In Discussion

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Having received my copy of Doug Morrissey’s latest work later than some of the other readers of this Blog, I understand now, having read it, why none of them volunteered to write a review of it for me. “Selector Squatters and Stock thieves” is not an easy book to read. It’s not so much an […]

Is this Fitzpatrick in 1894?   The story that’s been a central pillar of the Kelly myths and legends is that Fitzpatrick was a disgraceful womaniser, a liar and a drunk who framed the Kellys and caused the entire Kelly outbreak. Because of his disgraceful behaviour, he was sacked from the force and eventually he […]

Two farmers , a builder, a carpenter a contractor and a blacksmith : six of the two hundred citizens of Lancefield who signed up in support of Constable Fitzpatrick and against the blackening of his name and reputation by police hierarchy determined to blame him for the Outbreak. In the last few posts I’ve been […]

This is the part of Fitzpatricks death certificate that shows what he died from : “Sarcoma of Liver invading stomach, disseminated. Ascites. Constriction and adherence of appendix (appendicectomy) Cardiac exhaustion. ” Note : nothing about cirrhosis! Last week I showed that the Kelly legend claim that Constable Fitzpatrick was a drunk is wrong; its not […]

A Still from the 1906 Kelly Movie: Constable Fitzpatrick is shot in the wrist In the first two parts of this investigation of the Kelly claims about Constable Alexander Fitzpatrick, I described the novel and cruel conspiracy theory proposed by Alan Crichton to explain how it was that Fitzpatrick could have ever become so important […]

The first priority of anyone writing about history – and this includes the Kelly story – is to get the FACTS straight. And its even more important for people who purport to be some sort of expert on the topic, that they get their facts right. So when someone like Jack Peterson gets the facts […]