Unmasked
Sidney Nolan and Ned Kelly 1950 - 1990
11 November 2006 - 4 March 2007

Sidney Nolan’s original Ned Kelly series, painted at Heide during 1946–47, has been widely acclaimed and extensively researched. Much less attention however, has been given to the artist’s numerous later representations of the legendary Australian bushranger. This exhibition explores, for the first time, Nolan’s ongoing artistic engagement with the Kelly myth after he left Australia permanently in 1953, a fascination that lasted for the next three decades.

For Nolan, Ned Kelly was an intensely compelling figure: he was of working class Irish–Australian stock like the artist himself; a natural leader with an instinctive command of language; and an archetypal tragic hero. As Nolan’s career developed, he became inextricably associated with Kelly and the iconic black square mask he had invented to represent the outlaw.

This exhibition reveals the ways in which Nolan's Kelly, behind the black mask, was a complex figure whose significance reaches well beyond the shores of his native homeland.

For further information and viewing times visit Heide Museum of Modern Art.

The Legend of Ned Kelly
World Premiere Theatre Royal Hobart 7 – 11 September
Civic Theatre Burnie 20 September
Princess Theatre Launceston 22 September
National Gallery of Australia Canberra 4 – 8 October

The authorities branded him an outlaw...
the oppressed called him a hero...
and when he died, the legend was born...

This September Terrapin Puppet Theatre in association with the National Gallery of Australia will breathe new life into the legend that is Ned Kelly through puppetry, video artistry and fresh and energetic staging. Audiences will feast their ears and eyes on a story that inhabits our landscape and has entered Australian folklore.

Terrapin’s interpretation follows key episodes in Ned’s life and utilises Sidney Nolan’s paintings as a storyboard, providing the inspirational basis for the visual elements of this production. Tracing Ned’s story from childhood as the eldest of 8 children, through an adolescence marked by poverty and constant skirmishes with the law, his mother’s imprisonment bringing about the formation of the Kelly Gang, the hold-up at Jerilderie and ultimately his infamous Last Stand at Glenrowan, this fictionalised account draws on the legend that has grown up around a man that some describe as a outlaw, and some see as a revolutionary. This is The Legend of Ned Kelly.

An inspired blend of puppetry, animation and live performance will come together to create a brand new work inspired by the iconic Ned Kelly series of paintings by Sidney Nolan. This is “must-see” school holiday family entertainment!

ABOUT SIDNEY NOLAN’S NED KELLY SERIES
Sidney Nolan’s 1946–47 Ned Kelly series is one of the greatest sequences of Australian paintings of the 20th century: Nolan’s starkly simplified depiction of Kelly in his armour has become an iconic Australian image. Nolan’s paintings follow the main sequence of the Kelly story. Yet Nolan did not intend the series to be an ‘authentic’ depiction of these events. Rather, these episodes became the setting for the artist’s meditations upon universal themes of injustice, love and betrayal. The Kelly saga was also a way for Nolan to paint the Australian landscape in new ways, with the story giving meaning to the place. Above all, he considered that it was ‘a story arising out of the bush and ending in the bush’.

THEATRE ROYAL – BOOKINGS: 6233 2299
Thursday 7 September 12.30pm and 7pm
Friday 8 September 11am and 7pm
Saturday 9 September 2pm and 7pm
Monday 11 September 11am and 2pm

CIVIC THEATRE BURNIE - BOOKINGS: 6430 5850
Wednesday 20 September 2pm and 7pm

PRINCESS THEATRE LAUNCESTON BOOKINGS: 6323 3666
Friday 22 September 2pm and 7pm

TICKET PRICES FOR PUBLIC PERFORMANCES
Adult $25.00 Concession/Groups 10+ $22.00
Children U/16 $16.00 Family ticket (4) $70.00
Performance runs 65 to 70 minutes (suits ages 8 and up)

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Terrapin Puppet Theatre Ltd
77 Salamanca Place
Hobart, Tasmania 7004
Tel: (03) 6223 6834
Mobile: 0411 233 345
Fax: (03) 6223 6399
Email: marketing@terrapin.org.au
Website: www.terrapin.org.au

Beechworth Guided Tours

Visitors to Beechworth will literally be able to walk in the footsteps of Ned Kelly and the forerunners of the gold rush through new Guided Walking Tours in the town. The tours kicked off on September 15 and will be run and operated by Beechworth Historic and Cultural Precinct’s very own Mr Darren Sutton.

