ever. been. Hundreds of books have been Written about him. Films have been made.

Famous artists have used Ned as a subject. This fascination With Nes isn't a modern phenomenon. Was sentenced to death, people to save Ned's life. Alongside his family and legal representatives, thousands of ordinary joined in the fight for his survival. A petition to reprieve him collected 32,000 signatures in just five days. Why are We fascinated with criminal? What is it about Ned Kelly that make him so interesting? Why is he one of the most famous Australians of all time?

Wild Colonial Boy 1

The Irish are all the same. A bunch of brawling thieves. and don't tell me I 've got on right to say that. I should know, I live among a great brood of them-the Kellys and their relations the Quinns and the LIoyds. I' m no squatter. I've worked hard all my life. I've paid for my land, all 250 acres of it, with the sweat off my brow. No one call me rich, but compared to the Kelly clan I'm a wealthy men. They live in ramshackle huts, whole families in one room like herds of animal. Old Mr Quinn's not a bad bloke, his sons are a pack of louts. safe. I have to keep my eyes on few horses day and night for fear

of them disappearing. The women aren't much better than the men. you couldn't call them ladies. They scream abut at you if you so much as look at them and they seem to marry fellows even worse then their brothers. I don't know what's to become f this colony if these are the sort f people who are allowed to settle. I'd rather have the convicts. Most of them have had the flashiness knocked out of them by the time they've freed

I thought Red Kelly might something of himself, but he didn't. He turned to drink, God rest his soul. Now his wife and children are left to fend for themselves. The boy s are always in trouble. if they're "borrowing" horses

which they ride around, jumping fences and creeks. Sometime the owners find the horses back in their paddocks a Week or two later, exhausted and in need of being reshod. Sometime they never see them again. One of my horses went missing the week before last. A fine black mare with a flash on her head shaped like a diamond. I'd sent one of the farmhand over to the Quinns' and the Kellys' to scout around and see if he could find the horse, but there was no sign of her. I even him to offer a reward for her return. But they were all playing dumb. I thought I'd seen the last of her. Then the oldest of the Kelly boys came up to the house today. Ned, I think his name is. There he was with his hat pushed

back on his head wearing patched shirt and boots three sizes too big for the visit. He these dark penetrating eyes- I felt like was seeing right into me, reading my thoughts. He was holding my mare. "I found this horse wandering up in the strathbogie ranges," he said, those eyes now wide and innocent. "I thought she might be the one that you lost it was my horse all right. Even if she didn't have my brand on it, I would have recognized the white on her head anywhere. The lad was stroking the animal's head as spoke. The horse, which is nervous beast, was nuzzling his hand like she'd known him all her. life.

There was no way in the world that horse had been living wild in the bush for two weeks. it had been well fed and groomed as well. lad obviously stolen her. Sure enough. What did he say he say next?

"I' II be entitled to the reward then. What was it? Fiteen shillings? Bold as brass even though he can't be any older than 12.

" you get outta my sight before I tan your hide," I told him. I can't repeat the foul mouthful I got in return Still, the horse is in better condition then when it went missing. The obviously knows a bit about horses. pity he can't put it to better use, but with his father gone and

no one to guide him but his larriking uncles, I can't see him making anything of himself.

jacob Barker, selector