In Discussion

“Ned Kelly : Man and Myth” is a fascinating book that was published in 1968. It contains the results of a symposium that was held over  the Easter weekend of 1967 at Wangaratta. Presenters at the symposium included Professor Manning Clark, and a youthful Ian Jones. The  lectures are presented along with interesting discussions that […]

The book that received the least votes in the IO Poll was another one claiming to tell a “ true story” called “The True Story of Ned Kelly’s Last Stand” by Paul Terry.  I have just read it again, while I have been thinking and writing about Glenrowan. The excuse given for writing yet another “True Story” […]

The NKF Key Master and the producers of this bit of Kelly Exploitation are running a competition! It amuses me how on every news article, blog and Facebook page where devotees of Ned Kelly are able to make comments, whenever something happens that is what they would call “anti Kelly”, someone will always get a […]

Its been announced that someone is planning to make a movie adaptation of “The True Story of the Kelly Gang” an award winning novel by Australian Peter Carey. I’ve yet to read the book, and might not ever because its an acknowledged work of fiction and I am sick of reading fiction about Ned Kelly. Predictably, […]

“Without a doubt, Thomas Curnow was the most pivotal figure in the story of what transpired as the Glenrowan Siege” I read this statement on the website of Culture Victoria in a beautifully illustrated section about the Glenrowan School. It’s a thought that at first surprises, because commentary on Glenrowan is universally dominated by the […]

In Part One I argued that the abject and humiliating failure of Ned Kellys grand plan for Glenrowan proved that he would  never have made a great General in an Army, as Kelly mythmakers like to claim.  In fact Glenrowan was Ned Kellys Little Big Horn, a place where, like General Custers Last Stand at […]

General Custers disastrous Last Stand at Little Big Horn:  almost exactly four years before Ned Kellys equally disastrous Last Stand at Glenrowan Its often said by Ned Kelly supporters that if Ned Kelly had been a soldier,  being so brave and commanding a person, and so able at planning and co-ordinating such things as attacking Police […]

The ambush and murder of three innocent Policemen in the bush at Stringybark Creek was a monstrous crime committed by a Gang of Four led by Ned Kelly. One would have thought that killing three innocent Policemen would have been sufficient payback for the jailing of Ned’s mother, if indeed that was his motivating grievance. […]

I do apologise most sincereley to the Kelly Fanatics whose day was ruined by my mis-identification of this building in a previous photo – now deleted – as the Bank.  One of the lessons Harry Power is supposed to have taught Ned Kelly when he was his “apprentice” was that to survive as a bushranger […]

One of Ned Kellys Rifles : this one is on display at the Imagining Ned Exhibition.  The Note by the Rifle at the Exhibition : Don’t tell the Neducator anyone – His business model would be wrecked if the truth got out! The Kelly Fanatic who has a Facebook Page devoted – but utterly failing – to  “Unmask” […]