The Author Speaks: The Rest of the Trip

Previously I posted about my first trip to Kelly Country since the lockdowns but was in the middle of the trip when I wrote it. Evidently the rest of the trip was too busy for me to finish writing up about what else happened at the time, so here we go with a quick recap […]

The Author Speaks: First time in Kelly Country since the lockdowns

With the “ring of steel” between Melbourne Metro and the rest of Victoria now dissolved movement is freer than it has been in months. It also means that I can finally visit the places that feature so prominently in my book. To say that the inability to bring Glenrowan to the places where everything happened […]

Sherritt and the Kelly Gang

A news report covering Ned Kelly’s transfer to Beechworth and Aaron Sherritt’s relationship with the Kellys and police that led to his murder.

Ned Kelly at Beechworth

A news report describing Ned Kelly’s conduct en route to Beechworth for his committal hearing.

The Author Speaks: On Ned Kelly

The core of the Glenrowan story is Ned Kelly. Everything that occurs is either directly or indirectly linked to him and his decisions. Naturally this should position him as the protagonist of the story, though protagonist usually implies that character is the “good guy”. As I’ve discovered, simplistic terms like “good”, “bad”, “hero”, or “villain” are just completely inadequate to describe someone as complex as Edward Kelly.

Ned Kelly Interviewed (August 1880)

“I do not pretend that I have led a blameless life, or that one fault justifies another ; but the public in judging a case like mine should remember that the darkest life may have a bright side, and that after the worst has been said against a man he may, if he has told his story, in his own rough way, that, will perhaps lead them to reverse the bent of their thoughts against him and find as many excuses for him as he would plead for himself.”