Ned Kelly Post Office

15 Powell Street, Jerilderie.

Part of the Jerilderie Museum opened daily Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm.

Buses catered for - town tours organized. Phone (03) 58861666.

After having lunch at the nearby Travellers Rest Hotel the Post and Telegraph Master, Henry B Jefferson returned at 2pm to find Joe Byrne waiting for him, with apprentice 14 year old James Ewan Rankin under guard. Shortly after, Ned arrived and smashed the insulators holding the Telegraph lines, with the butt of his pistol. Ned then went next door and ordered Bootmaker John Roe to fetch his axe from the wood heap and start cutting down the Telegraph poles. Mr Roe, and then publican Martin Murphy were relieved by Thomas Brown and Charlie Naw who were ordered by Ned to go across the road to James Denny Rankin's store, get a new axe each and continue cutting down Telegraph poles until sundown.

Ned and Joe then escorted Mr Jefferson and young Rankin across to the Royal Mail Hotel, and from there to the Police Barracks where they were locked up along with Senior Constable Devine and Trooper Richards. On their release Jefferson repaired the Telegraph lines and began transmitting news of the robbery. Jefferson, along with Trooper Richards, local Schoolmaster William Elliott and Albert Brasch the store manager for J D Rankin, barricaded themselves in the Post and Telegraph Office with firearms in readiness for the threat by Ned to return and hold up the mail coach when it arrived later that evening. The threat was not carried out; Ned and his gang well on the way south to re-cross the Murray River into Victoria.

Royal Mail Hotel

6-20 Jerilderie Street, Jerilderie.

At approximately 11am on Monday 10 February 1879 Ned Kelly and Joe Byrne - dressed in police uniforms and accompanied by Trooper Harry Richards - entered the front bar which at that time was located in the still extant single-storey section of the hotel, as well as the travellers' accommodation at the rear. Ned informed the hotel licensee Charles Cox that he required a room for a few hours to put the people in as they came along "for I have come here to stick up the Bank today."

Dan Kelly and Steve Hart had entered the rear yard of the hotel premises on horseback and on dismounting they proceeded to round up customers and employees, herding them into the hotel parlour.

The Bank of NSW occupied part of the hotel premises, demolished in 1928 and gradually replaced by the two-storey section of the hotel. Ned and Joe Byrne entered the Bank from the common verandah at the rear of the premises and confiscated £691 from the Teller's cash till, and later a further £1450 from the safe, on the arrival of the Bank Manager. Later still Ned instructed the hotel's groomsman Herbert Tiffen to burn various bank documents, records of mortgages and the like.

Call in and enjoy the hospitality of the hotel's "mine hosts" and browse over the collection of memorabilia and photographs depicting the hotel's history and its involvement in the raid on Jerilderie by Ned Kelly and his gang.

Former Police Stables

Rear 117 Jerilderie Street.

The last remaining building associated with the Police Barracks and lock up. Jerilderie Shire Council has recently assumed trusteeship of this building and in the process of restoration.

Towards midnight on Saturday 8 February 1879 the Kelly gang converged on the Police Barracks located on the adjoining allotment (west). Senior Constable Devine and Trooper Harry Richards were put in the "logs" along with a drunk who had earlier been incarcerated. Dan Kelly and Steve Hart removed the policemen's horses from the stables, turning them out in the horse paddock located where the Sports Complex now stands, and stabling and feeding their own horses.

Printing Office and Residence

41 Jerilderie Street, Jerilderie. In private ownership.

Shortly before 2pm on Monday 10 February 1879 Ned Kelly - in company with Trooper Richards and the Bank of NSW Teller, Edwin Living, - walked across the road from the Royal Mail Hotel in search of the Editor of the Jerilderie and Urana Gazette, Samuel Gill, to give him the now famous Jerilderie Letter and have several copies printed for future circulation.

By this time Gill was aware of the gang's presence in Jerilderie and had left on foot for Carrah Farm from where information could be sent on to Deniliquin police.

