Glenrowan and Ned
Kelly
By Richard Moore
If you are interested in Ned Kelly and his
exploits then only a few hours drive from Melbourne you can be in the
heart of Kelly Country.
The best way is by taking the Hume Highway
north for 42 kilometres and your first port of call will be apt -
Beveridge, the birthplace of Ned Kelly.
Beveridge is a tiny town, but it does have a
terrific bit of Australiana in that the house Kelly was born in still
exists. It is in very poor condition and you can't go into it, but you
can find it in Kelly St.
While in the area a visit to Kilmore's
courthouse would not go amiss as it was where Ned Kelly watched his
uncle on trial for stealing horses.
Next stop is some 80 kilometres later at
Avenel, where in the cemetery you can see the grave that Kelly's dad
"Red" was buried in. Authorities say it is not the original headstone
and there is some dispute about where his body actually is.
At Avenel you can also see the stone bridge
over Hughes Creek where Kelly saved the life of Richard Shelton and was
given his green silk sash. The sash is now in Benalla's Costume and
Pioneer Museum, which also boasts the portable cell Kelly was kept in
after being taken and the door on which Joe Byrne's body was tied. The
museum is open every day, 9am - 5pm.
From Avenel motor north about 40 kilometres
to Euroa - the scene of one of the Kelly Gang's daring bank robberies.
The gang took hostage the National Bank staff there and stole 2000
pounds. Unfortunately the building does not exist any more.
Back in the car for 50 kilometres and you
reach Benalla. It is here you can see his sash in the costume museum
and a plaque on Arundel St that marks where Kelly was arrested for
being drunk and - tsk, tsk - riding his horse on the footpath. The
Benalla Courthouse - where Kelly appeared - still gets its share of
felons.
While in the town call in to the Benalla
Regional Art Gallery and have a look at two pieces of Kelly art - an
Albert Tucker painting of Joe Byrne's publicly displayed corpse and a
tapestry by Sir Sydney Nolan of the Kelly Gang's capture at Glenrowan.
Speaking of which, Glenrowan is 25
kilometres from Benalla and it is here you get to see a giant Ned Kelly
statue and can visit a museum called Kate's Cottage, which has all
sorts of interesting things on display. You can see how the Kelly
family lived, as well as a suit of armour, weapons and items of the era.
Also at Glenrowan you can visit the site of
the inn where the siege occurred and the railway station. Nolanesque
wooden statues depict police surround the station.
From Glenrowan you head along the Great
Alpine Road to the old gold town of Beechworth where both Ned and his
mother Ellen were sentenced in its court. You can watch a re-enactment
of Ned's trial and you can also see the Beechworth Gaol where they were
held.
Just outside Beechworth a short way past
Woolshed Creek Falls you can find the site of Arron Sherrit's hut,
where he was executed for informing on the Kelly Gang. At Greta, 50
kilometres away from Beechworth, you can see the graves of several of
Ned's family, including Ellen.
Less than half-an-hour's drive away from
Greta (going towards Mansfield) is the place where Kelly hid out with
the bushranger Harry Power. To get to the hideout at Powers Lookout it
is about a 10-minute walk from the road and it is not easy.
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Ned Kelly
Bio
One of Australia's most famous
bushrangers - another term for highwaymen or bandits - was Ned Kelly,
whose deeds created a sensation in country Victoria during the 1870s.
Of Irish parents a teenage Kelly was
regularly in trouble with the law - although while at school he saved a
seven-year-old boy from drowning and received a green-silk sash fringed
with gold for his courage.
At the age of 12 he was forced to quit
school to become the family breadwinner after the death of his father,
but despite this he educated himself and was known for his good use of
language and fine sense of humour.
Click
here for the full Ned Kelly biography
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From there head to a place called Tolmie,
then Tatong - where you can get to the infamous Stringybark Creek.
There is a plaque on the giant Kelly Tree marking the scene of the
killings.
At Mansfield you can visit the graves of the
three policemen - Sergeant Kennedy and Constables Scanlon and Lonigan -
killed by the Kelly Gang.
From there it is 180 kilometres back to
Melbourne and a visit to the Old Melbourne Gaol in Russell St. There
you can see where Ned Kelly was hanged, his deathmask and his suit of
armour.
You can take night (candlelight) tours of
the jail - on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday evenings - and while fun it
isn't recommended for children.
The Old Melbourne Gaol
Opening Hours: Every day from 9am to 5pm, except Christmas Day and Good
Friday.
Entrance fees:
Adults $12.50
Concession $9.50
Children $7.50
Family $33.50 (2 Adults + 4 Children)
National Trust Members $FOC
Night tours:
Adults $18.70
Child $11.00 (under 16 years)
Family $45.65
Benalla Costume and Pioneer Museum
Mair Street, Benalla
Opening hours: Every day from 9am - 5pm
Links:
Ned Kelly: Iron Outlaw
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