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Ned Kelly


This photo is from the archives to match today's book - the big Ned Kelly at Glenrowan, the location of Kelly's last stand.

A book I have read recently
Another from the Australian list, True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey.  I have not read any of Peter Carey's books thinking they would be too literary for me.  As such this book was a surprise, it was very engaging.  Another reason I was reluctant is the business of putting a positive slant on the life of outlaws - Ned was a horse thief, killed police, robbed banks, wore a unique armour and is an Australian folk hero.  I liked the insights and perspective offered but can't help feeling a 'victim impact statement' might change the lens (similarly for the Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith, another bushranger story I covered a few weeks ago).

Comments

  1. That statue looks "larger than life" so typical of Australia's passion for "big" things to commemorate the uniqueness of a particular town. I have never been to Glenrowan and am afraid Ned Kelly would not draw me to visit this town. He did nothing worthy of making him an Australian folk hero.

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    1. I went there because I was collecting photos of "big things". We had morning tea at the cafe and moved on without visiting the Ned Kelly museum.

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  2. Sometimes small towns have to do what they have to do to get the tourists in I guess 😊

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    1. I agree. Having Ned hold up the town is today's pure tourist gold.

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  3. The statue is gigantic. From what I learned about him, I agree with Shirley that he shouldn't have been considered a hero.

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    1. The problem is he, his family and other poor Irish settlers do appear to have been victimised by the police. But if you seek to equalise things through crime I guess you can expect the police to come knocking regularly.

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  4. I haven't read much about him, only heard the name in passing. Quite a statue.

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    1. A famous Australian artist Sidney Nolan did a series on him using a stylised version of his armour boosting his fame even further.
      See here https://www.google.com/search?q=sidney+nolan+ned+kelly&rlz=1C5CHFA_enAU821AU821&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjm3pO46oDhAhXbWysKHYbGADEQ_AUIDigB&biw=1200&bih=578

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  5. This Ned is as huge as his fame. I love that you make time to read as much as you do.

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    1. I am enjoying the exploration of books I would not otherwise read. For my Australian reading I am working my way through the ABC First Tuesday Bookclub top 50 books - I've currently read only 22 of them so a way to go and some of them are very big so will take me a while.

      https://writereaderly.wordpress.com/about/first-tuesday-top-50/

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  6. I know nothing of him but he sounds like he has a mythic stature similar to some of the outlaws of the U.S. "Old West."

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    1. Yes I think it is a similar thing. He is a bit of a Robin Hood too because he is said to have spread the takings from his bank robberies among family and friends in need.

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  7. I don´t know, guess I am happy I never had a Ned Kelly Pie at Jesters... Cause I agree, too, those acts he did don´t really make him a hero. No Robin Hood he was, I guess, how come he is considered a hero for so many, I wonder.

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    1. I don't think he is really considered a hero today, more a colourful hero from the past.

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  8. Visited Glenrowan and have read a bit about Ned recently. He's definitely a product of his time, with all the anti Irish and anti working class sentiment around. With little opportunity to make a comfortable life for your family and being victimised by police it's little wonder his entire family led a life of crime.

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    1. You set me thinking about my own family history in that era. It is a very Australian story which includes Irish, a convict, a horse thief, a poacher, gold miners, selectors on poor land, labourers and domestics. Most of them could be considered poor or hard done by. But the ones I admire are those that made a go of it by moving to where opportunity existed, getting by with little, helping each other out in the hard times and working for the rich rather than stealing from them to get ahead.

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