On the 11th of November, 1880, the notorious bushranger, Ned Kelley was executed. I have posted about American outlaws, but haven’t touched Australia yet, so here goes.
Ned Kelly, one of Australia’s most infamous historical figures, was an outlaw whose life and actions have become the stuff of legend, myth, and cultural debate. Born in 1854 in the small town of Beveridge in Victoria, Edward “Ned” Kelly was the son of Irish immigrants. His father, John “Red” Kelly, had been transported to Australia as a convict from Ireland, and his experiences of poverty and discrimination against Irish Catholics in colonial Australia would shape Ned’s life. From an early age, Kelly and his family were subject to police scrutiny, often accused of theft and other minor crimes, which contributed to his growing distrust and resentment of the authorities.
The Kelly family lived in the rural frontier of Victoria, an area that was still rough and lawless in the mid-19th century. Life was hard, and tensions between selectors (small farmers like the Kellys) and wealthy squatters were high, with land, cattle, and survival all at stake. This environment fostered a sense of injustice and rebellion in young Ned. By his teenage years, he had already come into conflict with the law, first for minor thefts and later for horse stealing. In 1870, he was accused of being an accomplice in the assault of a Chinese hawker, though he maintained his innocence. Shortly afterwards, he was arrested for receiving a stolen horse and served time in prison.
The defining period of Ned Kelly’s life began in 1878, when a confrontation with the police escalated into open rebellion. His mother, Ellen Kelly, was involved in a dispute that led to the wounding of a police constable, Fitzpatrick, at the Kelly homestead. Whether the incident was self-defence or an assault remains contested, but Ellen was arrested and imprisoned. This event drove Ned and his brother Dan into hiding in the bush, where they were soon joined by their friends Joe Byrne and Steve Hart. Together, they formed the now-legendary Kelly Gang.
The Kelly Gang became notorious for their robberies of banks and their ability to evade capture. They held up the towns of Euroa and Jerilderie, conducting daring raids with a mixture of charm and menace. During the Jerilderie raid in 1879, Ned dictated and left behind the famous “Jerilderie Letter”, a lengthy manifesto in which he defended his actions, detailed the corruption and persecution he believed the police and the government had inflicted on his family, and portrayed himself as a champion of the oppressed settlers. The letter has since been studied as both a historical document and a remarkable insight into his mindset.
Ned Kelly’s exploits came to a dramatic climax in June 1880 at the small town of Glenrowan. Anticipating a major police operation, the Kelly Gang planned to derail a train carrying police reinforcements. They took hostages at the Glenrowan Inn whilst waiting for the train. It was during this siege that Ned Kelly and his gang donned their now-iconic suits of homemade armour, crafted from ploughshares to deflect bullets. The image of Kelly in his heavy iron helmet, standing defiantly in the early morning light, has become a symbol of Australian folklore. However, the plan failed. The train was warned and did not crash, and the police surrounded the inn. A violent gunfight ensued, resulting in the deaths of gang members Dan Kelly, Joe Byrne, and Steve Hart. Ned, wounded but still defiant, was eventually captured after his armour was pierced and he was brought down.
Ned Kelly was tried for murder and hanged at the Old Melbourne Gaol on the 11th of November, 1880, at the age of 25. His final words are widely reported to have been, “Such is life,” though the accuracy of this quote is debated. His death marked the end of his short, violent career, but the beginning of his enduring legend.
In the years since, Ned Kelly has been remembered in complex and often contradictory ways. To some, he remains a ruthless criminal and murderer; to others, he is a symbol of resistance against an unjust colonial system. His life inspired ballads, folk tales, novels, films, and artworks, most famously the paintings by Sidney Nolan that cemented his image in the Australian imagination. Whether seen as a villain or a folk hero, Ned Kelly’s story continues to capture the fascination of historians and the public alike, reflecting themes of struggle, rebellion, and the harsh realities of life in 19th-century Australia.