Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By Brad Webb, New Holland, $19.99.
The story of Ned Kelly, arguably Australia’s best-known historical figure, is one that will not go away. One historian is quoted as saying: “There was a culture of hostility towards Kelly history, within the government and particularly the police force. The police lost or threw out an alarming number of Kelly relics”. They did that. Among the missing items were Ned’s revolvers, the padded skullcap he wore under his helmet and the saddlebags in which he carried his ammunition.
In the latter half of the 20th century, in moves which were just as significant, many buildings were demolished which were central to the Kelly story. Landmarks such as the bank Ned robbed in Euroa, the police complex at Benalla and the hotel in Beechworth where Ned Kelly and Wild Wright fought their 20-round bare-knuckled fist-fight were all destroyed. Some of the Kelly buildings that still stand are in a very poor state.
A ‘saddening sight is Ned Kelly’s childhood home at Beveridge. Relic hunters have stripped practically everything of value from the property while the building itself is near-condemnable’.
Most Australians know something about Ned Kelly – his gang’s final shoot-out with the police at Glenrowan, Ned in his iron armour taken down by the troopers shooting at his exposed legs, his subsequent trial and hanging in Melbourne – it’s a story often told.
On the other hand, did you know that Ned was planning a republic of north-east Victoria? That many of the settlers in the area were ready to take on the establishment and form their own independent state?
Historian Brad Webb has written the essential guide to the Kelly legacy, with rarely seen images and interesting details and trivia about the notorious outlaw. This book is a must for any library and has plenty to offer those who think they know the full story of the Kelly Gang.
