Was Ned Kelly married? No matter how much material you read about Ned Kelly, something always pops up out of the blue about this extraordinary man that keeps you guessing. Researchers over the years have scrutinised thousands of documents from countless sources and spoken to literally thousands of people to try to piece together the […]
Alexander ‘half cut’ Fitzpatrick But though nothing material is to be gained now as far as the outlaws themselves are concerned by opening up the question of their defence, so to speak–though it may not be worth while to attempt any vindication of the conduct for which these men have died–there still remain other considerations […]
Rutherglen and Chiltern It was Thursday January 21st when I received an electronic telegraph message from my good friend, Ms Lloyd. She was conveying to me that she and my boss from Ironoutlaw.com, Mr Webb, were travelling up Chiltern way the following day, and would I be up for a visit. Again, I was quite […]
Ned and Dan Kelly? Yes, I’m still alive and kickin’, and I thought I’d try to get something of me chest that’s been driving me crazy for bloody ages (no smart comments please). It all started when I laid eyes on that photo that appeared a few years ago, and was displayed at the Ned […]
An unreliable witness In August of 1877, two young men were seen herding supposedly stolen horses across the Oxley flats, northwards to the Murray River. The two young men were identified by the witness as looking like Daniel Kelly and John Lloyd. The sighting was reported to the Chiltern Police, and eight months later, on […]
Will it make ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ look more like ‘Mary Poppins’? Well, it looks like the lads are having another crack at the story of Ned Kelly, but this time focussing their attention on the gang’s final bloodied showdown and destruction in the small town of Glenrowan. I do hope this production goes ahead, as like […]
The 70th Anniversary of Max Brown’s ‘Australian Son’ It was just the other night that I was scrolling through Facebook, when I was delighted to receive a message from Ms. Lloyd. She was reminding me of the upcoming event to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of Max Brown’s iconic book, Australian Son. Mr. Webb, the El […]
Kickstarter Campaign As many are aware of late, a new movie is possibly on the cards titled, The Legend of Ned Kelly. We are told it will be a true and historically accurate account of Ned Kelly’s life. The story could be brought to life on the big screen by a young and very talented […]
Alan Crichton A letter to Rupert Hammond, ‘owner’ of Joe Byrne’s armour9 February 2010 Hello Mr. Hammond, I would like to first thank you for allowing Joe’s Armour to be displayed along with the other three suits of Gang Armour at the Beechworth Ned Kelly Weekend this coming August. To see the four suits together […]
Ellen: a woman of spirit Alan CrichtonTanswells Commercial Hotel, Beechworth8th February 2010 Noelene, when did you first get interested in the life of Ellen Kelly? I was asked by Richard Skinner then Beechworth Historic Precinct Manager around 2002 to research a woman who had links to the courthouse to organise story boards, displays, tours etc and […]
June 1855 After reading just about anything I could get my grubby little hands on about Ned Kelly, there are three things I would dearly love to know: Ned’s birthday. What really went on in that hut when Fitzy got hurt? Did Ned really marry, and who was the mysterious bride? And last but not least; […]
The Art of ‘Bumpology’ Ever since the good ol’ pioneer days, many of us seem to have inherited this morbid fascination for bushrangers and murderers … No? Okay, maybe it’s just me. But to be honest; how many of you have stared for ages at the death masks of criminals past and photographs of bodies […]
28th of June 1880 Each time I read about the siege at Glenrowan on that fateful morning of the 28th of June 1880, I can’t help but think of what it would have been like to have been one of the hostages. One can only imagine their terror as those police bullets tore through the […]
D.N.A. From Ned Kelly’s Boots? I was having a scroll through that site Wikerpe..Wiperkedi… Wirepidi…You know the site I mean; the one that has all that stuff about everything. I always thought the information they put up was fair dinkum. I was reading something about Ned’s bones, as one does, and came across this rubbish; […]
The Beechworth Gaol What a bloody disgrace! How in God’s name this Sam Lawson character (Salmore Developments) got his grubby little hands on one of Australia’s best known Heritage icons is beyond me. But that’s not all folks; he picks it up for a best mate’s rate of just $1.7 mill. Now anyone who checks […]
What a Load of Crap! 12th September 2007 Would Ned Kelly have turned out like he did if he had attended the ‘working man’s college’ set up seven years after he was hanged? I’m not as smart as the eight academics sitting on the panel, but at a guess I’d ask … Are you serious? […]
Famous little block of dirt Well folks, it’s all happening once again in the small town of Glenrowan. The famous little block of dirt where the Ann Jones Inn once stood and where people lost their lives is to be trampled over once more. This time it’s for the sake of film. When I visited […]
