John Hanlon transcription of Ned Kelly's 'Jerilderie Letter'

Christies Auction collection

John Hanlon transcription of Ned Kelly's 'Jerilderie Letter'

Self-confessed police-killer and stock-thief Ned Kelly is arguably Australia's best-known historical character. He is also the author of one of the more extraordinary documents in Australian history. Kelly's 56-page confession and manifesto, now known as the 'Jerilderie Letter', provides a direct insight into the state of his mind in February 1879, sixteen months before police destroyed the Kelly Gang at Glenrowan.

The letter begins simply enough: 'I wish to acquaint you with some of the occurrences of the present past and future' - but builds quickly through increasingly violent language to an explosive ending: 'I am a widow's son outlawed and my orders must be obeyed'.

The outlawed Kelly Gang rode into Jerilderie late on the night of Saturday, 8 February 1879. They left the following Monday having removed about £2000 from the town's bank and believing the document they had left with bank clerk Edwin Living would soon be published. Living, however, had other ideas. As soon as the gang had departed he rode straight to Deniliquin, stopping only to refresh himself at John Hanlon's Eight Mile hotel, and caught the train to Melbourne where he handed the letter to police. A copy was made and 'placed on file' where it remained, largely ignored, until the 1930s.

The original 'Jerilderie Letter' is now in the collection of the State Library of Victoria but a copy made by John Hanlon was purchased at auction in July 2001, for inclusion in the National Historical Collection.

> VIEW THE JOHN HANLON TRANSCRIPTION OF THE 'JERILDERIE LETTER'