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Episode 4 - The Kenniffs
LAWLESS – THE REAL BUSHRANGERS IS
AN ORIGINAL LANDMARK DOCUMENTARY
SERIES COMBINING SCIENCE AND
HISTORY IN A WAY WHICH HAS NEVER
BEEN DONE BEFORE IN AUSTRALIA.
At the core of this series is a bold vision to investigate
Australian colonial crimes and mysteries using modern day
science and technology. Hosted by respected journalist
Mike Munro (himself a descendant of bushrangers) we fol-
low investigations into the past and deliver the findings in the present to living descendants of both bushrangers and
those who fought against them.
In each fascinating episode, we focus on a single bush-
ranging legend; NED KELLY (Victoria), BEN HALL (NSW),
CAPTAIN MOONLITE (NSW) and the last of the wild colo-
nial boys - PATRICK & JAMES KENNIFF (Qld). All are larger
than life characters involved in iconic events heavily shroud-
ed in mystery, folklore and fantasy. The bushrangers are
heroes to some, villains to others and for their descendants
who carry their legacy today; they are a cause of either pain
and shame, or pride and glory. There are always two sides
to every story. But how do we separate fact from fiction?
Enter Mike Munro and the specialist LAWLESS in-
vestigation team; Dr Kiera Lindsey (Historian), Adam
Ford (Archaeologist) and Prof Roger Byard (Forensic
Pathologist). Together they use their respective skills to
apply an objective and rigorous analysis of these pivotal
events. They revisit existing and new historical evidence
and use 21stcentury high-tech science to get beyond the
myths. Using archaeology to literally break new ground
and the latest forensic methods to test the historical
evidence, the team illuminate a fact-based version of our
history. In each case the key question they seek to answer
is – what really happened? The team’s findings are finally revealed to living descendants at each episode’s end.
Mike and the team first tackle the most controversial of Australian legends, the story of Ned Kelly and the killings
of Stringybark Creek (1878). This was the event that made
Kelly a wanted outlaw, created the ‘Kelly gang’ and ultimate-
ly led to his hanging. The episode on Captain Moonlite’s last
stand (1879) looks forensically at one of the most violent
gunfights of the bushranging era and solves a 140-year-old mystery. The violent death of Ben Hall (1865) is put under
the microscope as the team examines the circumstances
surrounding the shooting of one of Australia’s most popular
heroes. And in the final episode, Mike Munro faces his own lawless ancestry on the trail of his great uncles, Patrick and
James Kenniff who were convicted of the most ghoulish and
grisly crime in Queensland’s colonial history in 1902.
CONTENT HYPERLINKS
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Curriculum Links‘LAWLESS - The Real Bushrangers’ can be linked directly to the follow-
ing subject areas of the Australian National Curriculum:
• Year 9 History, Year 9 and 10 Science
* Relevant Content Descriptions for Year 9 History
Overview of the making of the modern world
• The nature and extent of the movement of peoples in the period
(slaves, convicts and settlers) (ACOKFH015)• The emergence and nature of significant economic, social and
political ideas in the period, including nationalism (ACOKFH019)
Depth Study: Movement of peoples (1750 – 1901)
• Changes in the way of life of a group(s) of people who moved
to Australia in this period, such as free settlers on the frontier in
Australia (ACDSEH084)
* Relevant Content Descriptions for Year 9 & 10 Science:
Science Enquiry Skills
• Formulate questions or hypotheses that can be investigated
scientifically (ACSIS198)
• Use knowledge of scientific concepts to draw conclusions that are consistent with evidence (ACSIS204)
• Evaluate conclusions, including identifying sources of uncertainty
and possible alternative explanations, and describe specific ways to improve the quality of the data (ACSIS205)
Science as a Human Endeavour
• Scientific understanding, including models and theories, is contest-able and is refined over time through a process of review by the scientific community (ACSHE157)
• Advances in scientific understanding often rely on developments in technology and technological advances are often linked to scientific discoveries (ACSHE158)
• People use scientific knowledge to evaluate whether they ac-
cept claims, explanations or predictions, and advances in sci-
ence can affect people’s lives, including generating new career
opportunities (ACSHE160)
• Formulate questions or hypotheses that can be investigated scien-
tifically (ACSIS164)
• Plan, select and use appropriate investigation methods, including
field work and laboratory experimentation, to collect reliable data; assess risk and address ethical issues associated with these meth-
ods (ACSIS165)
• Critically analyse the validity of information in secondary sources
and evaluate the approaches used to solve problems (ACSIS172)
‘LAWLESS - The Real Bushrangers’ blends science and history to deliver powerful documentaries that will have an impact and an enduring legacy. This series will change how Australians see their folk heroes, and themselves.
