WHO IS NED KELLY

Edward (Ned) Kelly was born in Australia about Christmas 1854, the son of Irish-born parents. His father had been transported as a convict to Van Dieman's Land (the island State of Tasmania) for having apparently stolen 2 pigs. His mother came as a child of 'bounty migrants'.

When his father 'Red' Kelly died, Ned was 11 years old. Ellen's large family (not in those days considered large) moved and eventually settled at Eleven Mile Creek near the town of Greta in North East Victoria. They 'took up' a small selection of poor land. The Kellys tried to survive and prosper by various means, not all of their efforts were legal.

Between the ages of 14 and 19, Ned had spent nearly 3 years in prison for various minor offenses. He was tall, intelligent, strong-minded, and physically tough. A feat for his era and circumstances, he could read and write having attended school as a child. His spirit of democratic fair-play and his efforts to prosper came into conflict with a system inadequate for dealing with the challenges of a diverse colony compounded by unyielding attitudes and actions.

Ned's strong determination not to be 'beaten down' led to the infamous 'Kelly outbreak'.