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 the site in August it looked like a mud filled developer’s allotment after that so called much needed archaeological dig was finally wound up. It was not long after I saw another photo of this very special place, and to my delight, the grass had finally taken hold. But from what I’ve read, the grass might end up being replaced with mud once again. Yes folks; the boys are back in town as of the 17th of November for a week. This time they’ve brought along a film crew to produce something called ‘Ned Kelly Uncovered’. With 10 archaeologists, a presenter by the name of Tony Robinson, Kelly historian Ian Jones, and Alex (who the hell is he?) McDermott. I thought the well known local Kelly historian Gary Dean would have been a more likely contender, not this bloke.

Now what I’d like to know is what the hell are they going to film? Are they going to rip up that grass laden matting to reveal all of those wondrous secrets the inn has kept hidden for so long? Beats me! So what happens at the end of the week when the archaeologists and the god knows how many film crew have finished with the site? They’ll go away and spend a year putting everything they’ve dug up and filmed together and release yet another doco on what happened at the Siege Site 128 years ago. What could they possibly show us that would justify tromping over this sacred soil. Nothing at all, that’s what.

Instead of using this site for what I’d call commercial enterprise, why not turn the site into a place filled with native trees and fauna. Fill garden beds with local flowers. Build a suitable monument in its Centre and I don’t mean a plastic replica of Ann Jones Inn. Let visitors read and reflect on what happened there and let them pay their respects. Don’t just leave it there to be torn up and walked on any time these archaeologist blokes feel the need. Linton Briggs owns the block, so I suppose it’s up to you Linton to call an end to all this carrying on and do something positive about this ground. Just remember above all, that this place is a place where people, regardless of who they were, died in a most tragic and violent way.

If these film blokes really want something to get the publics attention, send them up to Hempall’s animated theatre and take some footage of his mechanical pissing dog with the 240 volts running up its backside. It’s more than likely they’ll be in attendance for yet another fire. Rest in Peace…

Daniel Kelly: Beloved son of John and Ellen
Stephen Hart: Beloved son of Richard and Bridget
Joseph Byrne: Beloved son of Patrick and Margaret
John Jones: Beloved son of Owen and Ann
and Martin Cherry