Heroes

                                                                   Take me back to the Siege.

Constable Arthur Constable Bracken Father Gibney Thomas Curnow Jesse Dowsett

Heroes were few and far between on the ground at Glenrowan. 

         Fortunately there were a couple of persons who committed heroic acts.

THE POLICE.

    There were police 'heroes' at Glenrowan despite what you may have read.

Constable Arthur

    Constable Arthur saved the lives of innocent people from the indiscriminate firing by Sgt Steele. 
    Constable Arthur's reward was an attempt by Steele to have him dismissed from the force.

Constable Bracken

    Constable Bracken saved Ned from being shot by Sgt Steele. 

 THE PRIEST. 

Father Gibney

    Father Matthew Gibney was on his way back to Western Australia when he was asked to give 
    the last rites to Ned Kelly who had just been captured.

    Father Gibney was a brave man who entered the burning Inn to try and save the remaining bushrangers. 

    He was the main witness who saw the dead bodies of Dan and Steve. It was from his evidence that we
    know the bodies he saw were the outlaws Dan & Steve. Personally I wonder how he could be certain who they 
    were since he was from another state and had never met either man.

THE SCHOOLMASTER.

   Seen as a hero to some, a traitor to others, Thomas Curnow was responsible for the saving of many, 
many lives**. 

THE RAILWAYMEN.

    Jesse Dowsett carried Margaret Reardon to safety during the siege.
    Railwaymen risked death when they ferried police to the siege and also at times when they had to 
    change the tracks and this required them standing in the open!

THE TELEGRAPH LINE REPAIRER.

    According to eye-witness Mrs. McDonnell, a line repairer climbed the telegraph pole and fixed on a wire
    during the siege. She said he was very brave because 'bullets whistled all around him'.

THE CIVILIAN.

   Neil McHugh carried Johnny Jones (son of the publican of the Glenrowan Inn) out of the Inn under the risk
   of constant gunfire.

*Additional information: According to a police report by constable Phillips, McHugh's Christian name was 'LEAN'. 
**Assuming that the plan was to wreck the train.