Ned Kelly Australian Ironoutlaw

The Kelly homestead at Beveridge, Victoria, comprises a timber cottage built by Ned’s father John “Red” Kelly in January 1859 when his son was approximately 4 years old. It was a typical Irish style of cottage with an earthen floor and drainage running between rooms. Internally there were only 2 rooms and there was no ceiling. The bluestone chimney dominated the house. The homestead is of cultural importance because it was the childhood home of Ned Kelly to 1863 (Criterion A & H) and illustrates the lifestyle of the Irish smallholders from whom he sprang (Criterion C). It also had features of minor architectural interest, including elegant iron grates and wood-grained ledged and braced doors.

The site is of National significance for its association with arguably Australia’s most well known historical figure since European settlement (in 2000 Ned Kelly was listed in the top 100 of the world’s most influential Irish). As the leader of the Kelly Gang, he has been immortalised in Australian art, literature, theatre, film and folklore (Criterion A, G & H). The Kelly homestead at Beveridge is one of the last visible landmarks of the Kelly legend – with many buildings and sites linked to this historical figure having disappeared. The site is significant as it is one of the original relics from that era, acting as a symbolic focus for the Kelly Gang tradition and associated anniversaries, exhibitions, and pilgrimages by different groups in the Australian community (Criterion G).

This essay formed part of a thesis I wrote for Curtin University entitled “Protecting Heritage Places”. Explanation of the criterion can be found on the National Trust (Victoria) website.

LATEST NEWS

While news reports abound with stories of Ned Kelly's missing bones not a word is mentioned about his stolen skull? Back in December 1978, Kelly's cranium was lifted from the Old Melbourne Gaol in what appeared to be a university student prank. One of the culprits was rumoured to be an ex-prime minister's son, yet to this day no one knows what happened to it. While a dirt farmer in Western Australia claims he has the skull buried in a tin can in his backyard, evidence has consistently disproved his claim. For while he allegedly carries one of the skull's teeth on a necklace, it is in fact Ernest Knox's skull (hence the EK engraved on the skull). This EK was executed in 1894 for murder, after the shooting death of a jeweller's son during a bungled armed robbery. Either way, they are human remains and the befuddled Western Australian police should have confiscated this skull when they first heard his claim.

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This re-release includes an extra 30 minutes of special features beautifully presented in a new and exciting cover design. The viewer now has the privilege of accompanying Ian Jones, an eminent Kelly historian and author, as he revisits such sites as the Kelly and Police caves, Glenrowan, Stringybark Creek and Joe Byrne and Aaron Sherritt's secret hide out in Byrnes Gully. The main feature is also an exciting journey through the events of Ned Kelly’s life and the country that shaped it, told through rare photographs and press drawings. Showcasing many beautiful locations of North Eastern Victoria, the DVD provides an accurate guide for the traveller interested in visiting the places where these remarkable events occurred.
THE STORY OF NED KELLY DVD
$29.95 Australia inc. postage
$39.95 Worldwide inc. postage

FREE DOWNLOADS

Australian Son
Chapters 1 & 2
Kelly Round-Up
Bracken Chapter
Ned: the Exhibition
Chapters 1, 2 & 3

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