GLENROWAN

WHAT TO DO AND SEE IN GLENROWAN.

If you are planning a trip to Glenrowan, naturally you will ask the question, what will I do when I get there and what will I see?

As you drive into town (assuming you came from Melbourne) off the Hume highway, you are soon confronted with the legend that is Ned Kelly. In fact from now on you could almost be forgiven for thinking that Ned was the only member of the gang.

First thing you see is a giant Ned Kelly, made of fibreglass and provided for tourists by the people at Kate's Cottage in Glenrowan. There is plenty of parking available and all that there is to see and do is within walking distance of anywhere you park in Glenrowan.

There are basically two choices here, to see the sites where history took place, or to visit the souvenir shops. For some, the shops are commercialism gone mad, for others they afford the opportunity to take home a piece of Ned. Personally I see nothing wrong with the idea of souvenir shops, however if that is all you took the long drive to Glenrowan for, you may as well buy what you want online!

For me the joy of this place is that you can stand at the locations of each part of the story and with a little imagination (ok, a lot of imagination) transport yourself back to the life and times of the Kelly gang.**

Cross the overpass and turn left back towards the railway line. You are now standing on the site of the stationmaster's house where many prisoners were housed during the early part of the siege.
Each site, such as this one has a rock (historical marker) with a plaque denoting what was once here.
The marker here says 'gatehouse' depicting the stationmaster's house. Behind this spot is a little shop that only closed down a few years back after being open since the times of the gang. (Has since reopened as a different business) It was once the store of Bailey's winery and out the back still has the original cottage!

Head back to the road and you have several choices, my suggestion is to head straight for
the site of the Glenrowan Inn. You cannot miss it for there is a big sign which says 'Glenrowan Inn Ann Jones best accommodation'. Despite what you may have read elsewhere, this is not 'all that remains from the former Inn'. This sign is a replica of the original. (there have been two buildings on this site since the Inn)

Out the front you will see a couple of 'bollard' style figures, these you see all around this area. They represent the police, trackers and civilians.

As you can stand out front of the site of the Glenrowan Inn site, take some time to soak in what it is you are actually looking at.
No, not the tree and the horse, I mean the 'feeling', you are at THE place where the original Inn stood before the police burnt it to the ground. (over the years there has been some doubt, but make no mistake this is the place)

Look up and beyond the site of the Inn and you see a mountain, it is Mt Glenrowan, Morgan's Lookout, named after the bushranger Mad Dan Morgan (not Mad Dog as portrayed by Dennis Hopper).
The mountain has not changed, its view standing here would be the same as it used to look.

Next stop might be the place where Ned Kelly was captured. There is a funny looking yellow sign designating this spot and a strange looking 'Ned'. The actual stump of the original tree where he fell is still underground here. Some time back someone came along and chain-sawed the remaining section visible above ground. Did he know what it was and wanted it for that reason? Or did he not know what it was and wanted firewood? I guess we will never know. Until recently you could actually touch this stump if you knew where to look. Unfortunately it is now hidden for future retrieval.
Close by, at the rear of the nearby old police station is a small cell which has been relocated here.

Once you have the excitement of that out of your system, turn around and head across the road toward the railway station. Look ahead before you start walking and you will see the entire battleground! The trees may have gone, however the original drains where the police took refuge are there. (well they were, council has filled them in so you do not fall in) This is the place where O'Connor was hiding as the other police did the dangerous work. Mind you, you will not find a sign to tell you this fact.

Close by here you will find the stone depicting the site of the 'first volley', where the
first shots were fired.

The walk now is only a short distance forward. The railway line is ahead and standing at the railway station gives us a feel of what it must have been like as spectators stood here watching the unfolding battle. The railway station is a replica, it was built in recent times and replaced a building that had stood since 1911 been eaten away by white ants or termites. (not sure which, I just remember it crumbled when I touched it)

A little 1911 goods shed is not far from the station.

In many of the photos held in the State Library (available online) you can see the people standing on the railway platform as the shooting took place!

Now walk up the ramp and follow the footpath around to the left. You will see a little playground here (and dunnies). If you stand and face the railway station (looking down) you will see another rock with a plaque with the words 'sky rockets'.

It was from here that the Chinese rockets were launched by friends of the gang after the first volley of shots were fired.

Cross the road and you will see the Glenrowan Hotel and the Kelly Country Motel. Next door to the Hotel is yet another marker. This time you see a plaque on a rock that says 'McDonnell's Hotel'. This was the site of the 'sympathisers hotel'.

The Tavern blew down in 1978, today it is a vacant block of land with a large tin green fence out the front. The local shire purchased this site and since then has let it go to ruin.

I am thankful that there is not a modern building on the site of the siege. However plans are afoot for a 'Glenrowan Interpretive Centre', a project involving a possible building near the site of the battle. What shape this will take is unknown at this time. I would like to think that it will never change. (one proposal is for a tower of great height)

You may also wonder if you can visit the site where the rails were ripped up, this is not possible unfortunately as trains still run on this line. (a fact which I found out the hard way whilst walking the tracks)

Once you have had your fill of looking at the sites, you may wish to visit the tourist shops or grab a bite to eat, on the other hand, if you have the urge you could always visit the animated theatre.

**This task has been made somewhat harder by the recent destruction of the railway Reserve part of the Siege Site under the banner 'Revitalisation'.

***The recent Archaeological Dig at Glenrowan has done much to reignite interest in Glenrowan.

****To read much more detail about Glenrowan visit www.glenrowan1880.com