Advertisement
We were staying in a very historical region of Victoria, not only for moviemakers but, also because this was bushranger country in the old days of the late 1800’s. (A bushranger was an outlaw)
Victoria has many historical townships and sites and, here we were, right in the middle of some of the most historically famous of all, surrounding us in all directions.
The magnificent mountain scenery around Mansfield hit the international stage worldwide when the movie, “The Man From Snowy River” was released back in 1982 with the sequel, “The Man From Snowy River II, following 6 years later, in 1988. The story is based on the poem of the same name written by one of Australia’s greatest poets, Andrew (Banjo) Patterson.
Some 130 years earlier, this area and the towns of Mansfield, Glenrowan, Beechworth, Benalla, Euroa and Jerilderie just over the border in southern New South Wales, was famous for a very different reason, for it was throughout this region, that the infamous Kelly Gang kept the troopers of the Victoria Police force totally frustrated for a number of years, whilst they robbed banks, raided towns, stole horses and cattle and generally led the police a
merry dance before Ned Kelly was finally shot and captured, and the rest of his gang killed, in the nearby township of Glenrowan.
For many during that time, he was perhaps considered a kind of Australian version of Robin Hood, mostly only robbing from the rich. To some, he was a folk-hero in his, and his gang’s attempts to fight the injustices of the authorities of the day and, he certainly had his supporters and sympathisers throughout the local community.
As time went on, to those authorities, he and his gang became Public Enemy No 1, to be captured or killed, at all costs.
Whilst down here for this week, we planned on following in some of Ned and his gang’s footsteps by visiting some of these historic places.
Next morning, we had a few things to do in town but, after that,our first port of call was the Tourist Information centre to see what we should go and see whilst we are here.
One of the things was, “Craig’s Hut” on Mt. Stirling which featured in the two movies and, needed to find out how to get there as that was one place that
we really wanted to see.
We also needed directions on how to get to Mt. Buller, the popular ski resort during the winter months, which is about a 60 km drive from Mansfield, for we also wanted to take a drive up there one day.
The other information we needed was for The Kelly Tourist Trail which would take us to Stringybark Creek, famous for the shoot-out between the Kelly Gang and the police back in October, 1878, where Ned and his gang shot and killed 3 troopers who were on a search party to apprehend the Kelly’s for cattle-rustling. The trail also included a lot of other Kelly Gang-related locations and hideouts, etc.
Information in hand, we then had all we needed to keep us busy for the next few days as we explored this fascinating area.
A quick snack in town at one of our favourite eateries, “The Witches Brew”, had us fuelled and ready for our first adventure since our arrival, having decided that we would drive up to Beechworth for the afternoon, some 142 kms away.
After we had gone a short way under overcast skies and localised rain showers, for
the weather had changed last night with the arrival of a severe thunderstorm, when looking at the map we had picked up this morning, discovered that we could stop off and see a couple of Ned Kelly historic sites along the way.
We had previously decided that we wanted to see the Kelly Tree and, Stringybark Creek, the site of the shootout so, were delighted when we discovered that both of these sites were on the way to Beechworth.
We could also make a stop at Powers Lookout - Harry Powers himself, being one of Australia’s most infamous bushrangers of that era and also being credited with being the teenaged Ned Kelly’s mentor and tutoring him in his life of crime.
The turnoff to Stringybark Creek and the Kelly Tree was 31kms from Mansfield then, 10 kms in on a good gravel road through the state forest. The Kelly Tree marks the spot where the gunfight between the Mansfield police and the Kelly Gang took place.
We found the tree all right and, had just gotten out of the car to walk the short way to see it when, it started to rain lightly so, had
to cut short our visit but, managed to see both the tree and the memorial stone unveiled on the 26
th October, 2001, 123 years to the day after the shoot-out.
The memorial was erected by the Victoria Police and unveiled by Michael and Mick Kennedy, descendants of Sergeant Kennedy, one of the troopers killed that day on 26
th October, 1878. The other two troopers were Constables Lonigan and Scanlon.
The memorial site is right in the middle of a dense stringybark (a species of gum tree) forest, beside the creek where the gunfight took place. The three troopers are buried in the Mansfield Cemetery and a marble memorial erected to them, stands in the main street in Mansfield.