Mr Sutton said the vast knowledge collected over the years about Beechworth’s history would come alive through the tours which will operate at set times each and every day. He said one walk would focus on Ned Kelly history and depart at 10.30 am and the other would focus on the Gold Rush and would depart at 2.00pm.

“The standard tours will be suitable for all ages and abilities and will delight visitors with tales of the Gold Rush days and the Ned Kelly era,” he said. “We will be able to structure tours for special interests and abilities including conferences, schools, seniors groups, special needs groups, clubs etc.

“These walking tours add another layer to the vibrant stories relating to Beechworth’s history and complement the existing tourism offering in the town. It will be my pleasure to take visitors through the yarns, legends and facts of the town’s history step by step.”

Indigo Shire Council Mayor Cr Bill Hotson said the community was proud to have such dedicated and passionate people in the community who valued the Shire’s history. He said the volumes of history texts were a valuable tool in learning about our history but actually seeing the places, hearing the stories and walking in the footsteps of the past was much better.

“These tours will be a great tourism asset to the Shire but I also urge residents to take the time to learn more about Ned Kelly and the Gold Rush,” he said. “There is always more we can learn and the more we know, the more we can teach our children and grandchildren.”

Brochures, prices and tour times are available by contacting Tour Project Officer Mr Sutton on 03 5728 8066 or email at dsutton@indigoshire.vic.gov.au. Further enquires can be directed to the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre on 1300 366 321.

Kelly by Brian Hotter
9 - 26 FEBRUARY 2005
Directed by Ralph McAllister
Court 2, Court Theatre, Christchurch, New Zealand from 7.00PM
Bookings 03 963 0870 or email bookings@courttheatre.org.nz

KELLY “I’m here because I am sick of people telling my story for me. You got Ian Jones and his bloody biography, Peter Carey and his goddamn book - Booker Prize my arse. Now they’ve got that film Ned with Heath ficken Ledger – (Pretends to fall asleep. Wakes up) well anything is better than Mick Jagger. Most of all I hate this Sidney Nolan… this painter. Look how he paints me with the clouds passing through my helmet as if my head were filled with hot air. I’m sick of it. In my lifetime I never got the chance but now I will acquaint you with some occurrences from the past. . .”

Kelly is a monologue play that tracks the life of Edward Kelly, from his rescue of Richard Shelton on his way to school one day to his last breath on the scaffold. It pays particular homage to his relationship with his mother, his love of the land and stealing horses, his hatred of the Victorian police force and her majesty the Queen of England.

KELLY “I never knew such pleasure could be gained stealing from the rich – those bastard baboons squatters they didn’t even see us coming. Life was good. It was so good!”

I am very humbled to be performing as Edward Kelly in the 125th anniversary of his execution. This is the third time I have performed my ‘Kelly’ show and I hope it will not be the last. Although my show is compiled from various means, I have not let the truth get in the way of a good yarn. One thing I have discovered in my writing recently, which is based on fact in one way or another, is that life is far more complicated than the stage and sometimes the imagination is the most powerful tool of them all.

I feel for the first time that I truly understand why he took the steps he did in his life. My own life has changed and developed with the development of ‘Kelly’. I have my own family now and this has made me appreciate what steps a man would take to protect his family. I also recognise how I would feel if anybody tried to hurt my family. I have no doubt in my mind that Edward Kelly did what he did out of the sheer desire to survive and to protect his family.

Once more I am astounded by the power of the Sidney Nolan Paintings of “The Kelly Gang”, even though the character of Ned Kelly loathes them I am in love with them. Historical accuracy placed aside they are the true pictorial narrative of the Kelly saga. In “Kelly” they play a crucial role in showing the things that I cannot, for example:

The chaos of Stringybark Creek and the utter madness that was Glenrowan.

I hope to develop “Kelly” further and the next logical step would be to take him home to Australia. I would love to do the show at the Melbourne Jail, galleries where the Nolan paintings are held and any Australian theatre that would show my play. I have an idea of making the show a two hander, with the other actor playing all the policemen’s roles. This actor will not only portray the policemen as villains (as they are currently shown) but also tell the story from the policemen’s perspective, making them more than one dimensional characters. The characters will include Sergeant Steele, Fitzpatrick, McIntyre and even the honourable Sir Redmond Barry.

I acknowledge some of my sources which include, www.ironoutlaw.com in particular the Euroa and Jerildine Letters, “Ned Kelly A Short Life” by Ian Jones, “True History of the Kelly Gang” by Peter Carey and of course Sidney Nolan.

