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CONSERVING NED KELLY'S ARMOUR. (STATE LIBRARY)

 

Tom Ingpen and Andrew Foster fit Ned Kelly's helmet to its display mount

Tests show metal not from Kelly gang armour

Tests have revealed a piece of metal found near Beechworth in north-east Victoria does not come from the armour 
used by the Ned Kelly gang.

The object was found in the Woolshed Valley last year and it was thought to be a missing plate from Joe Byrne's suit.

But Heritage Victoria's senior architect Jeremy Smith says tests have ruled that out.

"Initially we thought the evidence at least warranted the investigation of the object," he said.

"Of course it would have been great to have found another Kelly-related relic.

"I think that's unfortunate in some ways, but we're really pleased to have definitive evidence in terms of the results we've 
got back from the testing."

Source: ABC News Wed Jul 25, 2007 7:26pm AEST

Tests begin on possible Kelly Gang armour relic

Testing is under way on a metal relic believed to be a part of Kelly Gang armour.

The relic was found in Beechworth's Woolshed Valley in Victoria's north-east in September by a local historian.

Heritage Victoria's Jeremy Smith says the tests will compare the relic with the suit of armour worn by bushranger Joe Byrne.

"Because we believe the piece that's been found at Beechworth may in fact have originally been from the same set of metal,
we would expect to find that the metallographic identity would be very similar, so we should get pretty definitive results from the
testing," he said.

Results will be known by the end of this month.

Mr Smith says if the connection is proven, the Woolshed Valley site will become very significant.

"I think it's exciting work, potentially an archaeological excavation perhaps over the next month or two," he said.

"In some ways I think the site really is more significant, more important than the object and so there are challenges there in the
way that we look after the place."

Source: ABC News Online Friday, March 2, 2007. 9:04am

A report in The Age newspaper 30 Sep 2006.

Local fossicker unlocks Kelly armour mystery

Steve Waldon (Full report from The Age)
September 30, 2006
 
DARREN Sutton could not believe his eyes. Treading warily across the scorched earth outside Beechworth after
the 2003 bushfires blasted through, he stumbled on something he always figured must be there. And his discovery
goes a long way to solving one of the last mysteries surrounding the Kelly Gang.

The armour worn by Ned and Dan Kelly, Steve Hart and Joe Byrne is as iconic in Australian history as the Eureka
Stockade flag and the images of our soldiers at Gallipoli.

But what an army of historians and folklore aficionados have been unable to establish in the 120 years since the
armour made its mark on Australian judicial legend is, where was it made?

Sutton believes he has found the forge where Byrne's armour suit was created by local blacksmith Charlie Knight,
and a friend, Thomas Straughair.

The only relic he has removed from the site is almost certainly an offcut from Byrne's armour. It has lain under topsoil
and bush scrub for more than a century, and is an exciting new addition to the physical evidence of the Kelly gang.

This week, Sutton took The Age to the site. Also on the expedition was noted Kelly historian and author Ian Jones,
whom Sutton invited for his expert opinion — and also because they are friends with a common enthusiasm for telling
the Kelly story accurately.

Sutton is a Beechworth miner, fossicker, historian and tourist guide whose knowledge of the Kelly story and understanding
of the district's topography has made him a respected local authority.

Although The Age is privy to the forge's location, we agreed not to reveal it. Sutton knows from grim experience that
even word-of-mouth is enough to guarantee a culturally significant site will be stripped of relics before authorities can
secure it.

Sutton and Jones say the Kelly legend has such a grip on the national consciousness, that any new location would be
gutted within days.

"I don't want to see this stuff on eBay," Sutton says.

The "stuff" to which he refers is the remains of a brick hearth, firm evidence of an intense coal fire, cast iron offcuts,
rough bolts and even smithy tools.

Sutton had long reasoned that Byrne's armour, which is in private hands but is often exhibited, must have been
forged well outside a township; the Kelly gang could not have asked a town blacksmith to make body armour
without arousing suspicion.

