Hero or Villain? Part 1
By Khia Bullock
Ned Kelly was famously known for his crazy heists and iconic armour, but does anyone know what events in his life drove him to be the person he became? More than simply an outlaw or a bushranger, he protected his family at any cost, and that was his undoing.
Ned Kelly was the son of an Irish convict. Eldest boy of eight children, his family had barely any money. After being incarcerated, his father heavily abused alcohol and died merely 6 months later. It left Ned at twelve years old, having to provide for his mum and 7 siblings on a small struggling farm. Earning an honest living was extremely hard for Ned, as the soil on his farm refused to produce food, and with barely any assets they began selling cheap firewood to pay for food. Despite trying to find work, small businesses refused to hire family or children affiliated to convicts.
After borrowing a horse, Ned was wrongfully arrested and charged with horse theft at only sixteen. Resisting arrest, he was imprisoned for three years hard labour. He was released six months early for good behaviour. After years of trying to live an honest life he, reluctantly, joined the “Greta Mob”, a gang associated with stock theft. They managed to start one of the most successful horse stealing operations in history. They stole horses from their owners and would transport them to unowned property, where they would get oblivious neighbours to sign legal documentation, giving them legal ownership of the animals. Then, they would legally sell them and repeat the cycle.
In June 1878, there was a violent conflict at Ned’s house, that resulted in an officer getting accidentally shot in the wrist. He fled into the bush. His mother was imprisoned for being associated with the crime and given three years hard labour. Officially being charged with attempted murder, Ned was now an outlaw. In October of that same year there was a shootout, which resulted in the death of three policemen. Ned claimed it was self-defence. The police had no plans on keeping him alive. It was choices like these that would shape Ned to become the infamous bushranger he would be known as for years to come.
Becoming more notorious, their bounties grew larger, as did their supporters. They were now known as the “Kelly Gang”. At their own risk, generous families, who knew all too well the harsh reality of being poor in the 1880s, would take them in. In December 1878, the Kelly Gang made plans to rob a bank. While executing the plan they managed to gather hostages. They rounded up the men in one room and put the women and the children in a larger, more comfortable room. They successfully stole 2000 pounds and gave their hostages a small sum of their spoils as an apology. While stealing the money, the Kelly Gang also burned every record of debt the bank had, to help struggling families much like his own. They successfully repeated this plan in a nearby town shortly after.
In June 1880, the Kelly Gang hatched a plan to derail a police train and simultaneously use hostages as leverage to get Ned’s mother out of prison. While carrying out this plan they gathered around 62 hostages. While they waited for a scheduled police train to arrive, they were reported to have been drinking and partying with the hostages. Despite being detained both hostages and bushrangers were quite joyful, dancing and drinking until late that night. “One hostage later testified, “[Ned] did not treat us badly—not at all””. They were encouraged to play card games. Ned even let one family go home that night and early the following morning he invited the rest of them to go home, as the train never came. Regrettably, the gang drank way too much that night and when the police finally arrived, they were all, save for Ned, absolutely trashed. They caught the gang completely off guard. The battle that ensued was brutal. The iconic armour Ned wore only covered his torso and while the rest of his crew were shot dead Ned was repeatedly shot in the legs until he was eventually apprehended.
While in prison, he was sentenced to death by hanging. However, more than 32,000 people signed a petition asking for a pardon. Although he was loved by much of the working class in Australia, he was hung on the 11th of November 1880. Victim of circumstance and a corrupt justice system, Kelly was romanticized as being a Robin Hood type of person. Despite being the most famous outlaw and criminal in Australian history, he killed a total of three people in his lifetime.
Ned Kelly was a victim of circumstance and a cruel justice system. He was poisoned against authority from a young age, as a result of seeing how his father and family were treated. However, he did terrible things in his lifetime and even though he is remembered as a modern Robin Hood he still did unforgiveable things. Things he deserved punishment for and sadly he paid the price.