The Kelly
Story Mansfield and Stringybark Creek October 1878
Mansfield unwittingly
played a significant role in the Kelly saga that has become a great
Australian Story. Three members of a police party from Mansfield sadly
lost their lives
at Stringybark Creek on the 26th October 1878 after embarking
on an unsuccessful
attempt to apprehend the fugitives now known as the Kelly Gang.
Before the search party set out in pursuit of Ned and Dan Kelly a reward
of £100 had
been offered for their apprehension.
Events associated with Mansfield and Stringybark Creek
On the 25th October 1878 Sergeant Michael Kennedy who had
been stationed in the Mansfield district for
about 13 years set out from the Mansfield Police Camp accompanied by
three Mounted Constables.
The constables were his trusted friend Michael Scanlan who had been
previously stationed in the
Mansfield district, Thomas McIntyre from Mansfield and Thomas Lonigan
from Violet Town.
A well-laden packhorse assisted in carrying their tent, bedding and
provisions, plus ammunition and firearms.
The party also carried two large
leather straps, ‘specially made-up by a Mansfield saddler’. These
straps
were designed to sling a pair of bodies on either side of a packhorse.
Their planned
destination was Stringybark Creek, Toombullup, in the heavily timbered
Wombat Ranges.
Gold prospectors from Mansfield had previously occupied huts in this
remote area. Hoping not to
draw attention to themselves the police dressed as prospectors. However
their horses, which had
been shod with Government Issue horseshoes were a dead giveaway,
especially to experienced
bushmen like the Kelly’s. Recent rumours had indicated that the
fugitives, Edward ‘Ned’ and Dan Kelly
had established their hideout in the Wombat Ranges.
At daybreak the mounted
troopers left Mansfield via Benalla Road. Leaving the Benalla Road they
took the Mill paddock Lane across to the Wombat road before riding
across Mt Battery Run to the
Broken River crossing at Carey’s farm. They rode past Mr Martin’s
house on their way up the
Bridge Creek valley. After stopping for dinner they set off in a
north-easterly direction towards
Hollands Creek. During the long ride to Stringybark Creek the mounted
troopers travelled along
rough bush tracks that ran through the sparsely populated Dueran and
Fern Hills Pastoral Runs.
Ewen Tolmie leased Dueran Run, which included the area known as Wombat
and Robert
McBean of Kilfera leased the Fern Hills Run, which included the
Stringybark Creek area.
After crossing the
Hollands Creek they followed a blazed line of trees to the burnt hut at
the old
diggings at Stringybark Creek. (Blazed line of trees reportedly used by
Ewen Tolmie’s workmen
as they laid bait for dingos and Percy Bromfield’s hut was burnt down
in August 1877 when he
was gold mining in the Stringybark Creek area.)
About 2 p.m. they
arrived at the burnt –hut site clearing near Stringybark Creek. Whilst
the
others set-up their camp Sergeant Kennedy rode off along the creek,
returning two hours later.
The police didn’t realise that the Kelly hideout, a log hut on Bullock
Creek (now known as Kelly
Creek) was only about a mile away ‘as the crow flies’ from their camp.
This secluded spot on
Bullock Creek was regarded as a safe haven for Ned and Dan Kelly and
friends who had cleared
and fenced about 20 acres of land in order to grow wurzel’s (a type of
beet) and barley for the
purpose of distilling whiskey. They also engaged in gold mining.
It is believed that Ned
Kelly was returning from visiting Byrne’s blacksmith shop at Wombat when
he spotted the tracks of the police horse. Being aware of the party of
mounted troopers from
Mansfield Ned and Dan Kelly spied on the police camp during the early
hours of the following
morning, the 26th of October. They noticed four men dressed
in plain clothes carrying long
firearms. The Kelly’s then returned to their camp where Joe Byrne and
Steve Hart were working.
At this time the Kelly’s also believed that another police party from
Wangaratta were heading
their way. So late in the afternoon they decided to bail up the
troopers at Stringybark Creek in
order to take their firearms, ammunition and horses.
At the time Ned Kelly
cried out “Bail Up” Lonigan and McIntyre were the only ones at the
camp.
Kennedy and Scanlan had ridden out earlier in the day to scout around
the area. During the
hold-up things didn’t go to plan and Lonigan was shot dead. After a
discussion with Ned,
McIntyre agreed to try to persuade Kennedy and Scanlan to surrender,
when they returned to camp.
The Kelly’s were out of
sight when Kennedy and Scanlan rode into camp. McIntyre tried to
warn them, they thought it was a joke but quickly discovered otherwise.
When Ned saw
Kennedy going for his revolver, he fired a warning shot. However this
didn’t stop the
gunfight, which followed and resulted in the death of two more
policemen.
On that fateful
afternoon at Stringybark Creek the Kelly Gang had been created.
During the gunfight
that claimed the lives of Scanlan and Kennedy, McIntyre made his escape
on Kennedy’s horse. After riding furiously through the timbered ranges
for a short time, the
horse stumbled and fell. McIntyre removed the saddle and bridle from
the horse and hid them.