Australian heritage? I don’t know what the hell is happening to this country. It seems like any building that is more than a hundred years old the Government wants to either tear it down or flog it off. Why the blazes we give money to these so called Heritage departments is beyond me. To me […]
a second hand mattress Well dear friends, that time of year is upon us once again and I am well and truly beside myself. Mr Webb has most generously passed more writing paper through the bars of my cell, and fresh newspaper to line the floor’s damp concrete. What I am really excited about is […]
ranting and raving Yeah, okay, I know what you’re thinking; “Don’t tell me Brad Webb’s lost his marbles and kept Crichton on for yet another year with his ranting and raving?” Well you’re right, I’m back, and what makes it even worse for all those Victorians is; Despite the fires, I’m pulling up my Queensland […]
Everyone loves a parade The Golden Horseshoe Festival, Beechworth I must apologise for my uncharacteristic silence over the last few weeks for which I have been subtly reminded of by a one Mr. P. O’Keefe, but since my recent arrival in the beautiful state of Victoria, and to my modest country retreat in Tallangatta, I […]
Ghosts! Lucky to get out alive! Since my relocation to Kelly Country I have made several excursions to the historical town of Beechworth seeking out yarns of Kelly from loosened tongues of inebriated patrons in the various public houses. It was on such an excursion and after several ales that I found, for some unknown […]
Friday 26th June 2009 Commemorating Ned’s Last Stand I was again beside myself when I read that the Siege Dinner in commemoration of Ned’s last stand at Glenrowan had finally returned. I was even more beside myself when I saw that the price of admittance was just a paltry $35, a far, far cry from […]
Or a product of the police? Were Ned and the boys social misfits, or just simply a product of their time? … Buggered if I know, but I’d take a good guess and say more a product of the ‘police’. Now don’t get concerned that Crichton’s gone all academic like, ‘cause I ain’t. All I’m […]
A Short Story of Fiction? Monday morning of this week was not a morning I will forget for a very long time. It started off as just the beginning of another day. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, slipped into my red suede slippers and wearily made my way to the kitchen for my […]
Royal Commission 1881 Yet Steele and Whelen, men of such proved efficiency and of educational attainments above the average of their rank, were barred by a stupid system of advancement, and dunces were sent to take command over them. John Sadlier, Recollections of a Victorian Police Officer p. 282. The incident, however, which seems to have […]
Properties Bought and Sold When we read the story of Ned Kelly and his family, which I believe to be a rather tragic one, we really don’t get the opportunity to learn all that much about the patriarch, John (Red) Kelly. All we know is; he was born in 1820, came out to the colony […]
What really happened to Lonigan? My dear, dear McIntyre, I have just finished reading your memoirs, and my good fellow, what a read it is. I must admit, I have not sighted any material such as this since reading your colleague’s, Mounted Constable Alexander Fitzpatrick, Police report on the attempted murder of himself by those […]
7th, 8th, and 9th August Building a better Weekend Well folks, the Ned Kelly weekend has come and gone for yet another year, and again I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I suppose, like many other like minded Kelly enthusiasts, we were all a little sceptical of how the event would turn out […]
1st, 2nd, and 3rd August Friday It was 3.45 am Friday when my alarm clock had me springing like a gazelle from my warm bed. Under normal circumstances such a ridiculous hour on a winter’s morning would have had me curling deeper into my blanket, but I knew this was the start of the Ned […]
5th, 6th, and 7th August Friday It was nigh on 7pm Friday night when I finally swaggered through the front doors of the Hibernian Hotel in Beechworth, along with my good wife Roslyn. I was running late for the annual Ironoutlaw Dinner once again. Dressed in my Crimea shirt and ever so tight moleskins that […]
unravelling fact from fiction During the Ned Kelly Weekend in Beechworth in 2007, I attended, with many others, a presentation by Brian McDonald ‘Ned Kelly- unravelling fact from fiction’. After Brian had finished his presentation, he generously handed out to all in attendance, a booklet containing a letter that was printed in a brochure in […]
Digging Up Glenrowan I don’t know about you guys, but I still can’t seem to get my head around all this digging going on at Glenrowan. First it was the archaeological excavation of the battle ground that ran from the railway station to the Glenrowan Inn, and now it’s poor old Mrs. Jones Inn. We […]
3rd, 4th, and 5th August The Event That Wasn’t I was looking forward to this year’s Ned Kelly Weekend and made an early start for Beechworth. Arriving in the town around 9.00am, I made my way to the Town Hall to collect my tickets to some of the many events on offer. There was one […]