Sutton deduced some likely locations of the amateur forge, but with 120 years of soil movement and the accrual
of scrub, finding it would be impossible.

He knew he had to wait patiently for natural forces to help.

When we arrive at what he and Jones believe is the Byrne forge, Sutton leads us off a track.

Since the 2003 fires, the bush has partly reclaimed the site. Young wattles and gums are growing close together,
and we have to squeeze between them.

"When I came through here after the 2003 fires, there was nothing," he says. "The bush was literally burnt to the
ground, which was still smoking."

Sutton's quest was again favoured by nature. Heavy rain washed away the newly exposed topsoil — and what
he found stunned him.

He saw a pile of bricks sitting just out of the ground. There was a depression that must have been the hearth.
Poking around, he found "clinker" — the molten slag produced by a coal fire.

"When I turned away from the forge, there was a scatter-line of metal junk going back some 10 metres," Sutton says.

It was easy enough to picture a sweating smithy pitching discards over his shoulder.

Nearby was a line of stump holes, evidence of a long-gone building with a raised floor.

But it was one particular piece of discarded metal that gripped Sutton. It looked like the rest of the Kelly armour.
The four suits were made from the steel mould boards, some stolen from farmers' ploughs. others donated or purchased.

When he showed it to Jones, the writer was initially uncertain. It certainly resembled Kelly armour, but the configuration
of the machined holes was not familiar.

Jones checked his files, and found that the holes did resemble those in the back plate of the armour worn by Dan Kelly.
"All other things being equal, if the thickness aligned, it would be very credible as a piece cut off the bottom of a breast
plate," Jones says.

Sutton says the soil where the abandoned forge lies is very acidic, and the metal had to have lost some thickness to rust
and corrosion after being exposed for so long.

And the plate has receded away from the bolt holes, which still indicate the original thickness of the steel.

The cut-off "is about 30 per cent lighter than what it should be", Sutton says.

"Classically, the breast plates were made from two mould boards. Joe's were very well shaped," Jones says.

"You could quite easily believe that they put the two halves together, realised the plate was too long, and cut this
piece off." Jones says a similar piece must have been removed from the other side of the breastplate.

Sutton says another vital clue is that the cut-off matches the way the rest of the armour has been beaten. It had
been moulded into shape before being removed.

Jones says the Kelly armour was modelled on a prototype made by the Kelly gang and Ned's cousin, Tom Lloyd, on
the side of Bald Hill. "Tom was virtually the fifth member of the gang," he says.

If this is a piece of Byrne's armour, it is an amazing find, but where were the other three suits made?

Sutton believes that secret has been handed down over the decades, and he could make an intelligent guess.

He hopes the keepers of the last bit of the Kelly mystery will one day take him into their confidence.

Meanwhile, the location of the Byrne forge will remain his secret until he is satisfied the authorities can guarantee
the integrity of the site.

Kelly Gang armour found.

Steve Waldon (Full report from The SMH newspaper)
September 30, 2006

Such is life … Darren Sutton with a piece of the armour reborn after fire and rain.
Such is life … Darren Sutton with a piece of the armour reborn after 
fire and rain.
Photo: Craig Abraham

DARREN SUTTON could not believe his eyes. Treading warily across the scorched earth outside Beechworth
after the 2003 bushfires, he stumbled on something he always figured must be there. 
And it goes a long way to solving one of the last mysteries surrounding the Kelly Gang.

An army of historians and folklore aficionados have been unable to establish where the armour worn 120 years
ago by Ned and Dan Kelly, Steve Hart and Joe Byrne was made.

Mr Sutton believes he has found the forge where Byrne's armour suit was created by a local blacksmith, Charlie
Knight, and a friend, Thomas Straughair.

The only relic he has removed from the site is almost certainly an offcut from Byrne's armour. It has lain under
topsoil and bush scrub for more than a century.

This week Mr Sutton took the Herald to the site. Also on the expedition was noted Kelly historian and author
Ian Jones, whom Mr Sutton invited for his expert opinion.

