The Day before Tragedy

On the 25th of October 1878, Ned, possibly joined by Joe, rides south across Toombullup to visit Johnny Byrne, a distant relative of Joe. Near the Byrne home, possibly alerted by Johnny, they discover the tracks of police horses heading deep into the ranges. Later, as the sun begins its decent over the North East, … Continue reading The Day before Tragedy →

Sluicing for Gold

After the tragedy of April 1878, Joe joined the Kelly brothers in making whisky at Bullock Creek in the Wombat Ranges. Previous to this, he had aided them in their sluicing enterprise, with Ned asserting it had been making them ‘good wages.’ However, now, more than ever, even more money was needed, and the young … Continue reading Sluicing for Gold →