Historical Folklore

Australian Bushranger Folklore and their Irish Connections

As presented at University College Dublin – Global Irish Diaspora Congress, August 2017

 

ADDO _ NED KELLY – RECENT ADDITION- IN RECENT YEARS SOME LEGAL EXPERTS INCLUDING THE LATE JOHN PHILLIPS CHIEF JUSTICE OF VICTORIA (BETWEEN 1991-2003) AND FORMER DIRECTOR OF PROSECUTIONS SAID THAT IF NED KELLY HAD BEEN PROPERLY REPRESENTED, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF MANSLAUGHTER INSTEAD OF MURDER ON THE GROUNDS OF EXCESSIVE SELF-DEFENCE BECAUSE THE POLICE PURSUING HIM HAD NO ARREST WARRANTS, WORE PLAIN CLOTHES RATHER THAN POLICE UNIFORMS AND WERE INTENT ON CLAIMING THE 8000 POUND REWARD AND HAD NO INTENTION OF TAKING HIM ALIVE (PETER NORDEN IN THE AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC P39:MAY/JUNE 2013).

BEN HALL – 2007 – IN 2007 PETER BRADLEY, A DESCENDANT OF BEN HALL’S YOUNGER BROTHER HENRY WANTED TO REOPEN THE INQUEST ON BEN HALL DEATH. THE ORIGINAL INQUEST FOUND THAT ALTHOUGH HALL WAS SHOT 30 TIMES WITHOUT HIM FIRING A SHOT, IT WAS ALLOWED UNDER THE NEW ‘FELONS APPREHENSIONS ACT’ WHICH ALTHOUGH PASSED BY PARLIAMENT DID NOT COME INTO EFFECT TILL 5 DAYS AFTER HALL WAS SHOT. SO IN FACT THE SHOOTING WAS SEEN BY SOME AS MURDER.

 

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