From stamps to movies to the opening of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Ned Kelly has become one with the Australian psyche. He's had more written about him than anyone else in Australian history. As our greatest folk
hero Ned Kelly has become one of the unsuspecting fathers of Australian
nationalism, and with each passing year Ned's myth grows stronger.
But was Ned Kelly just another crazed bushranger or a victim of the
system – a
desperate young man forced to shoot and steal to protect his own? Come
with us on a journey as we delve into stories from the past 150 plus
years and on the way discover for yourself the true history
of the Kelly Gang.
Why
did Ned Kelly live
such a larger than life existence, one that has
enthralled millions of people over this past
century? Why didn't Ned just take what was dished
up? Live a poor, honest, harsh life and die a
broken man like thousands of other peasants throughout
time? Well, if Ned did we would never have heard
of him, nor spent countless hours debating his legacy. It's time to read the facts of his life
and decide for yourself. But before you pass
judgement, remember you should never impose 21st
century sensibility onto harsh 19th century reality. [about
ned kelly]
GET OFF YA FACE(BOOK)
Here at
ironoutlaw.com we thought it was high time we joined the social network scene, so we have decided to grab a bit of facebook action. To all you Kelly folk out there who may feel obliged to join in please do so and add your two cents worth, virtually speaking, seeing it's free to join (although facebook will probably collect your soul once you are dead, or maybe sooner...). [facebook]
LINK ME UP
Funnily enough this isn't the only web site that mentions a bloke called Ned Kelly. Apparently there are a few more out there. But while some of them are crap there are a few gems like Paul O'Keefe's education web site at neducate.com.au which promotes Australian history at primary and secondary level with talks and lectures from a real live Kelly Gang descendant; and the official site of one A.D. Crichton, the same man that's filled tens of ironoutlaw.com pages with his thoughts, reports and rants. At nedkellytales.com.au you can order his books online and send hem anywhere around the world. I'm sure there are a few people in the Arctic circle who haven't heard of him (well, maybe...). [links]
IRONOUTLAW GETS
ALL CULTURED LIKE
We
here at ironoutlaw.com invite
all those budding poets out there to put pen
to paper (or fingers to keyboards) and send
in your best pieces for our Poetry section.
The poet area has taken on a life of its own
with a number of scribes including Mollie
Schollum adding their words on a regular
basis. So, any more takers? [poetry]
BACK TO THE FUTURE
With
all this digging around what better way to bring
back the virtual past than a visit to the Internet
Archive WayBack Machine. Our site has impressions
dating back to August 17, 2001. So if you're
feeling a tad nostalgic but can't afford the
time to whip up a flux-converter simply click
the link below and relive the glory days. The
Internet Archive was founded with the express
aim to build an Internet library, with the purpose
of offering permanent access for researchers,
historians, and scholars to historical collections
that exist in digital format (like us). [wayback
machine]
FREE KELLY TOURS
AT THE STATE LIBRARY
While
it's always fun to watch the pigeons crap all
over the hanging Judge Redmond Barry's head
outside the State
Library of Victoria in Swanston Street,
apparently it's also worth a visit inside.
Seems not only is there lots of book to read
but Ironoutlaw.com's
very own (now that she's written a story for
us) Airi Repetti takes punters on a Kelly inspired
tour of the establishment. And best of all
it's free! For 2010, the tour time table is
Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 11am. There will be some weeks when there are no tours and school holiday tours are aimed specifically at kids. Contact the State Library on 03 8666 7214 for more details. [how
a finnish girl ended up as a kelly
tour guide]
SO WHAT'S NEW?
