Exactly one hundred and forty years ago today three policemen were murdered at work by the Kelly Gang in a violent outrage of monstrous brutality. Of Sergeant Michael Kennedys death alone, the Report of the Royal Commission into the outbreak declared “It was cruel, wanton and inhuman, and should of itself, apart from other crimes, brand the […]
Month: October 2018
Black Snake: The Real Story of Ned Kelly
There is one compelling reason why I believe everyone who purports to have an interest in the Kelly outbreak should read this book: to my knowledge it’s the first book since the outbreak that is an authentic voice from the other side of the argument. It’s not an argument ABOUT the other side of the […]
For whom the Bell tolls.
With the recent passing of Ian Jones and Professor John Molony, the last remaining important links to the golden age of Kelly adulation were broken, and the Kelly story has reached a watershed. Up until Jones died, his mere presence in Kelly country was like a bulwark against the tides of change that were steadily […]
Fitzpatrick Realty Check, and PTSD.
Until Stuart Dawson published his “Redeeming Fitzpatrick” article in 2015, the Fitzpatrick story had been more or less unchallenged and unchanged for most of the preceding 140 years. The story up till then focussed almost entirely on Fitzpatrick’s time in the Victoria police, which ended in less than three years when he was sacked in […]