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1 The KellyGang consisted of Ned Kelly Joe Byrne Dan Kelly and Steve Hart
2 Where did the KellyGang come from
3 Fitzpatrick Incident 15/04/1878
4 Gold mining and whiskey making near Stringy Bark Creek
5 Deaths at Stringy Bark Creek in the Wombat Rangers 26/10/1878
6 Escape north
7 Euroa Robbery 10/12/1878
8 Jerilderie Robbery 10/2/1879
9 Later in 1879
10 Early in 1880
11 Death of Aaron Sherritt 26/6/1880
12 Glenrowan Siege 28/6/1880
13 After the Seige

The KellyGang consisted of Ned Kelly Joe Byrne Dan Kelly and Steve Hart

Links to the KellyGang below , Early Years , Fitzpatrick Incident , Gold Mining , Deaths at Stringy Bark Creek, Escape North, Euroa Robbery, Mass arrest of sympathizers , Jerrilderie Robbery , Later in 1879 , Early in 1880 , Death of Aaron Sherritt , Glenrowan Siege , Ned Kelly's Trial , Royal Commission

Where did the KellyGang come from

In late 1876 Ned Kelly left the sawmill with Saunders and Rule and went bush with his brother Dan and his father in law George King. Other members of the Greta Mob such as the Lloyd boys and Joe Byrne and Aaron Sherritt rode with with them. Horses were as irrestistable to young men as fast cars are today. This group took matters further and they seemed to live on cattle and horse stealing. During this time they had a run in with the influential squatter James Whitty. They stole some of his best animals.

At about this time they tried to get Joe Byrne's friend Aaron Sherritt to join but he declined the invitation (RC13157)

By April 1878 the police had had some successes against the locals and many of the Kellly's friends were already in goal.

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Fitzpatrick Incident 15/04/1878

In a real way the story of the KellyGang started at about 6 pm on the 15/4/1878 when Constable Fitzpatrick came to the Kelly home to arrest Dan Kelly on a charge of stealing horses from a squatter called Whitty. Dan agreed to be arrested by Fitzpatrick but wanted dinner first. Fitzpatrick alleged that Ned Kelly came in and shot him in the wrist.

Mrs Kelly Skillion and Williamson were charged with the attempted murder of Fitzpatrick and sent to goal. It is thought that Joe Byrne was at the Kelly home and that Skillion was wrongly identified by Fitzpatrick.

The members of the KellyGang had individualy had run ins with the police before but they were enraged by the thought of Ned and Dan's mother, Mrs Kelly being imprisoned so soon after the birth of her last daughter Alice. The boys refused to be arrested and they started a life in the bush with the police in pursuit.

The Government responded to Fitzpatrick's conduct by offering a reward of £100 for our apprehension (RC6)

Soon after the attempted shooting of Fitzpatrick, the KellyGang took the same horses that they had used that morning and a pack horse, and went up towards the place where the murders were committed, having previously been there with other people who were evading justice. (RC15529)

Hear Fitzpatricks version of events if you really need to (BWC) (Argus22/5/78)

Did we really want to take a lady'd horse (Argus3/6/78)

Did we try and leave Australia on the Storm Boy? (BWC).

Gold mining and whiskey making near Stringy Bark Creek

After the Fitzpatrick incident the KellyGang went off to a place in the mountains at Bullocky Creek where some of them had been before. Soon Ned and Dan Kelly and Joe Byrne were joined by their cousin Loyd Steve Hart who had just left Beechworth Goal.

