Ned Kelly - Criminal and Folk Hero ...!


On November 11th, 1880, Edward "Ned" Kelly died in prison in Melboune, Australia's most famous "bushranger" to this day. The following photo was taken on the day of his execution ...



... on the gallows!

His criminal career began at the age of 14 (robbery), for which he received a short prison sentence. At 15, he committed the next robbery, was caught again and sentenced to six months of forced labor. He was barely in freedom - at 16 - again cracked for horse theft: three years of forced labor.



After his release, his mother (in the next picture on the right) ...



... by the local (and corrupt) police officer Alexander Fitzpatrick ...



... attacked. He accused Kelly, who tries to defend his mother, after a small scuffle of attempted murder, whereupon Kelly went into hiding.

When the police finally found him in October, four police officers were assigned to arrest him. Ned and his accomplices surprised two of the four police officers in their camp and Kelly shot and killed Lonigan, who was defending himself. The cop McIntyre escaped.

When the other two officers returned, a shooting broke out and both officers were killed. Kelly escaped again.

In February 1879 he attacked two banks in Euroa and Jerilderie and took hostages for the first time, which he spared without exception.

From the looted money he had armor made, which later became his trademark ...:







After assaulting a police officer, he and his gang were hunted down by the regular military and eventually tracked down; only one soldier survived the subsequent shooting ...:



The longer Kelly's "career" went on, the more he tried to give his actions a political tinge.

In a letter to the public, he claimed to be fighting against the English colonial authorities and for the rights of the oppressed Irish and Catholics!


While he and the gang he had gathered around him committed further attacks and made considerate use of the weapon against police officers and soldiers (hostages always never twisted their hair), the authorities were only able to take up his trail again in June 1880 .

On June 27, Kelly was posted in Glenrowan, making preparations to derail a train of police officers.

He took the residents of Glenrowan hostage at the hotel.

The police train was warned of the derailment and the police force reached Glenrowan in full strength.



**continued next post**

Part 2:

Kelly and his gang were surrounded at the hotel ...:



When the gang tried to break out, protected by his armor, Kelly was hit in the unprotected arms and legs.

While the others retreated back to the hotel, Kelly continued to move towards the police. His injuries prevented him from effectively firing any shots. After several more hits, he disappeared into the darkness ...:



The other members of the gang died in the hotel from gunshot wounds and the fire that broke out, all hostages were released when the fire broke out ...:





Kelly was found alive shortly afterwards, despite dozens of injuries to her arms and legs. This alleged arrest is, however, re-enacted ...:



Here is his armor and his weapon that he had with him when he was arrested ...:



As soon as he was certain of survival, preparations for the trial began.

In court, Kelly was silent until the last day, until he was given a "last word": In a short speech he justified his actions with the abuse of power by the police in the country.

When presiding judge Redmond Barry read out the verdict ("Death on the gallows!) And added that he hoped Kelly would be welcomed in Heaven afterward, the convict responded with a fit of anger and yelled that he hoped to meet the judge there soon." ..:



On November 11, 1880, Kelly was hanged in the Old Melbourne Gaol.

His last words were "Ah well, I suppose it has come to this ... Such is Life."





And if he really did go to Heaven, then his wish to meet Judge Barry there soon has been quickly fulfilled, because just 12 days after Kelly's execution, The Honorable Judge Sir Redmond Barry died ...



In front of the hotel in Glenrowan, where he fought his last fight, a mighty statue (in his armor!) Reminds us of Ned Kelly ...:





And at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, performers wore costumes reminiscent of this armor ...



... because today Ned Kelly has become a folk hero as well as part of Australian folklore and the subject of numerous books and films ...:





So far, his life has been filmed three times - the first time in 1906! This movie went down in cinema history as the first feature film ever!



In the second film version (1970) "Rolling Stones" frontman Mick Jagger played the leading role!



The last film adaptation from 2003 was no less prominent - with Heath Ledger, Orlando Bloom and Naomi Watts ...:



Apparently a fourth film version is already being planned, in which "Gladiator" Russel Crowe Ned Kelly will play ...:

I watched the Jagger movie. Not bad. Russell Crowe needs to forget it - he's too old. Interesting to note in the picture of Kelly's discarded armour, a Colt revolving rifle. He'd have needed armour to shoot that safely!!

Good stuff as always Martin

Phil

The films were rather forgettable at best, but then it’s hard to separate the Aussie mythology from historical narrative..perhaps the aspect that makes this last is the obvious- to me- weaknesses to his armour idea..Canada has something similar in the Mad Trapper of Rat River story..no armour, but a loner going against law and order oppression so maybe a feature of frontier myths generally

The Heath Ledger version I watched recently very much portrayed him as a political animal rather than an outright criminal....depends which narrative you want to believe I suppose.

Keith

Movies are first and foremost entertainment, and usually play to current social tastes and phobias