With
a web site this big you tend to lose track of
what's going on, so in this section we will list
all the updated stuff from the past
few months:
• Shopping - our new online shop
• Feedback - viewer's
thoughts
• Ned Kelly GPS Tour - tourism
• Facebook - have your say
• Poetry - Simple Things
• Links - Ned Kelly on the web
• Books - Ned Kelly and the Green Sash
• Keep
Ya Powder Dry - Alan
Crichton
• Real Villains - naughty Victorian Police
NED KELLY GPS TOUR
ironoutlaw.com is proud to be associated with the development and launch of the Ned Kelly GPS Tour which we showcased at the 2010 Ned Kelly Weekend at Beechworth. The Ned Kelly GPS Tour is an all-in-one audio book, tour guide and satellite navigation system which provides the user with a unique travel experience. Now with the touch of a screen, travellers can be entertained and informed with historical information and legendary local stories. Our interactive guide encompasses a planned route rich in multimedia content and direct navigation instructions to chosen Kelly Country locations. With the Ned Kelly GPS Tour you and your family, from the comfort of your own vehicle, will be taken on a journey back in time to nineteenth century Victoria – a pioneering territory full of the hopes and dreams of an emerging nation. Available to hire for one, two and three day Kelly Country tours... [ned kelly gps tour]
KEEP YA POWDER DRY
In this month's edition of Keep
Ya Powder Dry Alan
Crichton casts a wary eye over the hero of Stringybark Creek, Mr Thomas McIntyre (or McInLiar to his mates). Dear Thomas was the man who couldn't lie straight in bed let alone tell an honest story. It was his 'shifting' evidence which ultimately sent Ned Kelly to the gallows. What that 'evidence' should have done was send McIntyre to Old Melbourne Gaol for perjury... [keep
ya powder dry]
HAVE YOUR SAY
Have
a question or opinion on Ned and the boys you
would like to share with the rest of us? Then
head over to our Feedback section
where you can send in your thoughts or read through
what's been said before. We also have a Feedback
Vault with an archive of thousands of letters
from the past ten years. There's enough words
here to keep you busy for the next few months... [feedback]
HISTORY REPEATING
Back in Ned's day there was this inept Victorian Chief Commissioner called Captain Frederick Charles Standish who was ripped a new one after the 1881 Royal Commission. Fast forward a few years to 2010 and it seems we have another bird-brained Chief Commissioner in Simon Overland. This goose carried live ammo on board a Qantas flight and, unlike any other punter who'd end up in chains, got a rap over his hairless knuckles for being a moron. Perhaps Simple-Simon should stick to doing very bad 'Sam the Eagle' impersonations instead of carrying around a loaded gun! And don't get me started on ex Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon and her hunger pains... [victorian police]
NED
KELLY ON YOU MYSPACE AND YOUTUBE
To keep our readers semi entertained we occasionally source a Ned Kelly related video clip to help while away the minutes. So this time click play, sit back and enjoy YouTube's teddie488 Waylon Jennings song Ned Kelly from the 1970 self titled movie soundtrack starring that freaky drug addled skinny kid Mick Jagger... [nedtube]
TEACHING
HISTORY
While
not
everyone wants to read about Ned Kelly or the ANZAC's or
even The Great Depression, we hope they
want to learn something about
Australian History. Politicians from the ex-Prime Minister
John Howard to a confused ex-NSW Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt
(see the pattern here?) have jumped on the teaching history bandwagon. But at what
cost? From Right Wing Liberals
(remember them?) to the multitude of State Governments, seems
everyone has an agenda. We'd like to let the readers decide
what is worth learning. Here at ironoutlaw.com we
present the facts, the fiction and everything in between. It
all adds to the experience and hopefully makes History an exciting
place to be (as it needn't always be 'written by the victors').
[site map]
GO SHOPPING
The Ironoutlaw Drink Holder is individually hand made in mild steel over the forge and anvil by expert blacksmith Nick Hawtin. It was Nick who manufactured Ned and Dan Kelly’s armour for the Jerilderie Shire (which Ian Jones said, 'they were one of the best in terms of an eye for detail'). Nick was also the blacksmith which ABC’s Catalyst program interviewed about the Kelly armour.
Back in Ned's day there was this inept Victorian Chief Commissioner called Captain Frederick Charles Standish who was ripped a new one after the 1881 Royal Commission. Fast forward a few years to 2010 and it seems we have another bird-brained Chief Commissioner in 
