Ian Jones

When it comes to Ned Kelly, Ian Jones* is ‘The Man’. After studying Ned for 68 years, his word is gospel when it comes to the iron outlaw. Jones, 78 (born in 1930), has written some brilliant titles on the subject – Ned Kelly: A Short Life; The Friendship that Destroyed Ned Kelly: Joe Byrne & Aaron Sherritt (relaunched as The Fatal Friendship), and the Ned: The Exhibition catalogue. He also co-wrote both the Ned Kelly movie that starred Mick Jagger and the highly sought-after mini-series The Last Outlaw. A walking encyclopaedia of knowledge on the Kellys, Jones is widely described as the ‘foremost Kelly historian’. He is typically modest about the description, as he showed at the launch of Ned: The Exhibition.

“Being described as the foremost Kelly historian is a bit like being King Herod The Great,” Jones told the gathering. “King Herod the Great was part of a long line of Herods, several of whom were kings. He was called ‘The Great’ just because he was the oldest. I’ve been at it a long time.” Despite his age and the thousands of questions he has fielded over the years, the superbly eloquent Jones is like a little boy in a lolly shop when talking about Ned. And his excitement is infectious.

Speaking at the seminar for ‘The Jerilderie Letter’ in a hall across the road from the Old Melbourne Gaol on Australia Day (2002). Jones read sections of the letter, occasionally slipping into Irish brogue. A stickler for accuracy, he even pronounces Aaron – as in Aaron Sherritt – as ‘Erin’, as it was apparently said back in Aaron’s day in the largely Irish town of Beechworth. Unlike some experts, Jones does not regard the subject of his expertise as untouchable for others. In fact, he welcomes debate and the continued search for ‘new’ revelations. But above all, Ian Jones is a good bloke – generous with his time and his knowledge; and he has plenty of the latter.