The Big Ned Kelly (Glenrowan, Victoria): The Story Behind The Statue

The giant fibreglass representations of fruit and animals are quite an Aussie thing. We call them “Big Things” for obvious reasons…

Commemorating the bushrangers who dominated the early days of colonialism by building them statues is also an intrinsic part of our culture.

Well, the 6-metre tall Ned Kelly in Glenrowan, Victoria, combines both these Aussie obsessions!

It dominates the main street in a town devoted to the man who is arguably Australia’s most notorious anti-hero… For it was here that his career came to an end.

What happened at Glenrowan with Ned Kelly?

Glenrowan was the site of the Kelly Gang’s final showdown with the police, known as Ned Kelly’s “Last Stand.”

On 28 June 1880, Ned Kelly and his gang (known as the “Kelly gang”) were cornered in Glenrowan after a series of robberies and shootouts.

Ned, dressed in his iconic homemade armour, faced off against the police in a fierce gunfight.

They holed up in Ann Jones’ Glenrowan Inn, which ended up destroyed during the standoff.

And despite their efforts, Ned was captured, while three of his gang members, including his brother Dan Kelly, were killed.

This event cemented Glenrowan’s place in history and turned it into a symbol of Australia’s most infamous bushranger.

Ned was subsequently held and tried in nearby Beechworth Gaol before being taken to Melbourne for execution. His last words – “Such is Life” – are part of Aussie folklore, and lingo.

Today, to be considered “as game as Ned Kelly” – roughly translating as brave, determined and enterprising – is high praise for an Australian!

When was the giant Ned Kelly built?

The current 6-metre-tall Ned Kelly statue was unveiled on 14 April 1992, making it one of the most iconic “Big Things” in Australia.

It was commissioned by Rod and Chris Gerret (owners of Kate’s Cottage) in 1992 to be a free, accessible landmark for visitors.

Kevin Thomas, a special effects technician from Sydney, built this fibreglass figure, which stands at 1.5 tonnes and cost $12,000 to complete!

The plaque of the statue says:

NED KELLY – Hanged a murderer in Melbourne, November 11, 1880 – not 26 years old- described as a rebel, bushranger by necessity, a bush battler, underdog, sometimes gentleman, sometimes larrikin and a man with a strong sense of family.

In a country born of brutal convict settlement – the Kelly’s were one of many to suffer the English notions of class distinction, property and land tenure and Anglo-Irish hatreds. With the continued persecution of his family by the police, Ned fought back. The donning of armour made from plough mould boards here at Glenrowan, June 1880, made Ned Kelly an Australian Legend.

“He has lost much blood and gone two nights without sleep, he is borne down by the weight of armour. The air is still, the earth icy, the mists of down just hang. This is the moment of history. Kelly might have escaped here. Having witrexsed the death of Joe Byrne from a massive haemorrhage from a buller to the groin – most men would have given up here, if not before. Instead Kelly went back to rescue his brother and Steve Hart.

Armed, he lurches through the mist, hulking, swaying, clanging, taunting – the Legend is born.

Freezing police crouch behind trees and logs. Consable Arthur sees Kelly first and fires.

The Last Stand has begun.”

Top Tips

Glenrowan is about 220 kilometres northwest of Melbourne, approximately a 2.5 hour drive. We passed through there on our way to Bright.

The town has other attractions where you can learn more about the famous anti-hero:

• Ned Kelly Museum: This museum offers a deep dive into the life of Ned Kelly and his gang, featuring memorabilia, a replica of the Kelly homestead, and unique items like Ned Kelly snowdomes.

• Kellyland: Watch “Ned Kelly’s Last Stand,” a live animated show, or follow the siege site walk to experience the story of Ned Kelly’s final moments​.

Did you know?

The Kelly Gang’s only foray across the border was to Jerilderie. This resulted in the famous ‘”Jerilderie Letter” he wrote to defend his gang’s actions in the notorious Stringybark Creek shoot-out a few months earlier.

Australia has over 1000 Big Thing statues! Such as:

• The giant galah in Kimba, South Australia

• The giant Murray cod in Swan Hill, Victoria

• The big prawn in Ballina, New South Wales

• The big mallee fowl in Patchewollock, Victoria

FAQs

The bottom line

Perhaps the first true Aussie larrikin, it may be why Ned Kelly is the subject of many books, films, poems, songs and art.

Not to mention how his distinctive home-made body armour is instantly recognisable!

Love him or hate him, the larger-than-life Ned Kelly will tower above the landscape of Glenrowan for years to come.