Benalla

The bootmaker's shop in Arundel Street, Benalla
The bootmaker's shop in Arundel Street, BenallaThe Court House in Arundel Street, Benalla
The Court House in Arundel Street, BenallaNed Kelly's cell at Benalla court house
Ned Kelly's cell at Benalla court houseBenalla court house from the front
Benalla court house from the frontInside the Benalla court house
Inside the Benalla court houseNed's bloodstained silk sash
Ned's bloodstained silk sash
Ned Kelly History - Benalla Stories

24 October 1871

Ellen Kelly is acquitted of 'furious riding' in a public place.

Ellen Kelly, Ned's mother, between September and October 1871 brought a case against William Frost for maintenance of an illegitamate child, (whom they called Ellen), borne out of an affair they had sometime earlier. Frost was ordered to pay Ellen Kelly 5s per week for two years to clothe and feed the child Ellen and also paid £7 10s costs towards the court costs.

Ellen was subsequently arrested and appeared in court on a charge of furious riding after celebrating her triumph over Frost.

12 November 1872

Ellen Kelly is acquitted of a charge of stealing a saddle.

Ellen Kelly appears before Benalla Court charged with being in possession of a saddle which she received knowing it to be stolen. She was acquitted.

19 October 1877

Daniel Kelly and brothers Tom and Jack Lloyd appear in court over the Goodman Affair and are subsequently sent to prison. The prosecution case was disputed by many as a 'fit up'.

There are two versions of the Goodman story; the first being that Dan and the Lloyd brothers visited David Goodman's general store in Winton to procure supplies, with the proprietor David Goodman being away and only his wife being there, she refused to allow them into the store for the supplies and a fracas occured whereby it was alleged that they actually took the supplies after breaking down the door. A visiting hawker going by the name of Morris Solomon who was at the Solomon Store at Winton further claimed he was assaulted during the affray.

The other story goes that the boys were intoxicated and actually delivering goods to the store when the altercation took place. What actually happened remains a mystery, however, the boys turned themselves in to the police and were tried for breaking and entering and stealing. The boys were subsequently found not guilty of the aforementioned charges but did however, recieve a fine for the damaging of the property and given 3 months hard labour on top.

One of the Lloyd brothers, Thomas, was remanded for assault with intent to rape and given an additional 4 months in prison.

Morris Solomon vanished following the court case never to be seen again, David Goodman was however charged sometime later with perjury over his evidence given at the trial. He was taken down for 3 years for this.

September 1877

Ned Kelly is fined 1s in Benalla for being drunk and disorderly. Furthermore he is fined andAcirc;andpound;2 10s for assaulting police, andAcirc;andpound;2 for resisting arrest and 5s to repair the uniform of the policeman he fought, damaged during a scuffle outside of the Benalla Court House.

The bootmaker's shop at 64 Arundel Street Benalla is where Ned was involved in a fight with Alexander Fitzpatrick. Ned was being taken from the police lockup in Benalla to the court house to appear on a charge of being drunk and disorderly, a scuffle ensued and Ned dashed across the road to King's bootmaker's shop where Constables Lonigan, Fitzpatrick, Day and Sergeant Wheelan pursued him.

Fitzpatrick then tried to handcuff Ned who resisted, King joined in the melee holding Kelly whilst Fitzpatrick took hold of Ned's throat, choking him. Lonigan tried to subdue Kelly by taking a firm grip of Ned's testies. The local Justice of the Peace William Maginnis intervened and finally subdued Kelly enough to allow Fitzpatrick to handcuff hima dn escort him to the Benalla courthouse. Maginnis followed and observed the proceedings to ensure that Ned received a fair hearing.

Ned Kelly History - Benalla Timeline

26 October 1869
Ned Kelly is acquitted of the robbery and assault on Ah Fook.

May 1871
Ned Kelly is given a 3 year prison term for receiving a stolen horse. Isaiah 'Wild' Wright is given an 18 month sentence for the illegal usage of the same horse.

