NOLAN

MR. NOLAN GOES TO GLENROWAN

Nearly everyone worldwide is familiar with Sir Sidney
Nolan and his paintings of Ned Kelly featuring the iconic black square
helmet. I had been under the impression he had only done the 27
paintings known as 'The Ned Kelly Series' which were first shown
publicly in 1948 and are still drawing crowds today as the exhibition
travels around the country and the globe. Come to find out he had done
dozens of major paintings of Ned Kelly starting in 1945 and right on up
into his later decades of life, as well as an incalculable number of Ned
Kelly drawings and sketches. Not all featured the familiar black helmet
either. A few showed us Ned's face, most notably "Death of a Poet"
completed in 1954.
I recently acquired the book SIDNEY NOLAN by T. G. Rosenthal (Thames &
Hudson, 2002). Mixed in among the hundreds of illustrations of Nolan's
major works is information on his life which gives insight into what
shaped him and his art. It seems that Sidney Nolan's grandfather William Nolan
was in the Victorian Police Force in the 1870s and took part in the Kelly hunt.
Certainly he must have regaled his grandson with stories of his
bushranger chasing days. Something surely lit Nolan's wick as regards
Ned Kelly. By 1945 when he was in his late 20s, Nolan had done his first
Ned Kelly painting. Later that year, he and a mate, Max Harris, decided
to visit Kelly country and began planning a visit to Glenrowan.
Certainly the Glenrowan then was a far cry from the Glenrowan of now.
Tourists were not welcome at all. In preparation for the trip, Nolan
read J. J. Kenneally's "The Inner History of the Kelly Gang and Their
Pursuers" and the 1881 Royal Commission. Thus armed, the two young men
took a "road trip." They arrived in Glenrowan and soon the game was in
full swing. Strike one: Nolan and Harris go to the nearest pub and
loudly declare free drinks for anyone who will talk to them about Ned
Kelly. Dead silence. They drink alone. Strike two: The pair make their
way next day to the police station in all anticipation to ask about any
Kelly records/archives available to view. After a brief exchange of
words, the last being "leave...town immediately", they have their third
strike: they cross paths with Jim Kelly (well into advanced age, he
would die the following year). When Nolan asked if he was Ned's brother,
Jim retorted with "Yes I am, but it is none of your business!" Thus
somewhat chastened and practically chased (though not literally!) they
headed back to Melbourne. Even with all the stonewalling and rejection,
Nolan must have picked up something there in Glenrowan to inspire him
and to keep the wick burning bright. Within less than two years he had
painted 45 Ned Kelly paintings, parts of which formed the aforementioned
1948 gallery showing.
Ned Kelly inspired Sidney Nolan and, through his paintings, Ned lives on
recognised by many around the world who have no clue as to his story and
what he did, but thanks to Sidney Nolan they at least know that such a
man lived! And what a man! And thus, thanks to Ned Kelly we all know who
Sidney Nolan was too. Legend begets legend!