Mr Sutton is a Beechworth miner, fossicker, historian, tourist guide and local authority.

The Herald has agreed not to reveal the whereabouts of the site. Mr Sutton and Mr Jones say the site would
be gutted within days. "I don't want to see this stuff on eBay," Mr Sutton says.

The "stuff" to which he refers is the remains of a brick hearth, evidence of an intense coal fire, cast iron offcuts,
rough bolts and even smithy tools. Nearby was a line of stump holes, evidence of a long-gone building with a
raised floor.

Mr Sutton had long reasoned that Byrne's armour, which is in private hands but is often exhibited, must have
been forged outside a township. The Kelly gang could not have asked a town blacksmith to make body armour
without arousing suspicion.

Mr Sutton deduced some likely locations of the amateur forge, but with 120 years of soil movement and the
accrual of scrub, finding it would be impossible. He knew he had to wait patiently for natural forces to help.
Since the 2003 fires, the bush has partly reclaimed the site of the find. Heavy rain washed away the newly
exposed topsoil.

When Mr Sutton showed the armour to Mr Jones, the writer was initially uncertain. It resembled Kelly armour,
but the configuration of the machined holes was not familiar.

Mr Jones checked his files, and found that the holes did resemble those in the back plate of the armour worn
by Dan Kelly.

But where were the other three suits made? Mr Sutton hopes the keepers of the last bit of the Kelly mystery will
one day take him into their confidence.


A parade at Edenhope. (Weekly Times)

Above clipping sent in by Davo Brown WA.

Another exciting event in the continuing research and discovery of details of the Kelly Story took place 
at the Museum recently.

A small section of cast iron, found in the Woolshed Valley near Beechworth, was brought to the Museum 
by Darren Sutton, a miner and Kelly historian.

In a function at the Benalla Costume and Pioneer museum, at which he was guest speaker, Darren Sutton 
demonstrated that the piece fitted precisely as the lower portion of the left hand side of the armour worn
by Joe Byrne at the Siege of Glenrowan in 1880.

Further tests of the metal will validate the authenticity of the important artefact.

He has also found tools used by blacksmiths at the time.

The armour on display in the Kelly Room at the Benalla Museum is an accurate replica made from the 
original armour held in a private collection in Canberra.

Visit the Benalla Costume and Pioneer Museum by the lake at 14 Mair St, Benalla

Ned's armour finds a final resting place
(The Age Melbourne)

By Michaela Farrington
November 16, 2004


Above image from The Age Melbourne.

We will never know exactly how long it took Ned Kelly to don his 44-kilogram home-made 
suit of armour, but yesterday State Library conservation staff spent almost an hour gingerly 
assembling the suit's five steel plates and helmet on a purpose-built frame for a new 
permanent exhibition.

"I'm sure that Ned would be very amused, seeing us treating his objects with white gloves 
and great reverence," exhibition curator Clare Williamson said.

The iconic steel suit, worn by the bushranger at the siege of Glenrowan, where he was 
captured by police on June 28, 1880, is the star of the State Library's coming exhibition 
The changing face of Victoria, which looks at the people, places, and events that have 
shaped life in Victoria during the past 200 years. A room in the library's Dome Gallery 
will be devoted to the story of Ned Kelly - both man and myth. The exhibition opens on 
Friday November 26, and entry is free.

City secures piece of Kelly folklore

Source The Border Mail Newspaper.
May 25 2002.

WANGARATTA City Council has bought the Kelly gang mural which was formerly at the Solectron building.

It paid $7500.

The sale was announced yesterday by Mayor Cr Geoff Dinning.

``The mural was initially purchased by IBM and displayed prominently in the foyer of the former Solectron facility in Wangaratta,'' Cr Dinning said.

``The striking artwork was painted by renowned contemporary artist Mr Barry Warisn (Walsh) and has been the subject of considerable negotiation between the council and Solectron since the council's purchase of the Solectron site late last year.''

Cr Dinning said he was thankful to Solectron management for their ``sympathetic consideration`` in ensuring the Kelly mural remained in its rightful home.

