Ned Kelly - Australian Iron Outlaw | Hero | Legend
  • Home
  • History
    • Archives
    • Armour
    • Judiciary
    • Kelly Gang
    • Ned Kelly
    • Royal Commission
      • Ellen Kelly Interview
    • Sentencing
    • Stringybark Creek
    • Sympathisers
    • Weapons
  • Media
    • Art
    • Comics and Papers
    • Documentaries
    • Movies
    • Multimedia
    • Music
      • Ned Kelly By Ashley Davies
    • NedTube
    • Online
    • The Last Outlaw
    • Video Games
  • Talk
    • Contact Us
    • Did You Know?
    • Events
      • NED: The Exhibition
    • Feedback
      • Feedback Archive
    • Kellyana
    • Latest News
    • Links
    • Ned Who?
    • Site Map
  • Tourism
    • Accommodation
    • Attractions
    • Eat And Drink
  • Words
    • Books
      • Books – Children
      • Books – Fiction
      • Books – Non Fiction
        • Australian Son
          • Max Brown
        • Ellen A Woman Of Spirit
        • The Iron Outlaw
      • Books – Reference
        • Blood In The Dust
        • A Pictorial History
    • Condemned Cell
      • 1st November 1880
      • 3rd November 1880
      • 5th November 1880
      • 10th November 1880
    • Letters
      • Babington Letter
      • Cameron Letter
      • Jerilderie Letter
      • O’Loghlen Letter
      • Parkes Letter
      • Sherritt Letter
    • Magazines
    • Poetry
    • Theatre
      • Douglas Stewart’s Ned Kelly
      • Ned Kelly Musical (1978)
      • Previous Theatre
    • Thoughts Of Ned
      • History Of Bushranging
    • Writings
      • Aidan Phelan
      • Alan Crichton
      • Ben Collins
      • Brad Webb
      • Captain Jack Hoyle
      • Chester Eagle
      • Steve Jager
      • The Argus Newspaper
  • Shop
    • Buy Stuff
    • eBay Store
    • Cart
    • Checkout
      • Checkout → Review Order
    • My Account
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions

Writings

How A Finnish Girl Ended Up As A Kelly Tour Guide

FacebookTweetPinLinkedInPrintEmail

Airi Repetti

Growing up in Finland, I used to watch quite a few Australian TV shows; Skippy was one of the very first I remember, later I just loved Against The Wind and All The Rivers Run. I have vague recollections of watching something Ned Kelly-related and think it may have been The Last Outlaw miniseries, but I cannot say for sure. Certainly I had heard of Ned Kelly when I moved to Australia in 1993.

I am an avid cinemagoer and like to support the Australian film industry whenever I can, which is why I found myself in my local cinema watching Ned Kelly in April 2003. I came out wanting to find out what really happened to the four young men fighting against the colonial establishment. I do not mind admitting that Orlando Bloom’s performance may have made my interest slightly keener. What can I say? If the girls loved Joe Byrne as much as they are said to have done, there must have been something special about him, and to me Orlando Bloom conveyed that loud and clear. I am well aware that not everyone loves the Greg Jordan film, and I have some reservations about it myself, but casting Heath Ledger and Orlando Bloom as Ned Kelly and Joe Byrne probably has had something to do with why people from far-away countries visit Ironoutlaw.com. Certainly some of the fans of these two good-looking young men have developed a genuine interest in the Kelly story as a result of seeing the film and that can only be a good thing in my opinion. But I digress.

My quest for the real story of the Kelly gang became a passion. The first Kelly book I bought and read was Max Brown’s Australian Son, then I got Ian Jones’ The Fatal Friendship, and now my Kelly library has grown to include some forty-odd books and publications, two photo albums, six DVDs and a few CDs. Ironoutlaw.com and second-hand bookshops have become my favourite haunts. One year I even managed to persuade the family to go on holiday in Kelly Country, and more recently I talked my husband (who does not really share my interest but is wonderfully tolerant of it) into accompanying me to Beechworth for the Kelly Weekend 2008. Perhaps it is no surprise that my youngest daughter is known as something of a Kelly expert at her school!