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Episode Four The KenniffsMike Munro’s real surname is not Munro: it’s Kenniff. The notorious Kenniff brothers were the last of Australia’s ‘wild colonial boys’ roaming remote north Queensland at the turn of the century, stealing cattle and horses with the confidence and skill of organized criminals. Their careers culminated in a showdown in the Carnarvon Ranges that left one policeman and a civilian dead. Their victims’ bodies were found burned and chopped into pieces. Patrick and James Kenniff were caught and tried for willful murder – but they maintained their innocence to the bitter end. What turns thieves into brutal mutilators? Was there reasonable doubt that they didn’t do the deed?
Mike Munro needs to know – this isn’t just a question
about the nature of crime and punishment, this story is
deeply personal. The Kenniffs were Mike’s ancestors and
the cause of shame for his family through generations. The
LAWLESS team embark on a factual and forensic analy-
sis of the crime to search for answers and Mikes meets
descendants from the other side of the story. Against the
backdrop of a brutal event, this case marks a pivotal point
in the history of our evolving laws and nationhood and this
investigation makes for an extraordinary personal journey
for host Mike Munro.
* Activity: Profile of The KenniffsUsing information from this episode, as well as your own
research, students are to produce a hard copy or digital
biography of The Kenniffs. Please note: There may be little
information available on The Kenniffs; as such, you may
have to rely on the information gained from this episode of
‘LAWLESS’. Information to include:
• Family background and early life
• Initial run-ins with the law
• Their actions as a bushranger
• Their alleged role in the murders on Easter Sunday,
1902 and subsequent trial.
If creating a digital biography, students can use tools such
as glogster (http://edu.glogster.com/) or padlet (https://padlet.com/)
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* Activity: The Scientific Method – Identifying and Answering Questions
Teacher introduction: The following activity is intended
to use LAWLESS to model the scientific method as applied to this investigation. This activity is separated into three
components – Inquiry, where students consider how the
LAWLESS team of experts identify their research question;
Evidence and Analysis, where students identify how evi-
dence is interpreted and guides further investigation; and
Conclusion and Reflection, where students are encour-
aged to reflect upon the reliability of the team’s conclusion and how it is – or isn’t – supported by the evidence.
In contrast to earlier episodes, the limitations of evi-
dence available and sourcing of claims is ambigious in
the mystery of the Kenniff case. Therefore the clarity of
the investigation and conclusions drawn are less defined than the earlier episodes. This reflects the focus of the episode, which draws on Munro’s ties to the Kenniff
family and emphasizes the emotional over the analytical.
While it is not recommended to use the episode by itself
in a scientific context, it is useful as a comparison point to the preceding episode(s).
INQUIRY
“For years, I’ve wanted to know if Patrick [Kenniff] was
innocent as he always claims – or just a cold-blooded killer
who, some say, deserved to hang,” says Mike Munro in the introduction to the fourth and final episode of LAWLESS,
“The Kenniffs.”
Himself descended from the Kenniff bushrangers, Munro’s
framing here is noticeably more personal than in the series’
previous three episodes. That’s consistent with an episode
to tends to emphasise Munro’s personal connection with
the past over the more rigorous analysis of evidence seen
in previous episodes.
• Should scientists remove their personal connection
to their investigations entirely, or is that kind of pas-
sion beneficial? Discuss as a class: suggest how a personal connection to a study could aid or impair its
effectiveness.
• Based on the introduction to the episode, what would
you expect the LAWLESS team’s hypothesis to be?
EVIDENCE AND ANALYSIS
The investigation conducted in “The Kenniffs”, as with any scientific study, relies on evidence. The main source of primary evidence in this case is the historical testimony of
Sam Johnson, an indigenous police tracker.
• Describe Johnson’s evidence as presented in the episode.
• During the episode, the events that occurred on Easter
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Sunday in Lethbridge’s Pocket are explained in some
detail. Is this explanation based on Johnson’s evi-
dence, or other sources, or is this unclear?• Historian Kiera Lindsey, on a couple of occasions
([00:06:13] and [00:13:38]) expresses skepticism about
the reliability of Johnson’s evidence. Why is she doubt-
ful of the testimony’s reliability?• Another source of primary evidence used in the
episode is a surveyor’s map. Who drew this map
([00:12:44]) and how is it used in the investigation?
Whilst the team use a range of primary evidence in their in-
vestigations, we also witness the ways that improved tech-
nological and scientific equipment/methods allow them to further analyse the Kenniff’s role in the grisly murders of a
civilian and a policeman in Lethbridge’s Pocket Throughout
the episode, take notes on Table 7 on the next page.
In this episode, we see the work carried out by ballistics
experts at the Victoria Police Forensic Centre. Working in
pairs, research this centre (or one in your capital city).
• What type of work is conducted here?• How long has the centre been operational and how
have advances in science and technology advanced
their work?• What types of occupations in the Scientific and
Legal fields are linked to the centre (both directly and indirectly)?
CONCLUSION
By examining the state of pig carcasses burned in a fire, Munro’s team of experts are able to reach a conclusion
about the veracity of the stories told about the Kenniff’s
brutality. This is only made possible by testing the carcass-
es in two different scenarios to make a comparison – using
the scientific principle of a ‘control’.
