On his release from prison, Ned returned
home a hardened but much more mature man than the average
nineteen year old. In his absence he discovered that all
but one of his thirty-two horses had been stolen by the local
constabulary, and for a while his determination to stay out
of prison kept him on the right side of the authorities.
However, it wasn't long before Ned's feelings changed and
in partnership with his stepfather, George King, and numerous
relatives and associates, they carried out large-scale reprisals
against those persons whom they believed were persecuting
them.
As the police net closed in on the rustling
operation, a whole new course of events was set in motion
that would have catastrophic consequences for some of its
participants.
In April 1878, Constable Alexander Fitzpatrick
paid a visit to the Kelly home supposedly to arrest Dan,
but as it turned out his motive for the visit lay in his
interest in young Kate Kelly. Following an incident in which
he assaulted her and required the family's intervention in
coming to her aid, an indignant Fitzpatrick swore an attempted
murder charge against them all.
This consequently led to the murdering
of three policemen sent to arrest the two Kelly brothers
and as a result implicated two of their friends. The robbing
of two banks at which netted them approximately £4,400,
and the manufacturing of suits of armour to be worn by members
of the gang.
On June 27th 1880, the day after the shooting
of Aaron Sherritt, the Kelly gang bailed up Glenrowan, cut
the telegraph wires and forced the railway workers to rip
up the line. More than sixty hostages were taken during the
day as the gang waited for the arrival of the police's special
train. Following a tip-off from the local schoolteacher the
train stopped at the station and a bitter gun battle took
place with the police laying siege to the hotel. In the nine
and a half hours, which followed, the building was burnt
to the ground, three of the gang members were killed, and
Ned, badly wounded was arrested.
Ned was taken to Melbourne, patched up,
hurriedly tried and sentenced to death.
At 10.00 am on November 11th 1880, Ned
Kelly was hanged in the Old Melbourne Goal, whereupon he
became an Australian Legend, and his name gained immortality.
Release Date: 26th September 2003
Distributor: UIP
Cert: 15
Running time: 109 mins |