When I realised that I could go and see Ned’s armour and the original Jerilderie Letter at The State Library right here in Melbourne, I set off full of enthusiasm and joined one of the Library’s free guided tours. You can imagine my disappointment when not more than five minutes out of the whole hour was spent at the Kelly exhibit. Afterwards I got talking to some of the other people who had been on the tour, and they said they also would love to have heard more about Ned Kelly. It occurred to me that The Library should offer a tour specific to the Kelly exhibit. And there was I, a Kelly enthusiast who had read all these books and had a fair understanding of the story…

So I got in touch with The Library, offering my services as a volunteer, and they welcomed me with open arms. After months of planning and talking and school holiday trial runs, ‘Ned Kelly’s Laptop’ tour became part of The State Library’s regular tour schedule in July. The name comes courtesy of a visitor to The Library who on seeing Peter Carey’s laptop on display in the Dome Gallery quipped: ‘So this is Ned Kelly’s laptop!’ The laptop in question is the one Peter Carey used to write The True History of the Kelly Gang which of course is in Ned’s voice. I think it is a perfect name for the tour – how frustrated was Ned that he could not get his side of the story heard? Just imagine if he had had a laptop and an Internet connection at his disposal!

So that is what I try to do, to give Ned – and Joe, Steve, and Dan – a voice, by telling their story how I imagine they might have liked it to be told. Not turning them into either villains or heroes but helping people understand that they were just ordinary young men who became extraordinary through events that ended up making history. Oh, and before anyone gets too upset about the fact that a Finn is lecturing Australians about their history, let me hasten to add that I am an Australian citizen now and proud to claim it as my history too!

 

2008

Related Posts

Writings /

Irish Australian Legal Links

Writings /

Nothing is Sacred

Writings /

Kelly Gang Armour: The Myths, The Facts

Writings /

Forging the Kelly Gang Armour

Writings /

The Fitzpatrick Conspiracy – revisited

Writings /

Ned Kelly’s Republic

Writings /

‘Glenrowan’ The Movie

Writings /

Q And A With The Team Behind ‘Glenrowan’

‹ Ned Kelly And The Emergence Of Technology › The Rediscovery Of Ned’s Bones Is Only Part Of The Story

Index

History

  • Archives
  • Armour
  • Joe, Dan, and Steve
  • Judiciary
  • Ned Kelly
  • Royal Commission
    • Ellen Kelly Interview
  • Sentencing
  • Sympathisers
  • Weapons

Media

  • Art
  • Comics and Papers
  • Documentaries
  • Movies
  • Multimedia
  • Music
    • Ned Kelly by Ashley Davies
  • NedTube
  • Online
  • The Last Outlaw
  • Video Games

Talk

  • Contact Us
  • Did You Know?
  • Events
    • Ned: The Exhibition
  • Feedback
    • Feedback Archive
  • Kellyana
  • Latest News
  • Links
  • Ned Who?
  • Site Map

Tourism

  • Explore
    • Accommodation
    • Attractions
    • Eat And Drink

Words

  • Books
    • Books – Children
    • Books – Fiction
    • Books – Non Fiction
      • Australian Son
        • Max Brown
      • Ellen A Woman Of Spirit
      • The Iron Outlaw
    • Books – Reference
      • Blood In The Dust
      • A Pictorial History
  • Condemned Cell Correspondence
    • 1st November 1880
    • 3rd November 1880
    • 5th November 1880
    • 10th November 1880
  • Letters
    • Babington Letter
    • Cameron Letter
    • Jerilderie Letter
    • O’Loghlen Letter
    • Parkes Letter
    • Sherritt Letter
  • Magazines, Booklets, and Catalogues
  • Poetry
  • Theatre
    • Douglas Stewart’s Ned Kelly
    • Reg Livermore’s Ned Kelly
    • Stage Shows
  • Thoughts Of Ned
    • History Of Bushranging
  • Writings
    • Alan Crichton
    • Ben Collins
    • Brad Webb
    • Captain Jack Hoyle (retired)
    • Chester Eagle
    • The Argus Newspaper

Culture

From Folk To Superhero

From Folk to Super Hero examines Australian stock characters and archetypes by exploring the remarkable mythology surrounding one of Australia’s most famous individuals – Ned Kelly – through the analysis of his story and its impact on popular culture across the globe.

