There is a Facebook Page devoted to “unmasking” Ian MacFarlanes book. Its run by a fellow who for a long time attacked the book on various forums on the internet before he had even read it. No reasonable person would regard such a position as anything less than absurd – to attack a book you […]
Like Father, Like Son?
In so many ways the Kelly story is a tragedy from start to finish. Neds father “Red” ( John Kelly) was transported to Australia in 1841 for stealing two pigs, valued at six pounds. The way this fact is usually presented, such as by Peter Fitzsimons in his recent book, and on Pro Kelly websites […]
“Give me the child till he is seven…”
“Give me the child till he is seven, and I will show you the man” If this well known Jesuit aphorism was applied to the life of Ned Kelly, it would appear to explain almost […]
Stepping into the Kelly World
As part of my quest to find the real Ned Kelly in late 2013 I joined a public internet Forum that claimed to be a place where you could discuss Ned Kelly. I didn’t realise that really all they wanted to discuss was a particular view of Ned Kelly and the Kelly story, what I […]
Good Man or Bad Man?
Like most people in Australia, Ned Kelly and the Kelly armour were names and images I was familiar with. But, again, in common with most of us, I could not have told anyone wanting to know something about him much more than that he was some sort of bushranger who wore armour, was captured after killing […]