25/09/2026
The late 1870s and early 1880s was a busy time for the holders of law and order in Chiltern town - In 1878 when horse and cattle stealing was widespread in the district Senior Constable James Lynch of Chiltern circulated warrants for the arrest of the Kelly boys of Greta for horse stealing. The first issued on 15th of March by A. McCleary J.P. Chiltern was to apprehend Edward Kelly, the second issued on the 5th of April by C. Darvall J.P. Chiltern was to apprehend Daniel Kelly. It was these warrants that prompted Constable Fitzpatrick of Benalla to visit the Kelly homestead in Greta. As a consequence of that event, the boys’ mother Ellen Kelly was charged with aiding and abetting in the attempted murder of the said constable. Ellen, along with her babe Alice, was incarcerated in Beechworth gaol.
The activities of the Kelly boys and their accomplices is well documented and in the memoirs of TS Marshall, Chiltern's school teacher and Fire Brigade Captain at the time, he recalled life in Chiltern when the Kelly Gang was on the run:- ‘The Kelly Gang, 15th April, 1878, to 27th June, 1880. — During the whole of the time that the Kelly gang dominated a large part of the North-Eastern district of Victoria, I was a resident of Chiltern, one of the sub-centres of their activities during the earlier stages of their career. The local residents were, therefore, especially interested in their doings.
After the Fitzpatrick incident, the idea of the Kellys was, apparently, to make for New South Wales, and then on to Queensland; but this plan was frustrated as the Murray was in flood, running such a banker everywhere that they were unable to cross. They were thus perforce obliged to halt and return to their old haunts in the North-East. On their way back, hungry and soaking wet, they stuck up the homestead of Niels Christian, a well-known farmer, where they received food and shelter, but otherwise Christian and his family were not molested. News of this “sticking up” so close to us, about eight miles, spread like wildfire, causing a state of unrest and excitement. The police headquarters must have learnt quickly of the movements and whereabouts of the gang. Superintendent Nicholson and Inspector Sadlier arrived in Chiltern on the following afternoon. The billiard-room of the Star Hotel, Chiltern, was the usual night resort of the male residents, mostly miners, and on this night, it was particularly crowded, the two officers being present in plain clothes. They listened intently to the talk all round. In a conversation I had with them, I felt convinced that, despite their dangerous task, they would stick it to the bitter end. The night was cold and very dark, but Nicholson and Sadlier left and rode to Barnawartha five miles away, in the direction of Christian's farm. About twenty minutes after they had gone, an urgent wire from Melbourne came for them. The postmaster, Mr. Tymms, and the local sergeant of police asked for my assistance in sending the wire off. One of my firemen, named Flint, who was a teller in the local bank, “Asia,” hearing of the trouble, at once volunteered to carry the message. This plucky young Englishman, a new arrival rode through the “dark” with Sargeant Lynch and delivered the wire to Superintendent Nicholson. Owing to the inadequate police force, especially mounted men, at this time, the Kellys easily vanished, and they were not heard of again until the Mansfield tragedy. The reward was now raised to £8000. A large increase in the police force was also consummated; the Euroa bank having been stuck-up. Many mounted men were brought into the district, the principal towns on the main Sydney line from Benalla to Wodonga, receiving each its quota, and, in addition, six men from the garrison artillery. Chiltern was allotted twelve mounted troopers and six artillerymen, quite a garrison town. The duty of the artillerymen was to protect the banks by day and night. During banking hours one man with a loaded r***e was posted within the front door of each bank, and every customer who entered had the loaded r***e pointed into his anatomy. This thing went on for months, two men being on duty, by turns, throughout the whole day and night. The expense must have been very great, but the artillerymen had a real enjoyable holiday, as the number that could be spared participated in all the town's festivities.
A Personal Encounter. — The Kelly Gang had an incredibly large number of active helpers and sympathisers scattered over the North-Eastern district. Several squads, each of four horsemen with a spare horse, an exact counterpart of the Kelly equipment, patrolled the district, and, to add greater effect to the undertaking, the leader of each squad wore a full beard, and was otherwise made up to resemble Ned Kelly. These squads did everything possible to baffle and hamper the police. They drew them off the true scent, much time being wasted and many miles covered in following these bogus squads, although they were bad enough, and ever ready to cause trouble should the necessity for action arise. The following incident gives my personal experience with one of these squads. A fatal accident having occurred on Magenta Reef, a dozen of us purchased the mine, and I was asked to supervise the work, pay the men, and bank the proceeds every Saturday, thus being for me, as a teacher, very always free. One Saturday, when the hunt of the Kellys was very keen, I was riding, as usual, through the Suffolk Lead, when I saw four horsemen, and a spare horse grouped some distance away at the foot of a small hill. As at this period we had not heard anything of the bogus squads, and we were in the vicinity of their activities, I naturally concluded that they were the Kellys. I had only gone a short distance when I heard a horse galloping behind me, and in a few strides the horse and rider caught and collided with me so forcibly that I was almost thrown, but steadying up and still going on, I looked the rider straight in the eyes, and he was, as far as I could judge, the dead spit of Ned Kelly. As we now cantered on, the stranger kept pressing himself forcibly against me and my horse. He said, where are you going? Do you think we are the Kellys? Are you going to Barnawartha to warn the police? We were on the Barnawartha track, that town being a strong police centre. I replied rather hesitatingly: “No, you are not the Kellys; I am not going to Barnawartha; I am not going to warn the police.” At this point the whistle of the Magenta claim blew, and I said: “That’s where I am going, pointing in the direction of the mine. He again said, “You are sure you are not going to warn the police?” I said, “No, I am not.” He then bade me good-bye, and we parted. Later in the day, on returning by the same route, I saw nothing of the squad, neither did I ever hear of it elsewhere in our district. There is no doubt that if it were not the Kelly Gang, as I thought it was, it was certainly one of the sympathetic squads, but they, like the Kellys, vanished quickly and easily, and nothing further was heard of this particular ally. It was common talk that Ned Kelly never molested any private individual.' Extracted from the "Memoir of the Victorian Country Fire Service and other reminiscences" T.S. Marshall published by A.H. Massina, Melbourne, 1930.
