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On Sunday Dec 7 2003, I went on a tour of the St Kilda Cemetery to view several graves of people associated with the Kelly story.
Many were legal eagles, however there were a couple of specialties, notably the sister of Aaron Sherritt.
We saw the graves of people those with knowledge of the Kelly story would know. People such as Constable Bracken’s second wife, the lawyer Bindon, Nicholson, the man in charge of the Kelly hunt, and Longmore from The Royal Commission. The names of Smythe and Chomley would be familiar also.
A brief history of the cemetery.
The St Kilda cemetery is among the oldest cemeteries within Melbourne’s suburbs. Originally laid out by Mr. Robert Hoddle in 1851. There was twenty acres, broken up into Church of England, Catholic, Presbyterians, Wesleyans Baptists and independents. The cemetery was officially opened in 1855.
Justin Corfield.
The tour was run by Justin Corfield, author of a soon to be released Encyclopedia on Ned Kelly. (January 2004)
About Justin Corfield
Source : http://www.mellenpress.com/mellenpress.cfm?aid=3794&pc=10
The day was very sunny and eventually I pulled up at the Dandenong Road gates to the St Kilda Cemetery. This was to be the meeting place for the tour.
At the little shelter shed we paid our $5 and enjoyed a cool glass of orange juice as we awaited further participants. The friends of the cemetery had a little card table set up with a CD and booklet of information about the cemetery. All in all there were about twenty-seven persons on this ‘Kelly graveyard tour’.
It was now time to meet the tour-guide for the day Justin Corfield. Justin, in his shorts and cool white hat, was ready for a hot day amongst the graves. A quick look around and it soon became apparent that I was the only ‘Kelly buff’ present. The majority of the group were seemingly new to the Kelly story, a perception that proved accurate the more people I spoke to.
Justin explained to us his background and interest in the Kelly story.
Justin: “I was born in England, my father wrote a play in 1959 on the trial of Ned Kelly. (an unpublished work) I have been interested in the history of the Kelly story for many many years, I came to Australia with my family when my father retired. I now lecture at Geelong Grammer in History”.
Off we go.
It was time to go and look at the graves (or more accurately the headstones) of those associated in some way with the Kelly story. With such a large group of us, in a confined area, I found at times that I was unable to hear what was being said. Therefore along the way I missed some information given by Justin and in some cases did not pick up as much information as I would have liked.
To provide us with details of the persons involved, Justin had at hand the manuscript from his book, along with prepared notes. It soon became apparent that Justin had done his homework. Much of his information had come from the Birth Deaths & Marriages register for his research.
The first grave.
The first grave to see was THOMAS HEWITT KIRKHAM. Thomas’s gravestone was broken and the Kirkham part of his name was missing.
Justin: “Kirkham was a policeman who joined the force in 1878 and pursued the Kelly’s after the Stringybark Creek shootings. He formed part of the Benalla search party and looked for the body of Sgt Kennedy after his death at the hands of the Kelly gang. Kirkham took leave without pay and was spotted acting in a play by police”.
Kirkham was one of two police officers involved with the Kelly story to be buried here.
During research for my site at www.glenrowan1880.com I learned that Kirkham was a mounted constable #2986 present at Glenrowan.
A woman asked me why it was that there were not more of the Kelly people or there associates buried here, I figured that this must be the place for the well-to-do, especially considering how many lawyers were.
EMILY BRACKEN.
We now viewed the grave of Constable Hugh Bracken’s second wife, Emily Bracken. Her maiden name Morrow.
JOHN HENRY STOWE
He was a policeman at Glenrowan after the siege, later Stowe guarded Ned.
ARTHUR PURSSELL AKEHURST
Justin: “Akehurst, spelt Pakehurst incorrectly in most texts due to a typo in a country newspaper, he killed a miner at Eureka. (was acquitted) His association with the story was that he was the Avenel magistrate that fined Mrs. Kelly”.
Justin: “On the far wall is the grave of MR. James GRAVES. Graves was the politician Ned said he wanted to kill. Ned told Bracken that there was one bugger in parliament that he wanted to kill, Graves……”.
We did not visit this grave.
Justin: “Ned wanted to kill Mr. Graves because he suggested in Parliament that the water in Kelly Country should be poisoned and the grass burnt”. (as happened in the new Kelly film)
The next stop in this bright sunshine was the grave of the sister of Aaron Sherritt.
ANNE JANE STORY (sister of Aaron Sherritt)
As Justin started to comment, he asked that if anyone knew more about these people and their history, to feel free to comment. With that a woman told us that this grave belonged to her Grandmother (I believe this was correct), Aaron’s sister. She went on to tell us the family history and it was most interesting. Of even more interest was how we were told that Aaron’s father’s name was not that which is quoted in the most eminent Kelly texts.
Justin: “this person was mentioned in the Royal Commission as actually having spoken to Ned Kelly”.