See a description of our camp at Bullocky Creek. (Argus13/11/80) We played euchre (BWC) See also (JJK)

Graves told the Royal Commission, ' For a series of years from Power's time they had a regular well-beaten track from Mansfield to cross, which was only used by themselves. A week hardly elapsed that I did not find in my paddocks (at Emu) either one of my horses ridden, or one of theirs left there and one of mine taken. The KellyGang had always relays of horses at those back country places, as you are not allowed to impound horses if they belong to neighbors, and there they would remain till they would come for them. They were always on the beaten track backwards and forwards to Mansfield.' (RC15554)

The boys found some small quantities of alluvial on German's Creek. The panned and sluced and sunk shafts along the line of the local creek. To suppliment this income and raise money for the defence of Mrs Kelly and the others they also set up 2 whiskey stills and planted crops on 20 acres which they cleared. The boys also peppered the local trees as they practiced their shooting skills. Occasionally Joe Byrne would go off to Mansfield where he was not known and other friends would come up and help with the work around the camp.

7/5/1878 the police had information that the KellyGang were at the old diggings place. They made a search of the area but did not go high enough to find the boys (RC3121)

The police knew we were armed before they met us at Stringy Bark Creek (RC3112) In his orders to Sgt Kennedy, Sup Sadlier thought Ned was at Greta or near the Wombat (RC14392)

Did SConst James discover our strong hold. (Argus30/11/78)

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Deaths at Stringy Bark Creek in the Wombat Rangers 26/10/1878

On 25 October Ned Kelly had been to Table Top and the Bogs and Emu and on his way back to Bullock Creek he came cross the tracks of a police party.

One of the police fired at some parrots during the afternoon of Saturday 26/10 so the KellyGang knew that other people were in the area. They were camped on Stringybark Creek less a mile and a half south east from our camp on Kellys Creek. This is what we had to say in the Cameron Letter:

'....found police camped at the Shingle Hut with long fire arms and we came to the conclusion our doom was sealed unless we could take their fire-arms, as we had nothing but a gun and a rifle if they came on us at our work or camp. We had no chance only to die like dogs as we thought the country was woven with police and we might have a chance of fighting them if we had firearms, as it generally takes 40 to one.'.

Const McIntyre had the impression that it would be difficult to take the KellyGang-that we would defend ourselves; but not that we would not attack the police. (RC14365)

The rest of the story of this incident is really the story of what happened at Stringy Bark Creek.

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Escape north

Tom Lloyd met us in the Wombat Ranges after the murders. We decided to make over the Murray into New South Wales to rob the bank at Howlong. We then went home to Greta for a short visit. On the Sunday 27/10/1878 we visited William Tanner near Greta. He gave us a meal and a change of clothes. Then we travelled through Oxley with 2 pack horses that night. We then dropped into the Pioneer Bridge Hotel on the Ovens River were one of the boys bought a bottle of brandy before the night was over. We also bought several boxes of sardines and some horse feed in Everton on the other side of the Ovens River. We then rode off in the direction of Sebastopol.

Euroa Robbery 10/12/1878

After a month or so away from the police we decided to get some money. As we sat in our camp and looked at the country the local banks looked very good. Many of friends were in hock to the National Bank and other banks. These thoughts came together in a plan for Euroa. It took a lot of work to bring all the things together. Ned and Joe in particular loved planning these projects. Our plans were confirmed after Joe Byrne's visit to Euroa on 8/12

We headed off to Faithfull's Creek Station on the afternoon of 9/12/78. There we first met the Fitzgerald and Mrs Fitzgerald in stead of the manager Mr McCauley. They have given a good account of our first meeting. We then took all those who came to the station into custody including Mr Casement and his party and Mr Gloster, the hawker.

On the afternoon of 11/12/78 Ned and Dan Kelly and Steve Hart went into Euroa and robbed the bank. Mr Gloster's wagon and the new clothes provided good cover against detection from the good people of Euroa. We returned with Mr Scott and his family. Euroa and Mr Scott give a good account as to what happened and what we did. See also (Argus12/12/78) (JJK)

Soon after we arrived back at Faithfull's Creek Station we had the ladies locked in the homestead and all the rest except Mr McCauley locked in the out buildings. Ned Kelly then told Mr McCauley that he should wait for at least 3 hours before he let the people out or sort any assistance. Of course we had our friends amongst the captives.

