Season 3 episode 3 of Australia Re-discovered, Rick O’Brien, better known as Ricko went on a trip to the world-renowned town, Glenrowan, diving deep into the history and legend of the famous Bushranger, Ned Kelly.
The Australian bushranger Ned Kelly remains a controversial figure in history. To some, he is a hero who stood against colonial oppression and fought for the rights of the poor. To others, he is a villain responsible for violent crimes. Kelly’s infamous shootout with the police and his iconic armour have cemented his legacy in Australian history as a folk hero to many, while others view him as a symbol of lawlessness.
Starting at the infamous Stringybark Creek a series of unfortunate events unfolded involving Ned Kelly, landing him a large reward for his capture, dead or alive setting the scene for one of Australia’s most significant bushranger stories and the starting point for Ricko’s trip. Located 236km from Melbourne, Ricko travelled to the small town of Glenrowan, a small dot on the Victorian map with stories that spread and became famous across the world since the events that occurred in the year 1880.
Ricko travelling with his trusty Troopy fitted with our COVERT winch and Night Hawk VBP driving lights.
Ricko visited the famous Kelly-inspired attractions eerily turning folk story into reality. Firstly roaming through the Kellyland animatronic theatre and museum uncovering the final hours of the Kelly gangs and real artifacts used by the bushrangers on display.
Finally, visiting the site of the old Glenrowan Inn where the infamous final showdown took place.
In summary, Ned Kelly’s showdown, the final confrontation at Glenrowan in June 1880, saw the Kelly Gang take hostages in the Glenrowan Inn and prepare for a clash with police. They intended to derail a police train but were instead surrounded by law enforcement. Ned Kelly, wearing homemade armour, engaged in a gunfight with the police. Despite his armour protecting him initially, he was eventually shot in the legs and captured.
The site is definitely worth visiting Ricko says, “it bears little to no resemblance of what there once was but it’s still worth a visit and there’s a real of something in the air here, it’s hard to describe”.
The original motive behind the Bushranger brand name was because in one word, it summed up the mood of freedom that surrounds these “lifestyle” vehicles and their owners. Today’s Bushrangers come from all walks of life and age groups, from farmers to families, executives to young people, retirees to professionals, all taking advantage of this wonderful country and what it has to offer.
So our final question is, was Ned Kelly a hero or a villain? This is a question we may never have answered but will never be forgotten, to some, Ned Kelly was a hero who stood up to corrupt police forced into a life of crime, but to others, he was no more than a heartless criminal, but as Ricko mentioned, whatever the truth would be, Ned would be brought to justice and a legend would be born.