero with little museums, tacky souvenir shops and gun shooting shows!