Last modified on 20 November 2015, at 16:50

Kelly Home


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The Story of the Kelly Gang 1906.jpg

The Kelly Home

...a place in the

KellyGang

story 

location

Near Greta on the Fifteen Mile Creek on the old Sydney Road, (before the new road going through Glenrowan became the Hume Highway

Beginnings

Photograph

Map

What was the Kelly Home like in the late 1870s

In October 1869 Ned Kelly working with William Skillion and William Gray on Mrs Kellys. Annie was hear at the time. a Chinaman, Ah Fook said that he was robbed by Ned Kelly.

The case came to court in Benalla on 26/10/69. Supt Nicolas procecuted. Ned Kelly gave his version and it was backed up by his two mates. He was not convicted.

(Argus30/10/78) In 1877 while Ned Kelly was 'working' with his uncles and having problems with Whitty, police including Assistant Commissioner Nicolson started visiting Mrs Kelly's looking for Ned. This is his description of Mrs Kelly's home:

'I visited the notorious Mrs Kelly's on the road from hence to Benalla. She lived on a piece of cleared and partly cultivated land on the roadside, in an old wooden hut, with a large bark roof. The dwelling was divided into five apartments by partitions of blanketing, rags, &c. There were no men in the house, only children and two girls of about fourteen years of age, said to be her daughters. They all appeared to be existing in poverty and squalor.' (RC1024) (CHC)

Nicolson told Const Thom to never to go near the house alone (RC1035)

At the time of the Fitzpatrick incident

Const Fitzpatrick alleged Ned Kelly wounded him in the arm at Kelly family home on Fifteen-mile Creek 15/4/1878 See also (JJK) See also(Argus17/4/78)

At this time the Kellys had recently moved into their new home. (RC12822)

It was made of bark and slabs (RC12877)

The beginning of the story

"How did he (Const Fitzpatrick) come in contact with Ned Kelly at that time?- He stated when he was going to Greta that he rode across and went into Mrs. Kelly's, and when there about-some short time, half-an hour- He heard some chopping, and asked if Dan was at home, and was told by Mrs. Kelly that he was not. He heard some chopping on the hill, and got his horse and rode up to the top of the ranges where he heard the chopping, and found Williamson there, and asked where Dan Kelly was, and he said, "Out riding." While speaking he saw two men riding into the paddock, and asked Williamson who they were, and he said he did not know. Fitzpatrick said, "I think that is Dan Kelly's mare," and went down and found Skillion with the saddle off his own horse." (RC5948)

See also Ned Kellys version of what happened in the Jerilderie Letter

In October 1878 life at the Kelly home changed for ever. Mrs Kelly who had been arrested soon after the Fitzpatrick incident, was then finally sentenced to 3 years in goal. Skillion and Williamson received 6 years. This meant that Mrs Kelly would not be able to return home until after Dan and Ned Kelly had died.

The place was looked after by Maggie and Kate in particular. Maggie moved the family to her home three quarters of a mile west of Eleven Mile Creek.

The boys were home soon after the Stringy Bark Creek incident (JJK)

Later James Quinn was arrested there in early 1979 and Frank Harty had stock grazing there at about this time

Later

Were the suits of armour made here? (JJK)

Const Graham spent time watching the house (JJK)

A few weeks before the Glenrowan siege Consts Cornelius Ryan, Barry, and Wallace were sent to watch the Kelly home on the strength of information that came from Const Faulkiner and others. See also (FH) and Maggie Skillion (JJK)

They were withdrawn on 25/6/1880. (RC5817)

After the Glenrowan siege the bodies of Dan Kelly and Steve Hart were brought home to 's home. See Richard Hart for details. See also (Age1/7/80)

The authorities sought to take the land just before Ned Kelly's trial (Age16/10/80)

The Royal Commission visited the Kelly home (Argus16/5/81) (Argus16/5/81)

What happened at the Kelly Home after the time of the Kelly Gang

See a description of the Kelly home (Argus16/5/81) and later in 1910. (BWC) (BWC)

What is happening at the area of the Kelly Home today

All that remains of the kelly home would sadden any Australian. Bushfires and time have taken their tole