September 1871
Ellen Kelly brings a maintenace case before the court against Bill Frost.

24 October 1871
Ellen Kelly is acquitted of 'furious riding' in a public place.

12 November 1872
Ellen Kelly is acquitted of a charge of stealing a saddle.

17 September 1873
Margaret 'Maggie' Kelly is married to William Skilling in Benalla.

19 February 1874
Ellen Kelly marries George King at Benalla.

October 1876
Daniel Kelly is acquitted over the theft of a saddle

September 1877
Ned Kelly is fined 1s in Benalla for being drunk and disorderly. Furthermore he is fined andAcirc;andpound;2 10s for assaulting police, andAcirc;andpound;2 for resisting arrest and 5s to repair the uniform of the policeman he fought, damaged during a scuffle outside of the Benalla Court House.

19 October 1877
Daniel Kelly and brothers Tom and Jack Lloyd appear in court over the Goodman Affair and are subsequently sent to prison. The prosecution case was disputed by many as a 'fit up'.

April 1878
Arrest Warrant issued for Daniel Kelly and John Lloyd Junior on charges of horse stealing.

16 April 1878
Constable Alexander Fitzpatrick arrives back at Benalla and police arrest Ellen Kelly, William Williamson and William Skilling in respect of the fracas at the Kelly homestead at Eleven Mile Creek in Greta.

25 April 1878
John Lloyd's charges for horse stealing with associates Ned and Dan Kelly are acquitted.

9 March 1879
Aboriginal trackers arrive in Benalla.

11 March 1879
Aboriginal trackers sent from Queensland are used in the hunt for the Kelly Gang.

2 June 1880
Superintendent Francis Hare succeeds Nicholson to hunt for the Kelly Gang.

Kelly Trail - Benalla

1. The Bootmakers Shop

2. The Court House and Ned Kelly's Cell

3. Costume and Pioneer Museum and Tourist Information

4. The Old Police Barracks

5. The road to Benalla Cemetery

Places to visit in Benalla

The Ned Kelly Trail - Benalla

The Ned Kelly Trail Stop 4

Benalla is steeped in Ned Kelly history and offers many attractions to the Ned Kelly enthusiast and historian. Benalla could be regarded as the Kelly's home town and holds some of the best preserved antiquities connected with the Kelly Era.

The Green and Gold Silk cummerbund presented to the 11 year old Ned Kelly for saving the life of Richard Shelton is on display at the Costume and Pioneer Museum.

The Bootmaker and Saddler Shop in Arundel Street and across the road the Old Court House where the Kelly family made numerous appearances.

Ned Kelly History in Benalla

The Bootmakers Shop
Bootmakers Shop in Arundel Street where Ned had a fight with Constable Fitzpatrick on his way to the court house.

The Old Court House
The Old Court House stands across the road from the bootmakers shop in Arundel Street and is where the Kelly family appeared on a number of occasions.

Benalla Museum
Information Centre which also comprises the museum.

Benalla's costume and pioneer museum houses some interesting Kelly memorabilia. Not least the silk cummerbund worn at the Siege of Glenrowan and the door from which Joseph Byrne was strung when his body was shipped by train to Benalla but also the portable cell Ned kelly was held in after his capture.

There are a number of pistols and the original dock from the court house as well as a Ned Kelly video room.

Benalla Tourist Information Centre,
14 Mair Street, Benalla, 3672

Telephone (03) 5762 1749. Open 7 days a week 10am to 5pm.

Benalla Cemetery
Benalla cemetery is where many of the names associated with the Kelly outbreak have been laid to rest.

These names include Joseph Byrne who remains ostracised from the rest of the graves in a secluded peaceful corner of the cemetery underneath a tree, Martin Cherry, an innocent victim of police gunfire at the Glenrowan Inn during the siege and Dr Nicolson who treated Ned Kelly's wounds after the siege at Glenrowan.