The Kelly Gang’s actions at Stringybark Creek had lasting consequences for those involved and set in motion a sequence of unanticipated events.
Thomas McIntyre’s life would never be the same after witnessing his colleague’s murders. The lives of Kennedy’s and Lonigan’s families would also be changed forever.
The Kelly Gang spent the next two years on the run. They robbed banks, brazenly held towns hostage and murdered former friend Aaron Sherritt for cooperating with authorities. In 1880, after a final encounter with police at the Glenrowan Hotel, Ned Kelly was arrested and charged with murder: Steve Hart, Joe Byrne and Dan Kelly all died during the gunfight.
In 1881, a Royal Commission into the Kelly Gang Outbreak was held. The Commission’s findings led to a number of significant changes to Victoria Police and the way they operated, enabling them to better deal with future outbreaks of crime.