Ned Kelly and the Kelly Gang

Ned Kelly and the Kelly Gang are some of the most important and arguably the most popular people in Australian history. Ned Kelly was born in Australia in either 1854 or 1855 to an Irish convict father and had constant run-ins with the law throughout his life. Kelly is believed by many to have been framed by the police for various crimes that he did not and could not have committed simply because he was the son of a convict. Regardless an arrest warrant had been issued for Kelly causing him, his brother Dan Kelly and two of his friends, Joe Byrne and Steve Hart, to flee their home and become outlaws, robbing banks and killing policemen throughout the country. This eventually led to what is referred to as Ned Kelly’s Last Stand on June 28, 1880. At this event Ned and his gang had secured themselves within the Glenrowan Inn but had been surrounded by police. Already aware that the police were coming, the gang had designed armor for themselves that consisted of a full-headed helmet and enough metal to cover their torsos but not their legs. The armor was able to protect them for a while and allowed them to kill a number of police; however the whole Kelly gang was killed during the firefight except for Ned. Joe Byrne was shot by the police, while Steve Hart and Dan Kelly are rumored to have committed suicide within the hotel but regardless of whether they did or not both perished after the hotel caught on fire. Ned was eventually captured and hanged for his crimes later that year on November 11. To many people Ned Kelly is seen as a freedom fighter that stood up against corrupt authority; however he is also regarded by some to be nothing more than a selfish criminal.

Liam M. (Section 12)