Ned Kelly

Ned Kelly was a legendary Australian bushranger who defied the colonial authorities and became a folk hero for many people. He was born in December 1854 in Beveridge, Victoria, as the third of eight children to Irish parents. His father was a transported convict who died when Ned was 12, leaving him as the eldest male of the household. The Kellys were poor farmers who faced discrimination and harassment from the police and the wealthy landowners. Ned Kelly had several run-ins with the law as a teenager, and was arrested for associating with bushranger Harry Power and for receiving a stolen horse. He later joined the "Greta Mob", a group of bush larrikins known for stock theft. In 1878, Kelly shot and wounded a policeman who came to arrest his brother Dan for horse stealing. The brothers fled to the bush, where they were joined by their friends Joe Byrne and Steve Hart to form the Kelly gang. The gang was declared outlaws after they killed three policemen at Stringybark Creek in October 1878. They then embarked on a series of daring robberies and raids across Victoria and New South Wales, eluding the police with the help of their network of sympathisers. Kelly also wrote a manifesto letter, known as the Jerilderie Letter, in which he denounced the police, the government and the British Empire, and demanded justice for his family and the rural poor. In June 1880, Kelly's attempt to derail and ambush a police train at Glenrowan failed, and he and his gang engaged in a final shootout with the police. The gang wore homemade suits of armour made from stolen plough mouldboards, which protected them from bullets but also restricted their movements. Kelly was the only survivor of the gunfight, as he was wounded and captured. His fellow gang members were killed. Despite public petitions and rallies for his reprieve, Kelly was tried, convicted and sentenced to death by hanging by Judge Redmond Barry, who had also sentenced his mother to prison. Kelly was executed at the Old Melbourne Gaol on 11 November 1880. His last words were reportedly "Such is life". Kelly's life and death have inspired countless books, songs, films, artworks and legends. He is widely regarded as a symbol of Australian identity, culture and history. Some view him as a rebellious hero who fought against oppression and injustice, while others see him as a violent criminal who deserved his fate. His image in his iconic armour has become an emblem of Australian art and nationalism.