Victoria

Getting back on the Kelly trail today. Heading south as we make our way back to Melbourne from Beechworth, we popped into the Greta cemetery where Ned, Ellen (his mother) and other members of the Kelly family are laid to rest. There graves are unmarked but just as you walk in there is a headstone to acknowledged they have been buried here. The visit book reveals its a popular stop even thought there is nothing much to see.

What you do get, is a sense of the harsh and vast land that the pioneers tried to tame. There is no town to look at, just a few old houses and the ground is very hard and dry. You can only imagine how tough this place must have been to try and eek out a living of the land.

From here we drove west to Glenrowan the location of the final siege that saw the downfall of the Kelly Gang. Ned had an elaborate plan to derail the police train he knew was coming from Melbourne before having a shoot out with any remaining police in his new armour. There are also theories of a small band of sympathizer awaiting near by to engaging in a rebellious uprising.

Neds well laid plans didn’t play out as he had intended. While they succeeded in the braking of the railway line, the police train was waved down and stopped by a local school teacher. With the police at full force and knowing exactly where to find the Kelly gang they had little chance of victory or escape.

The armour was effective at deflecting bullets and stunned the police, it was extremely heavy, encumbering and visibility out the helmet limited. Three hostages lost there lives and the stand off lasted all night. It wasn’t until day break that Ned finally fell. Somehow he managed to get behind the police line and in the mist and haze of dawn he fired off a few more shots before being felled. His wounds were treated at the railway station and he was transported to Beechworth prison.

The law of the time stipulated that Ned should have been tried for his crimes in Beechworth but knowing they would not get a favorable verdict the authorities transferred him to Melbourne where he was tried and hung at age 25 in 1880. Australias first and only outlaw.

It is indeed and epic tale and one in which still has folk in these parts divided. For police and families of police he is a criminal and cold blooded murder and nothing more but for other he is a rebel, ragbag and legend.

While in Glenrowan we enjoyed a fabulous lunch at the Vintage Hall Cafe, before attempting to see the local attraction of a reconstruction of the siege. Unfortunately we had missed the fine print about it being ‘frightening and loud, the young and those with heart conditions be warned, non refunds will be given’. And they weren’t wrong. We finally left with the kids in tears, confused and well and truly freaked out!

From there we crossed the train tracks to the siege sites and fortunately a lovely friendly horse was able to help settled the kids nerves before we followed the trail laid out with all the key information and locations of the siege. It was quiet something to be standing on the ground surrounded by the trees that would have witnessed such a well known legend in Australian history.

Following this a final walk through town and a play at the playground we decided to spend the night in Glenrowan before returning to Melbourne and for some much anticipated time with Grandma and Papa.

We had a bit of a lazy start getting some school work done before making our way deep into Kelly country. Ned Kelly knew this country like the back of his hand and following an incident at the Kelly home with Constable Fitzpatrick, Ned, his brother Dan and the two other members of the Kelly Gang, Steve Hart and Joe Byrne were hiding out in the hills near Stringybark Creek.

It his here that Ned sealed his fate to eventually hang at the gallows in Melbourne when he or member of the gang shot and killed 3 policemen. The massacre at Stringybark Creek as it is know divided option and the community as to whether, the Gang were defending their own lives or it was cold blooded murder. Either way 3 coppers were dead and families left grieving and Ned and the gang became Australias first and only outlaws, meaning they could now be shot on sight.

At the sight of the masacare there are memorials and signage telling the story and timeline of how thing evolved on that fateful day. You can then do a walk through the bush to the site where one of the police had tried to escape but was evently tracked down and shot. It’s a little gruesome and very moving as you can really sense how it may be have been for the coppers and the Kelly gang.

I feel conflicted because for sure its tragic that those policemen were shot and died but I also can understand how Ned and the gang may have felt they had no choice. It did indeed seem the police were hunting the Kelly gang and were intent on bringing them in dead or alive.

Just down the road is the Stringybark Creek campground and we’d thought to have lunch there but it was so great we decided to pull up for the day. With wood, a camp fire and loads of space to stay hitched up we were set. A real bush setting and the kids just love the space, nature and fire to play with.

The next morning it was pancakes on the fire before continuing our tour of Kelly country this time stopping at Harry Powers lookout. A stunning spot with sweeping views through the King Valley. Again plenty of signage to tell more of the story of Australias bush rangers history.

As we sat taking in the views I was listening to the bird calls of the bush but was struck at the variety of calls all playing in one steady stream. Unusual I thought, unless we are listen to a Lyrebird. We returned to the van for lunch and Ken went on a little explore to see if he could find the noises and the amazing Lyrebird. Success! They are quite reclusive and camouflage easily so he did really well. It was an awesome encounter, You can see the bird briefly at the end of the video.

From here we wound our way out of the forest and down to the valley floor and on to Beechworth.

Well this may well be the strangest place we have camped. It had great reviews for when the Pub was opened. But as we had turned up on a night/day it was closed, and that is all that is here in Tatong, it felt a little strange.

The publican has tried to bring the place to life and into the fold of the Ned Kelly trail by painting a water tank and providing a few signs on the local history but otherwise the place was eerily quiet and deserted.

It was getting very late and had been a long drive from Daylesford with a stop in Papa’s hometown of Kyneton for lunch. We just needed somewhere to pull up for the night before starting our own tour of the Kelly Trail.

Ned Kelly is Australias one and only outlaw and it turns out the Glover side of the family is related to Harry Power another well known bush ranger who is believed to have taken Ned under his wing and taught him the trick of the trade.

It was a quiet, peaceful night, with some interesting insect encounters and a cat for Georgia, so we can’t complain.