It was after the shoot-out at Stringybark Creek and the murders that took place there that Ned’s fate as an outlaw was sealed for, before this, he and his gang had only been wanted by the police on lesser charges, the four of them already having served time for stock theft.
Ned always maintained that the death of Sergeant Kennedy was in self-defence but, the authorities saw it quite differently. However, after this incident, the Kelly Gang became
the most wanted outlaws in Australia.
Continuing on our way, about another 20 kms along the road, we came to Powers Lookout, the place that Harry Powers and Ned, regularly used as a hide-out from the law as they could keep an eye on what was happening as they had a clear view right down to the valley floor below and, could easily see if the troopers were after them.
Continuing on after spending some time at the lookout and reading the historical facts on the posters there, we continued on, dodging rain showers all the way, arriving in Beechworth, around 3-15pm.
A very historical town full of beautiful old colonial buildings, Beechworth is well-known for its links to the Kelly era, for Ned was locked up in the gaol there for a period of time and it was also here in the Courthouse that he was committed to stand trial for murder and also his mother Ellen, was tried here for attempted murder in 1878.
However, we were all feeling a little peckish by this and, as it was around afternoon tea time we decided that any visit to Beechworth is not complete without a
visit to the "Beechworth Bakery" which is quite a famous establishment in its own right.
The bakery is very popular and is always full of people whenever you go there. They are open from 6-00am to 7pm, 7 days a week and sell every kind of bread roll, cake, pastry, pie, etc. that you can think of.
Another sausage roll to share by Glenn and Bon, (Bonny being something of a connoisseur of sausage rolls) rated 7 on a scale of 1-10 (“The Witches Brew” sausage roll rated 9!) whilst Ted had a custard tart and I had a Jaffington, which looked a bit like a lamington being chocolate-covered and sprinkled in toasted coconut and toasted almonds, the cake itself being a lovely moist, orange, almond and poppyseed cake on the inside. Yum, scrum!!
Still dodging the rain showers, we went for a walk along the main street after the bakery and soon found ourselves in the "Beechworth Lolly Shop".
This really did make us feel like kids in a candy store for, like the bakery with its cakes and pies, this shop had every kind of lolly and sweet treat that you could possibly imagine!
They also had the most fantastic range of golliwogs for sale but, like all golliwogs everywhere, they were quite expensive although beautifully made and dressed.
I ended up buying the grandkids each a small carry bag pack of assorted lollies to take home to them – all the same so there can be no fights and, they will last for weeks as mum, Natalie will ration them out to allow them perhaps 1 or 2 lollies a day.
I also bought a bag of rosy apples (red and green and, similar to a Chupa Chup, only better) whilst Ted bought a bag of slate pencils (remember both of these items from when we were kids at school) and some hard jubes that were very much like the old Marella Jubes he always used to buy me at interval time, (when you still used to get an interval between movies) each week before we were married and would go to the pictures at the old Regal Theatre in Gosford.
Before leaving to come home, we finally make it across the road without getting soaked in the rain making our way back to the car, but stopping en route
at the “Beechworth Emporium” – a mini department store – like stores used to be in days gone by. They had the most amazing range of clothing and, different from anything you will pick up in any chain store in the country.
This is what I love about shopping in country stores. So many small independent shops selling a wide variety of merchandise that you don’t see elsewhere. You really are spoilt for choice. That’s how shopping used to be. Not mass-produced like it is these days.
Bonny bought herself a lovely, cherry-coloured polar fleece which really suited her as she didn’t have a nice warm jacket with her on our holiday and, as today has been quite cold and windy, she had been feeling cold all day. However, now feeling toasty warm as she smugly headed back to the car already wearing her new jacket.
Finally back into the car again and heading for home at 4-50pm, via the main road back towards Wangaratta but, bypassing the town, then down the Hume Freeway, turning off at the Midland Highway just south of the Glenrowan turnoff, arriving back home at 6-20pm.
What a great day our glimpse back into history had been but, there was lots more to come in the days ahead as we explore further afield and also re-visit more of the history of Ned and his gang! ……
Advertisement
Tot: 0.053s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 7; qc: 24; dbt: 0.0216s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
littlewing
Cindy
Inspiring me to take a staycation
Travelling within Aus is becoming more appealing reading all these stay at home blogs - I could smell the gum leaves, clean mountain air and mist reading this - thanks Jan :)