When informed by Mrs Gill that her husband was not home and refusing to take possession of the Jerilderie Letter, Ned gave the manuscript to Living who promised to pass it on to Gill on his return home; a promise which was never kept.

Other Significant sites in Jerilderie

While in Jerilderie visitors may wish to experience the ambience of other significant sites associated with the raid on Jerilderie by Ned Kelly and his gang, on 8,9,& 10 February 1879.

1. Site of the Woolshed Inn

Located on Cape Road, 3 Km east of Jerilderie off the Oaklands Road.

Towards sundown on Saturday 8 February 1879 Ned and his gang arrived at the Woolshed Inn to while away the hours before moving on to the Police Barracks in Jerilderie and capturing Senior Constable Devine and Trooper Richards.

2. Site of the Courthouse Hotel

This hotel was built on 62-64 Jerilderie Street, Jerilderie by John Hanlon, in 1871/72. It is now the site of Raleigh Hardware.

After one year Hanlon sold the hotel and built the Lauriston Hotel on the Conargo Road approximately 14km north of Deniliquin.

On his way to Deniliquin to raise the alarm the Bank of NSW Teller, Edwin Living stopped at the Lauriston Hotel to give his horse a breather. Living left the Jerilderie Letter with Hanlon for him to make a copy. That copy is now the property of the National Library, Canberra.

The proprietor of the Courthouse Hotel at the time of the raid by Ned Kelly and his gang was Charles Naw, and his son, also called Charles, or Charlie as he was addressed, was one of the locals pressed into service by Ned to cut down the Telegraph poles.

3. Michael Curtin - Auctioneer and Real Estate Agent

In all probability, located at 42 Jerilderie Street Jerilderie, now Kel's Computer Service.

Michael Curtin also owned a butcher shop which local legend has it located at 25 Powell Street, Jerilderie. To date which business was located at which site has not been authenticated, although logic suggests that in those days a butcher shop would face south, away from the northern sun beating through the display window.

While guarding the hostages in the Royal Mail Hotel Steve Hart enquired of Curtin's whereabouts, stating that he Curtin, had overcharged him £1 when he last sold horses on Hart's behalf.

4. Home of Sir John Monash

Located at 30 Jerilderie Street, Jerilderie.

Between 1874 and 1877 young Sir John Monash attended the local school at Jerilderie before enrolling at Scotch College, Melbourne , and then University.

Claims that young Sir John held Ned's horse for him, and was given 2/- by Ned to go to school and tell the students they had the rest of the day off because the local Schoolmaster, William Elliott, was held hostage in the Royal Mail Hotel, were never confirmed or denied by Sir John, but future biographers of Sir Jon Monash's career doubted the claim.

5. The "Park" Residence

Located on the bank of the Billabong Creek, immediately west of the westernmost residence in the Wunnamurra Housing Estate.

Originally the homestead of Squatter William Virgoe before the township of Jerilderie existed. At the time of the raid on Jerilderie by Ned Kelly and his gang Reverend John Brown Gribble resided there. Reverend Gribble was successful in pleading with Ned firstly for the return of the horse belonging to the daughter of the proprietor of the Travellers Rest Hotel, Thomas McDougall, and secondly for the return of his own watch taken from him by Steve Hart.

6. Saddlery Shop of James Mahood

Located on the allotment housing the cenotaph on the banks of Lake Jerilderie.

Mr Mahood was the only businessman to have anything stolen by Ned or members of his gang; being a saddle taken by Steve Hart.

7. Travellers Rest Hotel

Located at 9 Powell Street, Jerilderie

Before departing Jerilderie, Ned Kelly shouted the bar and bought some "take aways".

Also...

Visit the Jerilderie Museum in Powell Street, Jerilderie - check out the local history and other items of historical interest. Jerilderie Raid Trail Maps are available at the Museum and other Jerilderie business outlets.