Australia's Kelly Country Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ned Kelly was born in this town in 1854

Beveridge is a small town about 37 km (23 miles) north of Melbourne. The town is mainly known as being the birthplace of Ned Kelly, Australia's most (in)famous bushranger (outlaw). The cottage where he was born still stands today but, although signposted, it is fenced off and not accessible to the public because of its poor condition. Restoration work commenced in 2019 but was hampered due to Covid.

The property is located at 44 Kelly Street. Nearby is the Catholic church where the Kelly family attended mass and where Ned and his siblings attended school.

The church is Gothic in style and made of local "bluestone" basalt, built with convict labour. Victoria is well-known for its historic bluestone buildings.

Answer: Where 11-year-old Ned saved a boy from drowning

When Ned Kelly was a small boy, the family moved to Avenel, about 76 km (47 miles) from Beveridge. This is where Ned Kelly grew up. At the age of 11, he saved a young boy from drowning at the Hughes Creek Bridge. Some of the tourist attractions at Avenel include the bridge, which is a magnificent 6-arch stone bridge built in 1859, John "Red" Kelly's grave (Ned's father), and a few heritage-listed buildings, including the Royal Mail Hotel, which was a Cobb and Company (Coach) staging post.

Answer: The Kelly gang robbed the National Bank in this town

Euroa is located 148 km (92 miles) north-east of Melbourne. Its main claim to fame is the Kelly Gang's robbery of the National Bank in town. Although the original bank no longer exists, there is a replica nearby. There are a number of reasons to visit Euroa including its heritage trail and beautiful 19th century buildings.

The third National Bank (built opposite the site of the second one, which the Kelly gang robbed) is one of the best examples of Queen Anne-style architecture in Victoria.

Answer: Where the police manhunt was headquartered for two years

Ned Kelly and his gang evaded the police for two years. During that time, the police headquartered at the Commercial Hotel in Benalla. The hotel still exists but is now closed. The town of Benalla is also famous for its street art in the form of murals on the walls of their buildings.

Other places of interest include the Benalla Courthouse, which was the venue for several of the Kelly family trials, and the museum, which features the blood-stained sash worn by Ned at the Glenrowan siege. He was very proud of the sash which was awarded to him for his bravery in saving a boy from drowning in Avenel.

Answer: The site of Ned Kelly's "last stand" where he was captured

Unlike some other towns on the Kelly Trail, which refuse to honour an outlaw, Glenrowan has capitalised on its association with Ned Kelly. There are a number of sites of historical interest, such as the site of the inn where the siege took place, as well as the 6-metre (20-ft) statue of Ned Kelly on the main street, a museum, and a heritage precinct with a number of signposts indicating where various events happened.

There is also "Kellyland", which is a re-enactment of Ned Kelly's last stand using animatronics.

The Glenrowan region is also well-known for its many wineries.

Answer: Ned Kelly murdered three policemen from this town

Mansfield is part of the tourist "Ned Kelly Trail" but there are many other reasons to visit. There are the nearby Victorian Alps with the ski resorts at Mount Buller and Mount Stirling, or if you prefer the water, water-skiing at Lake Eildon and Lake Nillahcootie. For the history lovers, there are historic graves in the local cemetery, a memorial in the centre of town to the three policemen killed by the Kelly Gang, and a few buildings of interest, such as the courthouse where the Kelly Gang were proclaimed as outlaws.

Interestingly, the town does not capitalise on its connection to Ned Kelly. This appears to be a deliberate decision rather than an oversight. When we visited "Kelly Country", the locals told us that Ned Kelly does not have many fans in Mansfield, having killed "their" policemen who were just innocent men doing their duty. They refuse to honour an outlaw.

Answer: Bushland where the Kelly Gang ambushed and killed three policemen

In 1878, Ned Kelly and his gang hid out for several months in the bush not far from Mansfield. Four policemen from Mansfield camped out at Stringybark Creek during the search for the Kelly gang. The gang ambushed them, killing three of the four policemen.

The fourth escaped and returned to Mansfield to raise the alarm. Stringybark Creek is located in the Toombullup State Forest, part of the Wombat Ranges. The area is now a memorial to the slain policemen.

Answer: Historic town where Ned Kelly was sentenced to death

Beechworth is a major tourist attraction in north-eastern Victoria, 290 kilometres (180 miles) from Melbourne. It is a town which features a historical precinct with a number of beautifully preserved buildings, dating from the days of the 1850s goldrush, including the telegraph station, the courthouse, town hall and shire offices, and the prison where Ned Kelly and his gang were incarcerated. The buildings are so well-preserved that it would be easy to assume they were newly built to merely resemble old buildings.

The prison is particularly interesting in that it had also housed twenty-one men, suspected of being Kelly Gang supporters and/or Kelly relatives, who were held for over three months without a shred of evidence or any trial in an attempt to take away support for the gang. At one stage, Ned's mother was also imprisoned there.

Ned Kelly is not the only outlaw associated with Beechworth. The bushranger Harry Power (a.k.a. Henry Johnson), who was a known associate of Ned Kelly's, was imprisoned a number of times in the cells of the building which now functions as the town hall.

Answer: Place where Ned Kelly wrote his famous letter in 1879

Jerilderie is in southern New South Wales, just over the border from Victoria. It is 330 km (205 miles), about a 4-hour drive, from Melbourne. It was at Jerilderie that Ned Kelly wrote his famous "Jerilderie letter" in which he confessed to his criminal actions but explained how police persecution and other factors drove him into becoming an outlaw.

It was his intention to force the press to publish his letter but to no avail. It would be over 50 years before it was published. While in Jerilderie, he also robbed the local Bank of New South Wales. Jerilderie has many Ned Kelly-related sites of interest, as well as the Florabank Historic Home and Garden, a beautifully restored Victorian residence, and a number of walk-trails around the Billabong Creek, allegedly the longest creek in the world.

Answer: The capital city where Ned Kelly was hanged in 1880

Melbourne is the capital of Victoria and, at one time, it was the capital of Australia. There are many things to see and do in Melbourne, one of which is the Old Melbourne Gaol, where Ned Kelly was incarcerated and hanged in 1880. The gaol is now a museum which boasts a large collection of Kelly Gang artefacts, including an original suit of Kelly Gang armour, and Ned Kelly's death mask and pistol.

Ned Kelly's mother, Ellen, was gaoled for three years over an "altercation" she had with a policeman who had come to her home looking for her sons (she set upon him with a shovel). She was actually imprisoned in the Old Melbourne Gaol and was still there on the day Ned Kelly was hanged in that same gaol.