Edward 'Ned' Kelly's Grave (Greta, Victoria) - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

NED KELLY - A NOTORIOUS ICON
Edward 'Ned' Kelly was an Australian bushranger who became a controversial cultural icon. Public opinion is divided - some see him as a folk hero who fought against an unjust system, while others see him as a murderous criminal.
Born in 1854 of Irish descent in Beveridge, Victoria, he had a dislike for the law from an early age. His father died after being in police custody for a few months. Ned Kelly had been charged with assault and robbery by the age of 14. While farming near Greta the Kelly family was often accused of stealing cattle by neighbours.

THE POLICE MURDERS
After being charged with the attempted murder of policeman Constable Fitzpatrick during a disputed incident at his family's home in Greta in 1878, Ned Kelly ran off into the bush with his brother Dan Kelly and two associates, Joe Byrne and Steve Hart.
Four policemen from Mansfield then rode out into the bush with tents and supplies to search for the Kelly Gang, and unknowingly set up camp near the gang at Stringybark Creek. On the 26th October 1878 two of the policemen were surprised and held up by Ned and his brother Dan. Policeman Michael McIntyre surrendered but Thomas Lonigan was shot and killed. The two other policemen were ambushed and shot when they returned to camp later. By the end of the day Constable Thomas Lonigan, Constable Michael Scanlan and Sergeant Michael Kennedy had been fatally wounded, while Constable Thomas McIntyre had managed to escaped and call for help in Mansfield. The Kelly Gang were then proclaimed as outlaws by the Victorian Government, and became Australia's most wanted criminals with a large reward offered for their capture.

THE KELLY OUTBREAK
The gang then went on the run, engaging in a crime rampage known as The Kelly Outbreak. The Kelly Gang was involved in further bank robberies and crimes, including fatally shooting police informant Aaron Sherritt.
After a failed attempt at ambushing a police train, the Kelly Gang fled to Glenrowan where their last stand with police took place during a violent confrontation on the 28th June 1880. At the Glenrowan siege Ned Kelly, wearing his homemade metal armour suit and helmet, was wounded and arrested. The other three gang members were killed. Ned Kelly was found guilty of Constable Lonigan's murder back at Stringybark Creek in 1878. Since he was already sentenced to death for this murder, a trial for the murder of the other 2 policemen was not deemed necessary. Ned Kelly was executed by hanging at the Old Melbourne Gaol in November 1880. He was 25 years old.

NED KELLY'S GRAVE
After Ned Kelly was executed by hanging at the Old Melbourne Gaol in 1880, he was buried inside the gaol walls. As was the norm at the time, no records were kept of the remains of executed prisoners.
It is reported that Kelly's head was removed for dissection by medical students, although the police denied this.
In 1929 the Old Melbourne Gaol was closed and the bodies in the graveyard moved to Pentridge prison. A grave was found marked "E.K.", and workers at the time thought it was Kelly's grave and looted many skeletal parts. A skull was retrieved from that grave but subsequently lost. During later years skulls were found, displayed, stolen and found again. Although they were often believed to be that of Ned Kelly, tests have never proven that any of them was actually Ned Kelly's skull.

In 2008 burial remains were uncovered from Pentridge Prison. DNA tests confirmed in 2011 that some of the remains were indeed the skeleton of Ned Kelly, with injuries matching those he sustained in the last siege at Glenrowan. The skull was never retrieved.

In August 2012 the Victorian government returned Ned Kelly's bones to the family. The final burial then took place on the 20th January 2013 at the Greta cemetery, in line with his final wishes. His remains are surrounded by concrete to prevent further looting. As with his mother's unmarked grave, Ned Kelly's grave is unmarked - only the family know the exact location of the burial at the cemetery.

Description: Ned Kelly was Australia's most famous outlaw, leader of the Kelly Gang and responsible for the murder of three policemen. Date of birth: 12/01/1854 Date of death: 11/11/1880 Area of notoriety: Crime Marker Type: Headstone Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: 24 hours Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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