---
node: au_ned_kelly
type: person
slug: ned_kelly
title: "Ned Kelly"
lead: "The legendary bushranger of colonial Victoria who fought the authorities in home-made iron armour and is still invoked as a symbol of defiance of authority."
published: 2026-07-15
updated: 2026-07-15
---

## Who they were

Born into a poor Irish-immigrant family, Ned Kelly took to the run with a gang after clashes with police and became known for robbing banks.

## What they did

He left behind the Jerilderie Letter, setting out his anger at unjust treatment. In 1880, at a final showdown at Glenrowan, he traded fire with police wearing armour made of iron plates.

## Legacy

Captured, Kelly was hanged in Melbourne that year. He has been judged ever since as both a hero who resisted oppression and a mere criminal, and has become one of Australia's national legends.