True History of the Kelly Gang

Ned Kelly's father, Red Kelly, has a long history of run-ins with the colonial police. These confrontations culminate in his imprisonment and death when Ned is only twelve. The turmoil surrounding Red's fate shapes Ned's sense of family loyalty and suspicion of authority.

As a courageous boy, Ned jumps into a river to rescue another child from drowning. The act reveals his compassion and fearlessness early on. It establishes a pattern of protective instinct that follows him into adulthood.

Ned comes to learn that his father carried out outlaw raids while cross-dressing, a detail that unsettles him and complicates his view of his family's history. The revelation adds a personal layer to the family's fraught relationship with authority. It foreshadows the moral ambiguities that will accompany Ned's own choices.

Ned's mother Ellen runs a still to support the family and takes on lovers to survive. Her life becomes intertwined with various men, setting a tense backdrop for Ned's upbringing. The household atmosphere is volatile, pushing Ned toward independence and rebellion.

The bushranger Harry Power takes Ned under his wing, teaching him about land, hideouts, and strategies for outlaw life. This mentorship exposes Ned to the thrill and danger of bushranging and helps shape his future leadership. The relationship marks a turning point toward the outlaw path.

Under Power's influence, Ned shoots the constable O'Neill when the family is threatened, but he resists killing him outright. The act escalates the authorities' attention on the Kellys and hardens Ned's image as someone willing to take extreme action. Power's guidance continues to blur Ned's moral boundaries.

Ned grows angry after learning that his mother essentially 'sold' him to Power, and he leaves to return to his family. The end of the mentorship pushes him toward a more defiant path. This exit signals Ned's move from apprenticeship to early acts of defiance.

During a visit to a brothel, Ned encounters Mary, a young Irish prostitute, and forms a deep romantic attachment. The relationship adds a personal motive to his life beyond family loyalty and anger at authorities. It humanizes him amid the growing conflict with law enforcement.

A local constable, Fitzpatrick, arrives with a troubling intent toward Ned's family. In defense of his loved ones, Ned shoots Fitzpatrick in the hand, prompting warrants for Ned and his brother Dan. The incident marks Ned's transition into officially wanted outlaw status.

Ned and Dan hide out in the hills of northeast Victoria and are joined by Steve Hart and Joe Byrne. They become known as the Kelly Gang, with Ned stepping into a leadership role. The band adopts a shared ideology of resistance and embarks on a life of outlawed freedom.

To pressure Ned into giving up, Ellen is arrested along with her baby daughter and imprisoned in Melbourne. Her detention raises the stakes for Ned, who must choose between family loyalty and flight. The capture heightens the danger surrounding the gang.

Four constables are dispatched to arrest the gang, and the Kellys ambush them at Stringybark Creek. Ned kills three of the constables in the ensuing gun battle, earning the gang infamy. The ambush becomes a defining violent moment in the group's history.

The gang holes up in Glenrowan, taking hostages and crafting plate-steel armor for protection in gun battles. They plan to derail a train by sabotaging its tracks, hoping to crush the pursuing authorities. The siege intensifies as police tighten the net and a local schoolmaster betrays them by warning the constables.

After a trial for murdering a constable at Stringybark Creek, Ned is convicted and hanged at Old Melbourne Gaol. His mother visits him one last time and urges him to 'die like a Kelly.' The execution seals the brutal legacy of Ned Kelly in Australian folklore.