Corruption and injustice

I wanted to read this letter because it inspired Peter Carey’s True History of the Kelly Gang, and to take a closer look at this part of Australia’s history.

This is a real historical text written in 1879 by the outlaw Ned Kelly. Ned dictated the words which were transcribed by his friend Joe Byrne, who perhaps had better handwriting and spelling. He explains his side of the shootings and robberies, and includes descriptions of police corruption and oppression of poor families.

This ‘manifesto’ is absolutely seething with angst and a desperate feeling of injustice.

There are some outrageously colourful insults for the police. This one actually made me laugh:

“…big ugly fat-necked wombat headed big bellied magpie legged narrow hipped splaw-footed sons of Irish Bailiffs or english landlords which is better known as Officers of Justice or Victorian Police who some call honest gentlemen.”

The letter is rough, raw, and elementary. I can see how it would inspire Peter Carey’s novel. He definitely captured the flow of the writing style, with long sentences and little punctuation. But of course Carey’s mythologised Kelly is much more polished.

The Jerilderie Letter is an incredible historical document, its value can’t be graded. In terms of my enjoyment reading it though, I would give it 2 out of 5 fat necked wombat heads.

It intrigued me, but I didn’t find it very cohesive. At times Kelly does ramble, and lie or exclude information. It would be best to read the letter within a work of historical analysis to put it in context and guide you through.

You can view the original letter here.

Read it and ‘OBEY’!

---

The Jerilderie Letter inspired this book:

Review: True History of the Kelly Gang

---

I wrote this article about Ned Kelly and Australian culture:

How to tell if you’re a bogan or a snob?

---