Jerilderie Robbery 10/2/1879

Our suggested route to Jerilderie (Argus7/1/79) (OMA13/2/1879) (JJK)

It seems clear that the KellyGang had a lot of help at Jerilderie. One of those who were asked to come along was Aaron Sherritt (RC13296) (FH)

Tom Lloyd said that the KellyGang crossed the River Murray on their way to Jerilderie at Burramine. They apparently used the publican's punt.

Please see Dan Kelly for the story of the KellyGang in Jerilderie. On the way home they dropped into to see Wunnamurra.

On Wednesday 12/2/1879 Dan Kelly came to Mrs Byrne's place to see what had happened to the other members of the KellyGang . It seems that they had split up after Jerilderie and some of them had missed a meeting. Det Ward found out about this meeting. .(RC1276)

Later in 1879

Where we in the Puzzel Ranges (Argus6/6/79)

During this period there was great speculation as to what we were doing. The banks were protected behind the Army and we were always subject to being found by the trackers. Some saw us as living the high life in some other part of Australia. The reality was less romantic. We were supported by our sisters, Maggie and Kate in the country near home. They did a lot of cooking and baked us great bread so that we did not need to light a fire. They also risked their lives and the future of our young brothers and sisters as they rode through the police who tried to follow. We stayed around the place. See also (Argus6/8/80)

Maggie Skillion and Tom Lloyd went to Melbourne to buy ammunition for us.(Argus18/6/79) (Argus20/6/79)(Argus21/6/79)

We had some good fun with Aaron Sherritt, Sup Hare and the rest of the police at the Whorouly races. (FH)

Graves believed that the principal time that the we were out we kept in the immediate neighborhood between Greta and Moyhu. Either at Glenmore Station, or on the Hedi. There were always strange horses whenever he went up, or marks of strange horse in paddocks. It was his impression that they were in the district the whole time. (RC15507)

The KellyGang used a small two-roomed weatherboard building in the middle of the swamp.(BWC)

During a search party with Hare, Faulkiner Canny and Lawless, they found three or four saddles hanging up at a place near the Lloyd's home that had been recently used. Faulkiner noticed they had surcingles made by a saddler at Wangaratta. The person who occupied the place was a man with one hand, a bachelor.. When we were captured, and the horses and saddles brought to Benalla, Const Faulkiner identified those saddles as the ones he had seen.(RC5327)

Sympathizers left newspapers around the place for us to keep up to date (FH)

Joe's mother also gave us wonderful support. We had a way over the old gold workings to her place which meant that we could get there without being seen by the police.

While this support was great we could not live off our families all the time. There are reports that we had gone back to the old business of gold mining up in the area near the intersection of the roads linking Beechworth, Chiltern, Kiewa and Yackandandah. We were also reported to have visited people around Chiltern and at various other places.

We were apparently seen at Richardson's shanty, on the Chiltern and Wodonga road in mid August.

At about that time there were reports that we decided not try the Oxley bank as there is too many police there- two troopers every morning when the bank opens; and another drawback, the ground is too soft. We were are not going to do anything until the ground gets harder; they are frightened of the 'black boys'. (RC14791)

By late 79 there was a lot of pressure on us. We read of the fate of the bank robbers at Lancefield (Argus16/8/79), the incident with Const Monks (Argus4/10/79), and the end of Captain Moonlite (Argus19/11/79). we read about these events and they all increased the pressure we were under. Money had been taken out of the counrty banks and sent to Melbourne and of course the trackers were a constant threat for us to deal with. See (Argus28/11/79)

There were reports that we were being supplied by a Chinese store keeper at Buckland Flat. (RCApp15)

The police had a report from one of their spies that we were seen near Oxley with Tom Lloyd on about 28/9/1879.(RC63) (RC1109)

On 13/11/1879 Dan visited Mrs Sherritt's home during the day. We then came about 8pm that night.(RC15266)

We were in the north east (Argus12/11/79)

We were blamed for everything (Argus19/11/79)