He said there had been considerable interest from collectors across Australia.

``There is no doubt the Kelly legend is integral with our local folklore,'' he said.

``In fact, Ned Kelly and Glenrowan are the biggest story in Australian folklore and it is important that we respectfully capitalise on the unique opportunities that the Kelly story provides.''

Cr Dinning said the council was yet to decide where the mural, which measured 2m x 4m, would be kept.

The council announced in December that it had bought the Solectron building in South Wangaratta industrial estate for a fraction of the site's value.

The site is valued at more than $6 million but was bought for $731,000.

The Victorian Government contributed $365,000.

The Regional Development Minister, Mr John Brumby, said at the time that he had directed his department to consider the estate when negotiating with new businesses wishing to set up in the State.

The Wangaratta council took over the site last month but as yet a tenant has 
not been found.

State library buys Kelly's armour

The Border Mail Aug 1 2001

By NICOLE STRAHAN and AAP

NED Kelly's North East descendents believe a piece of armour worn by the convicted murderer turned national icon when he was shot and captured in 1880 always belonged in the State Library.

The piece, which protected the upper arm and shoulder, was yesterday bought at auction for $199,750 by the State Library of Victoria.

The library contributed $80,000 to the purchase and the remaining funds came from the Federal Government.

Until yesterday, the shoulder piece was the only part of Kelly's suit of armour that was privately owned.

Mrs Bernadette Griffiths, of Wangaratta, whose husband Paul is Kelly's great nephew, said the piece of armour ``should have been in the library in the first place''.

``It's an icon, isn't it,'' she said.

A spokesman for auctioneers Christie's said the State Library had beaten two other bidders, including one from outside Australia.

The Federal Government stopped a permit in May which would have allowed the armour to be taken overseas.

Arts Minister Mr Peter McGauran refused the permit under the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act after fears were raised the shoulder place would be sold at auction and lost to the nation.

The rest of the Kelly armour is displayed in three different sites - the State Library, the Victoria Police Museum and the Museum of Victoria.

It is believed all three displays will be brought together.

The shoulder piece, fashioned from the mould board of a plough, is 25cm long and weighs 2.37kg.

Other items of Ned Kelly paraphernalia sold at the auction included a transcription of the Jerilderie Letter.

It sold to an undisclosed bidder for $58,000.

Wed, Jun 05, 2002 Border Mail

Armour returns for commemorative dinner

IT has been 122 years since the Kelly gang siege at Glenrowan and this month some of the original armour of the bushranger's mate, Joe Byrne, will return to the town.

It will be first time any of the original armour has been at Glenrowan since 1880.

Byrne's armour will be displayed as part of the Kelly siege commemorative dinner on June 28.

The manager, development, of Wangaratta Unlimited, Mr Graham Nickless, said the armour would arrive by pack horse, just as it had when Byrne and Dan Kelly had ridden from the Wool Shed Valley to join Ned Kelly and Steve Hart at Anne Jones' Inn.

The armour will arrive to the sounds of Irish music performed by The Sheds.

Byrne was shot dead during the siege.

The Kelly siege commemorative dinner is being held on the anniversary of the siege and on the site from where the first shots were fired.

Special guest will be author Ian Jones, an authority on Ned Kelly, who will set the scene.

Mr Ashley Davies will present an audiovisual tribute to Kelly.

Sat, Jun 08, 2002

The Border Mail.



Outlaw inspired art Mick Toal has a yarn with a couple of tradesman 
who have been inspired by the famous armour of the infamous Kelly 
gang to transform scrap materials into big-selling rustic art forms.

ALMOST 122 years on from his abortive last stand at Glenrowan, two Albury tradesman are cashing in on the Ned Kelly myth through a rustic range of products inspired by the infamous outlaw.

Earlier this year boilermaker Gary Zienert (should be Ziebell), 40, teamed up with his life-long mate, carpenter Peter Gibbs, 41, to form Brinc - Bushrangers Incorporated - and produce a range of Australiana outlaw items.

