BY HANNAH NG5SR

Ned Kelly

A Hero is born• Somewhere between 1854-18559,

(real date not determined yet) a brave, Australian hero was born. His name Edward Kelly but his nickname was ‘Ned’.

Ned’s family • Ned’s father, John Kelly alias ‘Red’ Kelly (for

his bushy red beard) was married to Ellen Quinn in November 1850. They had 8 children; Mary Jane (1851),Anne (1853), Edward ‘Ned’ (1854),Margaret ‘Maggie’ (1857), James ‘Jim’ (1859), Daniel ‘Dan’ (1861), Catherine ‘Kate’ ( 1863) and another girl, Grace (1864)

Mistakes• At the age of 15, Ned was first brought before the

Police Court on a charge of assault on a fowl and pig dealer named Ah Fook, and secondly with aiding the bushranger Harry Power in some of his robberies. Fortunately for Ned he was found not guilty in both cases. But before the end of that year, he was sentenced to six months hard labour for assault and indecent behaviour, the result of a prank of a family friend.

• Within three weeks of his release, Ned was arrested again, this time for receiving a stolen horse. He had no idea the horse was stolen but was given three years hard labour.

Bushranging career

• On the 15th April 1878, the Kelly house was visited by Constable Fitzpatrick who wanted to arrest Dan Kelly on a charge of stealing.

• Following the course of events which took place there that night, Fitzpatrick rode to the police station in Benalla carrying a wound to the left wrist. He told his superiors that while attempting to take Dan in for questioning, Ellen Kelly struck him over the head with a fire shovel, denting his helmet, and Ned Kelly fired at him from close range and wounded him.

• Not doubting Fitzpatrick's testimony, the police rode out to the Kelly house and arrested Ellen and two neighbours, William Williamson and William Skillion. She was sentenced to three years imprisonment while both men, one of whom was four miles away at the time, received six years each. Meanwhile, Ned and Dan, not trusting the constable, fled into the bush and were joined by their mates Steve Hart, Joe Byrne and several others. Ned offered to give himself up for the release of his mother, but the authorities had other intentions.

Preparation • They murded three policemen sent to arrest the two

Kelly brothers and as a result implicated two of their friends. The robbing of two banks at Euroa and Jerilderie which netted them approximately £4,oo, and the manufacturing of suits of armour to be worn by members of the gang.

Bad deeds• On June 27th 1880, the day after the shooting of Aaron

Sherritt, the Kelly gang bailed up Glenrowan, cut the telegraph wires and forced the railway workers to rip up the line. More than sixty hostages were taken during the day as the gang waited for the arrival of the police's special train. Following a tip-off from the local school teacher the train stopped at the station and a bitter gun battle took place with the police laying siege to the hotel. In the nine and a half hours which followed, the building was burnt to the ground, three of the gang members were killed, and Ned, badly wounded was arrested.

Final stand• Ned was taken to Melbourne, patched up, hurriedly tried and

sentenced to death. At his trial in Melbourne, Ned appeared before Sir Redmond Barry, the same man who sentenced his mother to three years imprisonment. Over sixty thousand people signed a petition to have Ned’s sentence reprieved, but the Executive Council would not be swayed from executing the e bushranger. Judge Barry sentenced Ned to death by hanging. So at 10 o'clock on the 11th November 1880, Ned was taken to the gallows at the Old Melbourne Gaol. His last words before he was executed were, "I guess it has come to this." and shortly after "Such is Life."Ned told him that they would soon meet in a fairer court in the sky and that he would meet him there where he goes. Twelve days after Ned's death, Sir Redmond Barry passed away.

This slideshow was made by Hannah, 5SR, 2010, Bushrangers.

I’d like to thank the computer, Google, the library book, Mrs S for letting me

do Ned Kelly

And my Dad for giving time to do it!

Credits