The story behind Australia’s infamous Big Ned Kelly in Glenrowan

Australian TravellerBy Australian Traveller
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Driving out of your way to see a Big Thing on an Aussie road trip is a rite of passage for most of us, but the most infamous Big Thing of all has to be Big Ned Kelly in Glenrowan.

There are actually two Big Ned Kellys in Australia. But since the wild colonial boy and his mob never got within cooee of Maryborough, in Queensland, where a seven-metre high Ned fronts the Ned Kelly Hotel, we’ll stay in Glenrowan, the scene of The Kelly Gang’s last stand.

These days you’d be ill-advised to hold up the Glenrowan Post Office. Standing guard outside is a six-metre-high Big Ned Kelly, depicted just as he appeared when he was captured near the town, in June 1880, in his trademark charcoal armour and heavy mask, rifle in hand.

When was Big Ned Kelly in Glenrowen built?

Remarkably, no one quite remembers when the first Big Ned Kelly was built in Glenrowan, but it was stolen and dumped in the river. Bob Hempel built Ned Kelly II for his “Kellyland" video theatre and museum in 1980, the 100th anniversary of Ned’s death, but moved it inside the exhibit eight years later, where it could only be seen for a price. Rod and Chris Gerret, owners of Kate’s Cottage, which houses a Ned Kelly memorial museum , then decided to put Glenrowan on the map in a big way.

“We wanted somewhere people could be photographed for free and big things seemed to be all the rage at the time, so we decided to build a Big Ned Kelly to keep up with the rest," says Chris.

Who made Big Ned Kelly?

They commissioned Kevin Thomas, a Sydney special effects technician, to build the six-metre high, 1.5-tonne fibreglass outlaw at a cost of $12,000. It took eleven hours to truck down from Sydney (there were numerous hold-ups along the way) and Big Ned Kelly III was unveiled on 14 April, 1992. The occasion attracted newspaper coverage from around the country, including the front page of Melbourne’s Herald-Sun, alongside a story about another Australian outlaw, Alan Bond, who’d been jailed for fraud that very day.

Big Ned Kelly statue in Glenrowan Victoria
The imposing statue of the infamous Aussie outlaw stands in Glenrowan, the Victorian town where he took his last stand.

Ned Kelly museums and attractions

There’s a wide range of Kelly memorabilia at Kate’s Cottage next door, including a replica of the Kelly homestead, complete with furnishings. They also sell two different kinds of Ned Kelly snowdomes. In fact, Glenrowan is a cornucopia of Kellyana – you’ll find Ned’s Burger House, the Kelly Country Motel, Kelly’s Cookhouse Cafe, and two Ned Kelly museums. Kellyland offers a live animated show called Ned Kelly’s Last Stand , comprising four different sets, each relating to a different part of the story and using original props including an authentic handgun once used by Ned himself. There’s even a Siege Site walk that winds its way past several of the locations featured in Ned’s last stand. You can take the guided tour or grab a map and explore with your own accomplices.

Since being bypassed by the Hume Freeway, Glenrowan, 220 kilometres northwest of Melbourne, is a pretty quiet village these days. We can’t help feeling Ned’s a bit lonely. Perhaps the good people of Glenrowan could see their way clear to having the rest of the gang (brother Dan, Steve Hart and Joe Byrne) take their place alongside him once more. I for one would certainly make the trip to see the first Big Ned Kelly Gang in the country.

Where to find Big Ned Kelly

The Big Ned Kelly
Gladstone St &, Kate St, Glenrowan VIC

Kates Cottage Kelly Homestead & Museum
Contact Phone (03) 5766 2448

This is an excerpt from Big Things Australia’s Amazing Roadside Attractions by David Clark published by Penguin Books, rrp $24.95. 

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Mornington Peninsula’s storied past: war, shipwrecks and a runaway convict 

    Kellie FloydBy Kellie Floyd
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    The Mornington Peninsula is a coastline of contrasts, where convict and military history meets shipwrecks, wild seas and adventures above and below the surface.

    The Mornington Peninsula can be the kind of place where salt-tangled hair feels like a badge of honour – proof you’ve been somewhere wild, raw and real. Peel back the layers and you’ll discover stories that anchor this region to something other than its famed food and wine.

    This land is the traditional Sea Country of the Bunurong/Boon Wurrung people. Long before grapevines were planted and artisanal goods were crafted, the Bunurong Traditional Owners lived in deep connection with the land and sea. Today, places such as Mushroom Reef Marine Sanctuary echo that tradition, with families exploring its rockpools in search of colourful sea stars and crabs at low tide and learning how these fragile ecosystems have been cared for across countless generations.

    a group of people visiting the Port Nepean National Park
    Take in the rugged coastal landscape at Port Nepean National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    A visit to Point Nepean National Park feels like stepping back through time. The fort, built in 1882, protected the narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay until the end of the Second World War. It was here that the first Allied shot of the First World War was fired – at a German cargo ship trying to escape just hours after war was declared. Nearby, the old Quarantine Station, one of Australia’s first permanent quarantine facilities, established in 1852, still stands. Walking through the hospital and disinfecting complex evokes stories of those who arrived from faraway shores.

    Not far from here is a story of survival that inspired the Aussie phrase ‘you’ve got Buckley’s chance’. In 1803, escaped convict William Buckley vanished into the bush near what’s now Sorrento. Everyone thought he had no hope of surviving, but he reappeared 32 years later, having lived with local Aboriginal people.

    Even the waters here hold history. The infamous stretch known as The Rip, just three kilometres wide at the entrance of Port Phillip Bay, is among the most treacherous waterways. Countless ships were lost here in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and in 1967, Australia’s own Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming off the coast, never to be found.

    a seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay
    A seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    But for all its danger, the sea here also holds extraordinary beauty. Dolphins are often seen near Sorrento’s cliffs, while below the surface, seagrass meadows and rocky reefs teem with life. Marine tours offer a viewing to this underwater wonderland, while back on terra firma, walking trails lead along beaches, through coastal scrub, and over rock pools.

    And if you think you’ll forget about the Mornington Peninsula once you’ve left? You’ve got Buckley’s chance.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    the suite interior at InterContinental Sorrento
    Luxury interiors at the historic InterContinental Sorrento. (Image: Greg Elms)

    Point Nepean Discovery Tents is immersive glamping beside the historic Quarantine Station. Or upgrade to luxury at the 1875-built InterContinental Sorrento .

    Playing there

    an aerial view of Cape Schanck Lighthouse
    Make your way to the Cape Schanck Lighthouse. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    Bayplay Adventure Tours offer eco-adventures from snorkelling with sea dragons to kayaking with dolphins and cycling Point Nepean. Cape Schanck Lighthouse is fascinating to explore on a guided tour, which takes you into the lighthouse and keeper’s cottage.

    Eating there

    Portsea Hotel is a beautifully restored 1876 Tudor-style pub right on the beach, serving seasonal local fare.