Better Drowned Than Duffers Trivia Quiz

Answer: Stealing two pigs

John "Red" Kelly was born in Tipperary, Ireland in 1820. He was transported to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) in 1841 for stealing two pigs and was released in 1848. At the age of 30, he married the daughter of his employer, farmer James Quinn for whom he worked as a bush carpenter.

He had achieved a certain notoriety as a duffer (cattle rustler). Ellen Quinn bore him eight children, of which Ned was the third.

Answer: He beat Wright in a twenty round bare knuckled boxing match

Kelly was sent to prison with hard labour for the first time in 1870. He had passed on an indecent note and a box of calf testicles to the childless wife of a man that had accused his friend of theft and Kelly had assaulted the man too.

Wright had stolen the mare from the Mansfield postmaster. He stayed with the Kelly family and upon leaving, told Kelly that he could keep the mare and rode off with one of Kelly's other horses. He was arrested for having the horse and served a three year sentence in Pentridge Prison.

Answer: Coal shovel

There are two accounts of the Fitzpatrick incident, one by the constable and the other by Kelly. The constable's account states that he went to the Kelly house to arrest Ned's younger brother Dan. He was held at gunpoint by all but Mrs Kelly, but he was then assaulted by Mrs Kelly with a coal shovel. In this kerfuffle Ned Kelly shot him in the wrist.

Kelly states that he was not at home at the time. The constable was severely inebriated and had made a pass at his sister upon which Dan attacked him and the constable cut his hand on the door. Nevertheless, the constable gave evidence against the Kelly family and Ellen Kelly, Ned's brother-in-law Bill and the neighbour Bricky Williamson were all arrested and convicted for attempted murder. A warrant for Ned Kelly's arrest was issued but Ned and Dan Kelly escaped to the bush.

Answer: 3

According to the accounts, the Kelly gang had not intended to kill any of the policemen. They ambushed one police group consisting of four men of which two had gone off searching for signs of the gang and instructed them to surrender. Constable McIntyre surrendered, but Lonigan went for his gun and was summarily shot. McIntyre pleaded fr his life and the lives of his fellow officers and Kelly had agreed to release them all the following morning. When Sergeant Kennedy and Constable Scanlan returned, McIntyre tried to induce them to surrender. When instructed to put up his hands, Sergeant Kennedy had mistakenly thought it was his constable instructing the gang and he tried to pull his rifle for which he too was shot and killed. Scanlan tried to run and was cut down too. McIntyre managed to make his escape and alerted police in Mansfield.

As a result of the Stringybark Creek police murders, the government passed the "Felons' Apprehension Act"(1878) and the gang were decreed outlaws and a bounty was placed on their heads.

Answer: No leg protectors

Kelly's armour weighed 44 kilograms and was made up of multiple pieces, including a helmet resembling a nail can with a long slit for the eyes. All the pieces were strapped together on the body and had an apron the back and front. Upon examination, there were five bullet marks on the helmet, three on the breast-plate, nine on the back-plate and one on the shoulder-plate. Kelly was eventually brought down by police shooting at his unprotected legs. He sustained one shot in the left foot, left leg, right hand, left arm and twice in the groinal region.

In 2001, the State Library of Victoria paid over $200,000 for the left shoulder guard of Kelly's armour.

Answer: Reward for saving a drowning boy as a child

Ned Kelly was 11 years old when he saved a seven year old boy named Richard Shelton from drowning in from Hughes Creek. Shelton's parents, the proprietors of the Royal Mail Hotel in Avenel, presented Kelly with a green sash fringed with bullion. In an article written in 2001. two of Shelton's sons recount that when asked about Kelly, their father would always just reply "He was all right".

Answer: 25

Despite there being no actual record of Ned Kelly's date of birth, due to there being no record of his baptism, evidence suggests that he was born in 1854. On his father's death certificate (date of death 27 December 1866) Ned's age was written as "11 1/2". According to an interview with Ned's younger brother in 1963, he indicated that according to the family, Ned's birthday coincided with the Eureka Stockade which took place on December 3rd, 1854. Kelly believed himself to be 28 years old however and this is the age recorded on his death certificate.

Answer: Such is life

While Kelly was definitely responsible for two of these phrases, there has been much doubt cast on his final words. "Oh, what a pretty garden" was said while he was being led to the gallows past the gaol's flower beds. "I am a widow's son, outlawed and my orders must be obeyed" was written in the famous "Jerilderie Letter", a 56 page document written by Kelly where in which he discusses his motives and justifications of his actions.

The controversy surrounding Kelly's final words has been discussed in a recent paper written by forensic psychiatrist Dr Russ Scott and author/historian Ian MacFarlane. They suggest that no evidence or investigation suggests that the Kelly's final words were as reported. In fact three different reporters filed copies with three different final words ranging from "Such is life", "There is no need for tying me" and "Oh well, it's come to this at last".

Answer: Kelly's head is still missing

There is much myth and legend surrounding Kelly's death and what happened to his body. Although no official burial records were kept, Kelly was buried within the walls of the Melbourne Gaol. In 1929, bodies were uncovered during demolition works and these bodies were transported and reburied in Pentridge Prison. For many years, a skull believed to be Kelly's was not reinterred at Pentridge and was instead passed on to the Australian Institute of Anatomy.

Modern day technology and DNA testing has shown that this skull belonged to another executed prisoner. Evidence of saw marks on Kelly's neck and a piece of occipital bone that were left in the grave were found.

There are two schools of thought: one suggest that a coroner probably investigated Kelly's body for the effects of hanging, another sees this as evidence that dissection took place.

Answer: World's first full-length narrative feature film

"The Story of the Kelly Gang" was released in 1906, In 2007 it was entered into the UNESCO Memory of the World Register as the world's first full-length narrative feature film. It is widely regarded as the origin of the bushranging drama genre. The film cost between £400 and £1,000 to shoot and was filmed on a staggering 1200 metres of reel.