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Early in 1880

The Royal Commission found that in the autumn of 1880 we were usually in the vicinity of the Greta Swamp, from which we moved back to the ranges, get across the Ovens River towards Sebastopol, and from thence to the Pilot Range, near Wodonga. They also said that we were obliged to travel on foot, and their immediate assistants were reduced to four. (RC2ndreportXIII) See also (BWC)

In early March Wilson found some hobbles with some sort of a cloth that still had some provisions in. in a high bank of ferns in Patterson's paddock on Kilfera is right next to Tom Lloyd's place. There were also some newspapers and sadine tins. He thought that he had found our camp. (RC4469)

There was a big bush of ferns in the side of the creek, and there were logs and very high ferns. (RC4513)

On 17/5/1880 Det Ward a report from Mrs. Sherritt? stating that Mrs. Byrne had written to - , a girl of about seventeen, a daughter of Mrs. -, who has been my agent right through the time of the cave party in communicating with Mrs.-, going to her house and bringing the news back to me. The letter from Mrs. Byrne said she wanted to see -, the business was to know if we (meaning Dan or Joe) would call, to be careful not to let us stay long, as she believed that Aaron was working for the police; that we called about a week previous, near Chiltern, at "Lord Byron's"; that we were miserable and ragged, and in want of food, and we took a lot of food from "Byron's" with us. (RC13858)

See how we moved about the country. (RC758)

Location of our camp site was in Wilson's paddock or in some gully between the Greta Swamp, Mrs. Skillian's, and Tom Lloyd's, or the Quarryhole (RC762)

We had a tent about four feet high with them to cover them in bad weather. (RC773)

One of Mrs Sherritt daughters saw us on one of their visits to Mrs Byrne's place to get some supplies about a month or so before Aaron's death. This is what Mrs Sherritt told the Royal Commission about what her daughter saw

'..and who should come up but Joe Byrne, leading a horse, and Dan Kelly. Each of them was leading one and riding another. Mrs. Byrne then came out-there was a whistle-it is a very thick scrubby place, and after a little bit Ned Kelly and Hart came on foot, from the back of the place like, and those two came up the front of the house like, so, and got their provisions. There was some bread and I think it was boiled bacon, and then Patsy Byrne went up the Woolshed and he brought down something in a bottle and gave it to them, and Patsy -Joe Byrne's brother-said, "Which way did you come?" and Joe says, "The way we always come. We came down the steepest part of Wall's Gully."'(RC13207)

Soon before he died Aaron Sherritt told one of the police that we were in the ranges between the Rose River and Gippsland, and there was a fifth man, unknown to the police, supplying us with provisions. We may come round near his place once in three months, or we may not come. He also said that he have seen or known nothing of us since we passed on the way to Jerilderie. He was talking to Joe Byrne and Steve Hart then. Did we ever trust him after he refused to with us go to Jerilderie. (RC12200)

By this time we had to decide whether we would just fade away or not (JJK)

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Death of Aaron Sherritt 26/6/1880

The Big Plan

The Royal Commission summarised our plan and what happened. Their report opens with the following:-

"The murder of Aaron Sherritt was designed as the prelude to the terrible tragedy by means of which the outlaws intended, as they had previously boasted, to astonish not only the Australian colonies but the whole world. It seems manifest that they had carefully thought out and matured their plan of operations. They proposed in the first place to shoot Aaron Sherritt. By this they rightly conjectured that they would, not only have wreaked their vengeance upon one who had betrayed them to the police, but would induce the authorities to despatch on the following day - Sunday - when there was no ordinary traffic on the line, a special train to Beechworth with the Queensland trackers and a large body of police. Next, it was determined to wreck this special train, and shoot any constable who might escape the effects of the disaster. Finally, the coast having been thus cleared, the gang were to proceed at once to Benalla or one of the townships in the district, rob one of the banks, and with the spoil retrace their steps to their previous haunts in the ranges. By one of those unforeseen accidents which often defeat the best laid schemes, execution of the latter portion of their programme was frustrated, and their career suddenly brought to a close. " (RC2ndreport)

