Australian Bedtime Story: Ned Kelly

Ned KellyFew names in Australian history spark as much debate as Ned Kelly. To some, he is a cold blooded criminal. To others, a rebel who stood against corruption and injustice. Born in 1854 in colonial Victoria, the son of an Irish convict, Kelly grew up in poverty, suspicion and simmering resentment toward authority. By his early twenties, he was at war with the police. What followed became legend. Bank robberies carried out with military precision. The infamous Jerilderie Letter, where he poured out his anger at the system. And finally, the siege at Glenrowan, where Kelly and his gang emerged in homemade suits of iron armour, striding through gunfire like figures from myth. In this episode, we step beyond the folklore and into the complicated truth. The poverty and prejudice that shaped him. The violence that defined him. The trial that sealed his fate. And the enduring question that still divides the nation. Was he villain or folk hero? Tonight, we walk into the smoke and steel of colonial Australia and meet the man behind the armour.The Nightline Australian Bedtime Story, weeknights 11:10pm The Nightline with Cheralyn Darcey from 2HD Newcastle and across Australia on the Super Radio Network live weeknights from 8pm to midnight - news, views and a bit of funSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.