The venture had its genesis last year when Gary was working as a theatre technician at the Sydney Opera House.

``I knocked-up a few Kelly masks for a stage production and people wanted to buy a few,'' he said.

``To get some of the finer details I got in touch with historian Dave White and I ended up getting really interested in the Kelly legend.''

What began as a few one-off creations and informal adornments for mate's bars has grown into an ever-expanding product range with artistic aspirations.

Brinc products are now on sale at the Indigo Shire's Beechworth Visitors Centre and Gary and Peter have received enquiries about displaying their wares in Canberra's National Museum of Australia and a number of metropolitan galleries.

As part of his research Gary went to Ned Kelly: The Exhibition, which is still showing at the Old Melbourne Gaol

The exhibition - which has been extended due to popular demand - was the first time the suits of armour worn by Ned, his younger brother Dan, Steve Hart and Joe Byrne at the gang's last stand on June 28, 1880, have been displayed together.

``Once I did my research I found that each suit of armour was unique and each had very distinctive features,'' he said.

``They were all made by different blacksmiths - whose identities were kept a secret - and the plate was cobbled together with rivets and bolts.''

Gary soon started to become more creative with his armour-clad creations and the gang's distinctive helmets became rustic braziers and stout lamp shades.

After teaming-up with Mr Gibbs, who is a staunch enthusiast of working with recycled native Australian timbers, masks in varying scales began to adorn coat and wine racks.

The pair have even taken up bushranging themselves, foraging materials for their project from farm clearing sales and scrap yards.

Mr Gibbs' South Albury shed now contains stacks of worn timber, battered sheets of metal, strips of leather, railway sleepers and spikes and even expended .303 cartridge cases - all waiting to be transformed into outlaw-inspired art.

Stuck up on the wall of the workshop are pictures of the four sets of the original Kelly gang armour.

Ned's battered helmet is the biggest single seller in an ever-growing range but some of the Brinc creations feature reproductions of all four helmets - accurate down to the rivet, bolt and bullet dent.

Like the originals, the mild steel helmets are heated and hammered into shape and Mr Zienert blackens the finished products in a furnace before sealing them with a clear lacquer.

Brinc will have a stall at this weekend's Winery Walkabout markets in Rutherglen.

 Happy to help!

Thu, Jun 27, 2002 - The Border Mail.

Kelly gang armour matched up


THE armour used by Ned Kelly and his gang was matched up yesterday for the first time since the famous showdown with police at Glenrowan.

The pieces of the three suits of armour held in public collections were rearranged to coincide with the anniversary of the bushrangers' final shootout at the Glenrowan pub on June 28, 1880.

After the siege the four sets of armour were dispersed.

Ned's suit, made up of helmet, breastplate, backplate, apron and shoulder-plates, bolted and strapped together using forged iron from ploughshares, was presented in the Victorian Supreme Court as evidence in his trial.

Suits fashioned for Dan Kelly, Steve Hart and Joe Byrne were also gathered by police.

In December, 1880, Joe Byrne's armour was souvenired by Supt Hare and is now owned by a private collector.

The three other suits are owned by the Victoria Police Museum, State Library of Victoria and Old Melbourne Jail.

A century of being moved from place to place for display in museums and exhibitions resulted in the suits becoming mismatched.

In recent years, researchers have identified the correct pieces for each suit using photographs taken after the Glenrowan siege, sketches made at the same time, police archival records, diaries and forensic testing.

In a ceremony yesterday at the Old Melbourne Jail, the police, State Library and the jail swapped sections to restore the suits made for Ned, Dan and Steve Hart.

Ned's 41kg suit is now complete at the State Library of Victoria.

On Saturday, June 27, 1880, the gang assembled at Glenrowan and commandeered the hotel.

When the police arrived, Ned took refuge in the bush and the other three in the pub.

Ned, in his armour, confronted the police but was brought down with bullets in his legs.

The pub was set alight and the bodies of the other three gang members were found in the ashes.

Ned was hanged on November 11, 1880.

 

 

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