The gravestone read:
IN LOVING MEMORY OF HENRY CHARLES STORY BELOVED HUSBAND OF ANNE JANE STORY DIED 5TH AUG 1898 AGED 97 YEARS SAFE IN HIS FATHER’S HOME
ALSOIVAN NESBITT LEWIS DEARLY LOVED SON OF HERBERT & JULIE LEWIS DIED 20TH APR 1885 AGED 13 YRS
NOW HE WAITS FOR US ABOVE RESTING IN THE SAVIOURS LOVE.
Next grave was that of CHARLES HOPE NICHOLSON. Nicholson was the Superintendent at one time in charge of the Kelly hunt.
Nicholson’s gravestone was quite small and thin and appeared to be situated low against a backdrop of larger more imposing monuments. In fact the whole cemetery consisted of large monuments and headstones, certainly more so than most country resting places. The headstone was left resting against the metal surround of the grave, the concrete top of the grave was badly cracked and collapsing. This important man now seemed insignificant.
Justin gave just a brief comment on Nicholson, either that or I was still taking pictures at the ‘Story’ grave.
ALFRED DEAKIN (no direct relation to Ned)
Alfred Deakin was born in Collingwood in 1856 to immigrants William
Deakin and his wife Sarah. Both of Deakin’s...
Was at Ned’s execution and was requested to be part of the Royal Commission but declined. Offered a position non connection, man and myth.
The sun was now beating down on my black T-shirt. I felt a bit out of it since everyone else appeared to be dressed for a formal day out. There was an elderly gentleman who followed the tour with great interest, though he did not say anything. He was wearing a jumper (sweater for overseas readers), as most of that generation tend to do, and he had me concerned for his health due to the heat and long periods of standing. He managed to find the occasional graveside metal surround an assistance to his failing feet. Others had umbrellas up to shade the sun and some like me had the good old Aussie hat (the squashable version no less). The warm weather at least helped keep my cold at bay during Justin’s talks.
JOHN LORD STILLARD
Mounted constable #3110 was the second officer present at Glenrowan to be buried here.
GEORGE RANDALL FINCHAM from the Royal Commission
FRANCIS LONGMORE
ERECTED TO THE MEMORY OF THE HON. FRANCIS LONGMORE BY THE AUSTRALIAN CATHOLICS
Royal Commission Chairman.
Justin discussed how Longmore was shocked to hear that informants plied witnesses with alcohol to gain information for the Royal Commission on the Kellys, he was a tea tottler, and upset by this.
WILLIAM ANDERSON
Victorian Artillery guy who was supplying the cannon ordered to blow up the Glenrowan Inn. The cannon only made it as far as Seymour before the Inn was fired and it was no longer needed.
ROBERT REDE
Was a Colonial and in the 1860’s commanded the Geelong Volunteer rifles, 1854 he was a Ballarat goldfield Commissioner and authorized the attack on the Eureka Stockade. His connection with the Kelly story was that he served as Sheriff during the execution of Ned Kelly and presented the warrant to Castieau the Governor of the Melbourne Gaol for the body of Edward Kelly.
Robert Rede is buried next to his mate Anderson. Rede was heavily involved in the Eureka Stockade and was at Ned’s execution.
HUGH ROSS BARCLAY
Wrote a report on Const Hall at Greta. Critical of hall
IN MEMORY -----OF------- DIED 21ST JULY 1878 AGED 48 YEARS
HENRY BINDON
From the Bindon family web site : Henry Howard Massey Bindon - (1842 - 1893) Born Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Died South Yarra, Victoria, Australia. A Lawyer.
Note: on his grave Massey is spelt Massy.web wrong….
Ned’s hopeless lawyer. Justin described in great detail Ned’s trial and Bindon’s role therein. An interesting sideline about Bindon which Justin spoke about was how Bindon ended up in the North East of Victoria and represented Kelly family associates as well. (this subject was spoken about by John Phillips at Kilmore recently as well)
CHOMLEY BROTHERS ARTHUR & HUSSEY.
Justin: “The nephew of the Chomley brothers, Charles Henry wrote a book about the Kelly gang and died in England”.
CHARLES SMYTH is close by here also. Smyth was a Crown Prosecutor.
BRIAN O’LOGHLENAttorney General and acting Premier. Offered money on the reward.
MiLLARD JOHNSTON
Justin: “he was the chemist that worked on the 1906 Kelly film. Of interest also was that the location of the Glenrowan railway station was at Rosanna, as was the rail lifting scenes created here”.
JOHN CASTIEAU
The govenor of the Gaol where Ned was executed.
Justin: “the son of Casteau met Ned in prison and in later life was to play Ned in a couple of Kelly films. His name was Geoffery Cass”. Edited by Sharon Hollingsworth.
For more information about the St.Kilda Cemetery, visit their web site : http://home.vicnet.net.au/~foskc/index.htm
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www.nedonthenet.com