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Wanted poster, offering a reward for information leading to the capture of Ned Kelly 13 December 1878

In a line-up of Australian crooks, nobody stands taller than Edward ‘Ned’ Kelly. Born in Beveridge, rural Victoria, probably in December 1854, Kelly formed a gang with his younger brother Dan, Joe Byrne and Steve Hart. This wanted poster, dated 13 December 1878, captures the drama of the day. A reward for information leading to the capture of the Kelly Gang’s leader was an extraordinary £1000 (around $100,000 today) with his subordinates worth £500 each. An enticing sum for anyone wanting to improve their cash flow or with a desire to etch their name into the history books by bringing down Australia’s most notorious bushrangers. A siege at Glenrowan in late June 1880 saw the junior gang members killed. Their leader was captured and hanged, after a high-profile trial, at the Old Melbourne Gaol on 11 November the same year.

Call Number:
DLADD 76/item 19
Published date:
13 December 1878