• Identify which of the situations you would describe as
the ‘control’ in the experiment, and justify your answer.
Discuss as a class.• With the assistance of Forensic Officer Rachel Noble
[00:35:10], Professor Roger Byard reaches a conclu-
sion about the bodies of Doyle and Dalke. What con-
clusion do they reach, and how is this justified by their experiment?
While the LAWLESS team is able to answer some
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TECHNOLOGY/EQUIPMENT
How does this technology work? What are they hoping to discover?
Outcome/Conclusions based on using this technology
Ballistics Testing
on weaponry (eg. the Colt .45 and
the Webley .442)
Fire And Explosives
Unit investigation
using pig
carcasses
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7THE KENNIFF BROTHERS
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questions raised in the investigation, they’re ultimately
unable to determine “who actually fired the fatal shots that killed Doyle and Dalke.” (Per [00:42:56)
• Discuss in pairs as to why you think they were unable to reach a definitive conclusion. Can this be credited to the lack of evidence, choices made in the investigation,
or other factors? Share your conclusions with the class.• Write a paragraph comparing the scientific method, as
applied in this episode, to how it was applied in other
episode(s) of LAWLESS.
• Suggest further scientific inquiry that could be con-
ducted to further clarify the Kenniffs’ role – or lack
thereof – in the murder of Doyle and Dalke.
* Activity: Technological Investigations and Interpreting Primary Evidence
Throughout the episode, we see how the team of experts
use primary evidence and cutting-edge technology to
analyse The Kenniff’s role in the grisly murders of a civilian
and a policeman on Easter Sunday, 1902 in Lethbridge’s
Pocket. Throughout the episode, take notes in Table 8 on
the next page.
* Activity: Drawing conclusions about The Kenniffs
Working in pairs, answer the following questions. Share
and discuss as a class.
1. Paddy Kenniff was condemned to death on the word
of a single witness, the police tracker Sam Johnson.
After watching the episode, do you think there ap-
pears to have been any problems with Sam Johnson’s
testimony?2. We meet Bill Lawton, an elder of the local Bidjara peo-
ple, whose grandfather often rode with the Kenniffs.
What family secret does he reveal regarding the mur-
ders and how does Mike react to this?3. Following the team’s examination of the range of
evidence, do you think the right Kenniff was punished
for the murders? Explain your answer and discuss as a class.
* Activity: Focus on the descendantsRenowned journalist and host of ‘LAWLESS – The Real
Bushrangers’, Mike Munro is the great nephew of the
Kenniff Brothers. As he states: “Patrick Kenniff was my
great uncle. And for years I wanted to know if Patrick was
innocent as he always claimed or just a cold-blooded killer,
who some say, deserved to hang in
Sisters Meryl Campbell and Norma Jurss are the great
nieces of Constable George Doyle, the policeman who was brutally killed and mutilated by the Kenniff brothers in
Queensland, 1902. Their grandfather was George Doyle’s brother, and the sisters have learned the story of George’s
death through stories handed down the generations. The
family believe that one of the Kenniffs did the crime, but
they’re not sure which one. More information would give
them a sense of closure.
• How would you describe the meeting between Mike,
Meryl and Norma? How did their great uncle’s murder impact their family? What are they seeking in terms of helping them to deal with the tragic event?
• How would you describe the final meeting of Meryl, Norma and Mike? Do you think there has been any closure for the descendants? Discuss as a class.
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EXPERTPrimary Evidence or Technology used in the
investigation of The Kenniff Brothers.Results/Conclusions drawn
based on their findings
Adam FordArchaeologist
Dr. Kiera LindseyHistorian
Professor Roger ByardForensic
Pathologist
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8THE KENNIFF BROTHERS
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Referenceshttps://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/http://www.nma.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_
file/0019/19090/Kelly_search_all_colour.pdfhttp://www.npm.org.au/https://timeline.knightlab.com/http://timeglider.com/http://www.nma.gov.au/collections/
collection_interactives/jerilderie_letterhttp://www.policemuseum.vic.gov.au/collection/
overview
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/ned-kelly-gang-victims-all-but-forgotten-in-adoration-
of-the-bushranger-say-families-cops/news-story/3d1882a2dcf24dfce2260daf340786ce
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/family-urges-new-ben-hall-inquest/2007/03/30/1174761754719.html
ARCHIVAL IMAGES
Pictures Collection, State Library Victoria
Reproduced with permission from the collection of
Victoria Police
State Records of New South Wales
State Library NSW
Justice and Police Museum Collections, Sydney
Living Museums
State Archives NSW
National Library Australia
Forbes and District Historical Society IncorporatedBathurst Historical Society Museum
Supreme Court QLDQueensland Police Museum
This study guide was produced by ATOM. (© ATOM 2017) ISBN: 978-1-76061-059-3 [email protected]
To download other study guides, plus thousands of articles on Film as Text, Screen Literacy, Multiliteracy and Media Studies, visit <http://theeducationshop.com.au>.
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