Outlawed!
Venue: Melbourne Museum
Dates: 28 November 2003 to 26 April 2004

Outlawed! is the first major exhibition to investigate national outlaw legends from a global perspective. Outlawed! delves into the lives of individual bushrangers and outlaws who became figures of national significance. Objects, exciting interactives, film, and hands-on experiences reveal the evolution of outlaw legends in popular culture and legend making. While certain social rebels are glorified as fighters against the injustices and inequalities of class or colonialism, Outlawed! asks the challenging questions behind the legends. Above all, why do social outsiders fascinate and inspire? Outlawed! shows how individuals came to symbolise chivalry, courage, freedom, ruthlessness, tragedy and mystery.

Outlawed! showcases some of the most intriguing outlaw heroes from Australia, England, India, Japan, North America, China, Italy, Mexico and New Zealand. It examines the mythological personas of outlaws as diverse as Robin Hood, Ishikawa Goemon, Ned Kelly, Jesse James, Pancho Villa, Hone Heke and Phoolan Devi. Exploring regional and global folklore and fakelore, Outlawed! examines the curious tension between fact and legend.

This dramatic travelling exhibition explores how societies produce legendary outlaw heroes who are both reviled and revered – and always present in popular culture.

Outlawed! also follows the exploits of Australian bushrangers, looking at the gangs of Ned Kelly, Ben Hall and Frank Gardiner; the Clarke Brothers of the Monaro; Queensland cattle thief Henry Readford; and indigenous outlaws such as Walyer and the Governor Brothers. The mythmaking of the immortal hero is revealed through painting and film – with a special film studio allowing visitors to literally put themselves in the picture as a Wild West outlaw, Australian bushranger, Mexican revolutionary or in pursuit of a Japanese ninja.

The exhibition includes 500 objects sourced from across the globe, including a publican’s transcript of Ned Kelly’s famous Jerilderie Letter; Kevin Costner’s costume from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves; fragments from Jesse James’ coffin and Hone Heke’s fighting sticks. Visitors can play the new video game, Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown, and children can follow the outlaw’s clues from a special children’s area called Thunderbolt Country. Outlawed! is on show at the Melbourne Museum from 28 May to 10 October 2004; and the Queensland Museum in Brisbane from 20 November 2004 to 3 April 2005. Entry is $8 adults, $6 concession, $5 children, $16 families.

Kelly Culture
State Library of Victoria
Keith Murdoch Gallery
Entry 1, 328 Swanston Street
10am - 5pm daily (Wednesdays 9pm)
enquiries 03 8664 7016
28 February - 25 May 2003

Kelly Culture: reconstructing Ned Kelly explores Australia's fascination with Edward “Ned” Kelly and his enduring presence within our literature, visual arts, cinema, performing arts, music and popular culture. This exhibition presents the key historical artifacts associated with Ned Kelly and his Gang together with paintings, posters, photographs, manuscripts, textiles, music and moving image. In addition to the State Library of Victoria's extensive holdings of Kelly-related material, Kelly Culture brings together major loans from public and private collections throughout Australia. In recent years, with the release of Peter Carey's novel, True History of the Kelly Gang , the opening ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and now a new feature film, Ned Kelly looms as large as ever on our cultural horizon. Rather than debate whether he was a villain or a saint, Kelly Culture reflects Ned Kelly's broad appeal throughout the decades and our mythologising of Kelly at different times as a larrikin, criminal, gentleman or hero. We can only wonder whether the current fascination with Ned Kelly will, in the future, be seen as the zenith of Kelly Culture and in what new forms he will next appear.

Ned Kelly Engravings
Brighton Antique Prints and Maps
23-25 Carpenter Street
Brighton Victoria 3186

Brighton Antique Prints and Maps are holding a special exhibition in their gallery of original engravings relating to Ned Kelly. These were sketched from “on location” reports from 1878 to 1880, and then engraved for illustrated newspapers such as the Australasian Sketcher, Illustrated Australian News and Illustrated Sydney News. The 50 images trace the Kelly Gang members from the Stringby Bark Creek shooting to Kelly’s hanging at the Old Melbourne Gaol.

All of the engravings on display are genuine antiques. The images are not modern reproductions. To the exhibitors knowledge this is the first time such a comprehensive selection of Kelly engravings have been offered for sale. Most items are priced from $150 to $400, making them very affordable. Brighton Antique Prints and Maps gallery is located at 23 - 25 Carpenter Street, Brighton, Victoria 3186. Trading hours are Monday to Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday 12:00 to 3:00 pm. All items on display at the Exhibition are available for purchase until sold out.

For further details:
Telephone 03 9592 5400
Email ghd@world.net
Web antiqueprints.com.au