"[I]f the character and career of the outlaws depended upon tradition I imagine that in [the] course of time Ned Kelly would come to occupy a position in history similar to that occupied by Robin Hood"
- Thomas McIntyre
Since 1878, the story of the Kelly Gang of bushrangers has been re-told many times. Over the years, many points of view have been expressed, many people have been scrutinised. But in the end, one figure has emerged as the central character through which the whole story is told: Ned Kelly. His point of view is the most well known, but it will always be just a fragment of the whole.
People like Constable Thomas McIntyre have equally powerful stories to tell. Their testimony is crucial for understanding that the story of the Kelly Gang involved real people and the events that unfolded changed their lives. No one rode off into the sunset at the end; this is not a romantic tale of heroes and villains. It’s a complicated and tragic set of events that happened in the north-east of Victoria over one hundred and thirty years ago.