Then before continuing on foot towards the Hollands Creek he sent the
horse off in another direction.
Being petrified that
the outlaws would discover his whereabouts and kill him made him extra
cautious.
As night fell he decided to hide and rest for a while in a large wombat
hole. During this time he
scribbled an account of the shootings in his notebook. Before he left
the wombat hole he
removed his boots and socks and left them there to avoid leaving a trail
of boot marks.
He did however risk striking matches at intervals so that he could read
his pocket compass, the light
from the matches being shielded by his coat.
At nine o’clock the
next morning he recorded in his notebook that he was ‘lying on the edge
of a creek
named Bridge’s’ (the actual creek now believed to be Blue Range
Creek). In his first report given at
Mansfield Police Station on the 27th October, Constable
McIntyre stated that he approached Mr Tolmie’s
Station about 12 noon but was under the impression two of the horses
hobbled near the homestead
were police horses which had been used by them, and he came to the
conclusion that the station was
stuck up by the desperadoes and did not approach as he was disarmed and
completely prostrated from
travelling.
By about 3 p.m. he had
reached McColls farmhouse. It was reported that he was brought about
one
and a half miles into the Mansfield police camp from there in Matthew
Byrne’s buggy. (Some reports
suggest that he had some assistance whilst travelling barefoot from
Stringybark Creek to McColl’s
farmhouse!)
It was about 4 p.m.
when McIntyre reached Mansfield. He told of the fatal horrendous events
that
had taken place at their campsite at Stringybark Creek on the previous
day.
Within a short time a
party of Mansfield residents was organised by Sub Inspector Pewtress to
search
for the bodies of Constables Scanlan and Lonigan and to locate Sergeant
Kennedy whose fate was
unknown. Willie Reynolds and Percy Bromfield, who had been gold mining
at Stringybark Creek during
the previous year were asked to join this search party to the scene of
the shoot out.
By sunset a small party
of horsemen from Mansfield including Sub Inspector Pewtress, Constable
McIntyre,
Constable Allwood, Dr Samuel Reynolds, James Kirby, Percy Bromfield and
Willie Reynolds set out from Mansfield.
When they reached the Wombat area the local sawmill proprietor Edward
Monk joined them. He knew every
inch of the bush in these ranges and was at times required to act as a
guide for the authorities.
As they travelled along
bush tracks through the scrub and timber to Stringybark Creek the night
was cloudy
and it started to rain about 3:30 a.m. Constable Allwood stated that it
was so dark and wet that they
often had to be guided entirely by their horses. The party reached the
scene of the shoot-out at Stringybark
Creek at about 4 a.m. Monday the 28th October. In the pitch
dark they struck matches and found the
bodies of Scanlan and Lonigan, but were unable to locate Kennedy. The
bodies of the deceased police
were securely strapped to each side of Edward Monk’s horse Tommy and
taken about seven miles to the
site of his timber mill. From Monk’s the bodies were transported to
Mansfield on Thomas McMillan’s horse
drawn wagonette that was driven by Peter Walker. The following morning
Dr Reynolds carried out
post mortem examinations. An inquiry then took place before a large
number of people attended Michael
Scanlan and Thomas Lonigan’s funerals.
Meanwhile daily search
parties combed the vicinity of Stringybark Creek in search of Sergeant
Kennedy.
On the 31st October, five days after the shooting took place,
Henry Sparrow discovered his body at
German Creek. It was some distance away from the police campsite. The
next day over 200 persons
attended Michael Kennedy’s funeral that was also held in Mansfield.
Michael Kennedy and Thomas
Lonigan were both aged 36 and married with young families. Michael
Scanlan was aged 34.
During the following
days as Mansfield mourned the loss of the policemen, eleven mounted
troopers in
disguise went to the Wombat ranges searching for the Kelly Gang. Edward
Monk guided Frederick.
C. Burman the photographer from Melbourne into the site of the
shootings. The artist for the Australasian
Sketcher and several reporters also made the trip to the spot where the
murders were committed near
Stringybark Creek.
Proclamations were
published calling for the gangs surrender on or before the 12th
of November at
Mansfield. On Tuesday the 12th November 1878 the Mansfield
Court House stayed open all day.
The wait for the gang to surrender at the old Court House was in vain.
On the 15th November 1878
the Kelly Gang were declared outlaws.
In April 1879 George
Wilson Hall proprietor of the Mansfield Guardian newspaper published a
book
titled ‘The Kelly Gang’ The Outlaws of the Wombat Ranges that sold for
1/6d. This publication,
which was published before Ned Kelly was captured at Glenrowan on the 28th
June 1880, was one
of the first Kelly books offered for sale.
Following Ned Kelly’s
capture Dr Samuel Reynolds was summoned to give evidence at his trial in
Melbourne.
His son Willie accompanied him on this trip.
Sheila
Hutchinson
2003
www.nedonthenet.com