Headless Ned Kelly: Australian outlaw laid to rest 132 years later

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

Australian outlaw Ned Kelly will finally be laid to rest, 132 years after he was hanged for murder, despite the location of his head remaining a mystery
His remains, sans head, are to be buried in an unmarked grave, reportedly alongside his mother and siblings, in Greta, near Glenrowan this Sunday.
Ned Kelly, who was executed in Melbourne in 1880 for killing three policemen, has become an iconic figure in Australian history, his last words 'such is life', and identification of his remains adding to the legend.

Outlawed: Ned Kelly, pictured aged 16, will are finally to be laid to rest, 132 years after he was hanged for murder

Ned Kelly's descendants said today they would hold a private church memorial service on Friday before the burial in an unmarked grave.

His family, the Kelly Gang, became a symbol for social tensions between poor Irish settlers and the wealthy establishment at the time.

Although many saw him as a simple criminal, Kelly became a folk hero in the Irish community for standing up to the Anglo-Australian ruling class.

 

Kelly's descendants said the private farewells were in keeping with the outlaw's requests.

Pictures of Ned Kelly at Melbourne Jail shortly before his execution in 1880

'The descendants of the Kelly family wish to give effect to Ned Kelly's last wish and that he now be buried in consecrated ground with only his family in attendance in order to ensure a private, respectful and dignified funeral,' the family said in a statement.

'The family wish for their privacy to be respected so that they may farewell a very much loved member of their family,' they added.

It has previously been reported by Australian media that Ned Kelly will rest in an unmarked grave in a small cemetery in a churchyard in Greta, near Glenrowan, north-east of Victoria, where his mother and several of his brothers and sister are also buried.

Rest in peace: Ned Kelly's relatives have said they will hold a private church memorial service on Friday before the burial in an unmarked grave on Sunday

Nearly Headless Ned: It is said that the remains of Ned Kelly will be laid to rest in an unmarked grave alongside his mother and several of his siblings, despite his head still missing

Kelly's remains were first buried in a mass grave at Melbourne jail. When that closed in 1929, Kelly's bones were exhumed and reburied in another mass grave at the newer Pentridge Prison.

All the bones buried in Pentridge yard were exhumed in 2009 and Kelly's skeleton was positively identified in 2011 by scientists after DNA tests against his great-niece.

Kelly's skull remains missing. It was believed to have been separated from his skeleton during the transfer.

His life story inspired the Booker Prize winning novel 'True History of the Kelly Gang' by Peter Carey, which won the 2001 Booker Prize, and the late actor Heath Ledger played him in 2003 film Ned Kelly.

Edward 'Ned' Kelly was the first son of Irish convict John 'Red' Kelly, who moved to Australia in 1848.

Ned was born in Beveridge, just north of Melbourne, some time between June 1854 and June 1855.

At the age of 14, Ned was arrested for the first time for assaulting a Chinese pig farmer.

Ned had numerous run-ins with the police over the years, for charges ranging from being an accomplice to a bushranger, being in possession of a stolen horse, assault and drunkenness.

Ned and other members of his family went into hiding after an incident at their home in which a police officer was injured in a scuffle.

Three police officers who were chasing Ned were shot at Stringybark by the outlaw and his brother Dan.

The pair robbed two banks before police finally caught up with them. Ned was hanged on November 11 1880. His last words were ‘Such is life’.