Death of Aaron Sherritt

Joe Byrne and Dan Kelly went to see Aaron Sherritt at about 6.30pm on 26/6/1880. Joe can perhaps best tell this story. See also (FH) (JJK)

How big was the KellyGang at this time? Extra members (RC12163)

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Glenrowan Siege 28/6/1880

Arrival at Glenrowan

Ned Kelly and Steve Hart arrived in Glenrowan at about 10pm on 26/6/1880. The first task was to break up the railway line.(Argus29/6/80) (JJK)

At about 3am on 27/6/1880 we, that is Ned Kelly and and Steve Hart woke up Mr Stanistreet the station master. We wanted to take up part of the railway line.

We started taking people into Jone's Glenrowan Inn on the morning of 27/6/1880

Mrs Jones daughter had to cook breakfast for us (BWC)

Three of the KellyGang-Ned, Dan, and Byrne danced, and Mrs. Jones and her daughter, and three or four others. (RC7624)

Mrs Jones thinks we were drunk (BWC)

The siege in Jones's Inn

We started to put our armour on when we heard the train arrive. See also (BWC)

We were ready for the police on the verandah of Jones's Inn. Many say we fired the first shot. (RC11578)

"Come on, you dogs; you cannot hurt us."(RC8087) See also (Argus29/6/80) (Age) (RC10311) (FH)

Const Gascoigne said, 'I then saw the flash of a rifle. The man who fired the first shot was standing about 10 yards" from the corner of the hotel. The report of his rifle had not died away when I saw a row of flashes come from under the verandah of the hotel; the police quickly returned the fire. ... The moon at this time was shining from the back of the hotel, and full on the police, the outlaws being in the dark shade, under the verandah. (RC9674)

By about 6.30am the police knew that we had armour on. They also decided to shoot our horses to prevent any escape. (RC9428)

The capture of Ned Kelly

When Ned Kelly was captured we fired shots at the police. In fact the shots stripped the leaves off the bush close to where the police were assisting Ned over the railway fence. (RC10369)

From the Wangarratta side of Glenrowan our supporters fired a final salute at about 8am (DailyTelegraph29/6/80)

Occasionally people could see the flash of a gun from the hotel, and it was generally followed by two or three shots from the police. The police fired about three shots for every shot fired by us. We had taken up a position in a room at the back of the Inn, from the door of which we fired through the windows-that is some considerable distance from the windows. (RC10374)

Death and burning of Jones's Inn

See Steve Hart for details of the burning of Jones's Inn.

Later

On 29/6/80 Det Ward discovered five of our horses stabled at McDonnell's Railway Hotel. The police found where all the horses came from and the owners were listed. (Argus30/6/80) (SMH30/6/80) (OMA24/7/1880)

Mr Stanistreet family found an oil can containing 45lb of blasting powder concealed behind a log in the vicinity of M'Donnell's Hotel. Previous to this a quantity of fuse was found in swags carried by the pack horses left by the gang at M’Donnell’s Hotel (Argus3/7/80) (Herald3/7/80)

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After the Seige

They cast lots for our possessions; not the important things, just the bits and pieces (Argus11/9/80)

The Trial of Ned Kelly

The Committal and Trial of Ned Kelly was a sham, they wanted to hang him.

Royal Commission

At the Royal Commission they produced a list of possible citings of us. Our friends were always loyal (RCApp5) (RC2464)

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KellyGang

Contents

The KellyGang consisted of Ned Kelly Joe Byrne Dan Kelly and Steve Hart

Where did the KellyGang come from

Fitzpatrick Incident 15/04/1878

Gold mining and whiskey making near Stringy Bark Creek

Deaths at Stringy Bark Creek in the Wombat Rangers 26/10/1878

Escape north

Euroa Robbery 10/12/1878

Jerilderie Robbery 10/2/1879

Later in 1879

Early in 1880

Death of Aaron Sherritt 26/6/1880

Glenrowan Siege 28/6/1880

After the Seige

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