Shop

  • NED KELLY IRON OUTLAW 100% BLACK COTTON SHORT SLEEVE T-SHIRT $29.99 $19.95
  • AUSTRALIAN SON: THE STORY OF NED KELLY BY MAX BROWN $34.95 $29.95
  • THE STORY OF THE KELLY GANG 1906 MOVIE POSTER FULL COLOUR REPRODUCTION PRINT $24.99 $14.95
  • BLOOD IN THE DUST: INSIDE THE MINDS OF NED KELLY AND JOE BYRNE BY A. N. BARON $24.95 $19.95
  • COLLECTION OF FOUR (4) NED KELLY A2 LIMITED EDITION POSTER PRINTS $99.96 $29.95

Back to Top

Contents

  • Home
  • History
    • Archives
    • Armour
    • Judiciary
    • Kelly Gang
    • Ned Kelly
    • Royal Commission
      • Ellen Kelly Interview
    • Sentencing
    • Stringybark Creek
    • Sympathisers
    • Weapons
  • Media
    • Art
    • Comics and Papers
    • Documentaries
    • Movies
    • Multimedia
    • Music
      • Ned Kelly By Ashley Davies
    • NedTube
    • Online
    • The Last Outlaw
    • Video Games
  • Talk
    • Contact Us
    • Did You Know?
    • Events
      • NED: The Exhibition
    • Feedback
      • Feedback Archive
    • Kellyana
    • Latest News
    • Links
    • Ned Who?
    • Site Map
  • Tourism
    • Accommodation
    • Attractions
    • Eat And Drink
  • Words
    • Books
      • Books – Children
      • Books – Fiction
      • Books – Non Fiction
        • Australian Son
          • Max Brown
        • Ellen A Woman Of Spirit
        • The Iron Outlaw
      • Books – Reference
        • Blood In The Dust
        • A Pictorial History
    • Condemned Cell
      • 1st November 1880
      • 3rd November 1880
      • 5th November 1880
      • 10th November 1880
    • Letters
      • Babington Letter
      • Cameron Letter
      • Jerilderie Letter
      • O’Loghlen Letter
      • Parkes Letter
      • Sherritt Letter
    • Magazines
    • Poetry
    • Theatre
      • Douglas Stewart’s Ned Kelly
      • Ned Kelly Musical (1978)
      • Previous Theatre
    • Thoughts Of Ned
      • History Of Bushranging
    • Writings
      • Aidan Phelan
      • Alan Crichton
      • Ben Collins
      • Brad Webb
      • Captain Jack Hoyle
      • Chester Eagle
      • Steve Jager
      • The Argus Newspaper
  • Shop
    • Buy Stuff
    • eBay Store
    • Cart
    • Checkout
      • Checkout → Review Order
    • My Account
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions

Search

Ned Kelly: Australian Iron Outlaw

Network Creative Services Pty Ltd
ABN 31 078 850 629
© 1995 – 2021

Email: info@IronOutlaw.com
Telephone: +61 418 589 301
PO Box 4193
Briar Hill
Victoria 3088
Australia
Web: www.IronOutlaw.com

Australian Republican Movement

From Folk To Superhero

Protected by Copyscape

Payment Methods

This shop supports payment via PayPal.

Free Delivery

We offer free delivery on all items shipped within Australia (please note: we presently do not ship overseas). To ensure large orders are delivered safe and sound we will mail via registered or express post so you may need to sign to accept delivery. If no one is available to sign, your parcel will be left at your local post office for collection. You should include a contact number with your shipping details in case we need to call you if there are issues with the delivery.

Talkin’ Bout Ned

Aidan Phelan Alan Crichton Alexander Fitzpatrick Alex McDermott Armour Beechworth Ben Collins Bill Denheld Birthday Brad Webb Bushrangers Captain Jack Hoyle (retired) Chester Eagle cinema Constable Lonigan Dan Kelly Desecration Eldorado Ettie Hart film Glenrowan Ian Jones Joe Byrne John Kelly Julian Burnside Kelly Country Kelly Gang Kennedy Tree Matthew Holmes Max Brown Michele Eve Movie Music Ned Kelly Newspaper Paul O'Keefe Redmond Barry Republic Siege Steve Hart Stringybark Creek The Argus Thonas McIntyre Trial Vandalism

Ned Kelly: Australian Iron Outlaw | a Network Creative Services Pty Ltd enterprise | ABN 31 078 850 629 | © 1995 - 2021
Email: info@IronOutlaw.com | Telephone: +61 418 589 301 | Postal: PO Box 4193 Briar Hill Victoria 3088 Australia

Web site design and maintenance by Webb Design
Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!