VILLAIN or victim, criminal or crusader, Ned Kelly exercises a powerful hold on the minds of many Australians.
Such is the legend’s grip that it has given rise to an entire “Kellyana” tourist trail stretching from Glenrowan to Old Melbourne Gaol and points in between.
Now another stop on the trail is about to get some special attention: the cottage just north of Melbourne built by Ned’s father John “Red” Kelly, where the bushranger briefly lived with his parents and five siblings as a boy.
The state government has announced $1 million in funding for the home on Kelly Street, Beveridge, with a view to opening it to the public once urgent repair work has been completed. Talks are also are under way to buy the property from the land owners.
A spokeswoman said the ultimate hope was to provide an interactive display telling the story of Ned Kelly from both the good side of the legend and the bad.
There was also an opportunity to examine the broader experience of Irish Australians during the colonial era.
Red Kelly was an Irish convict sent to Tasmania for stealing two pigs, and following his seven-year sentence, he found work around Donnybrook and Kilmore. He built the house in 1860, originally comprising just three rooms, when Ned was five.
Although the family only lived there for four years before moving to Avenel, near Seymour, historians say the home is significant for various other reasons.
Not only is its construction similar to a traditional Irish cottage, but other elements, such as bush poles, roof detailing, shingles, guttering and a lack of eaves, make it unique.
Nevertheless, time is of the essence. A Heritage Victoria audit found the building was in serious disrepair, with the structure slumping, verandah posts rotting and downpipes and guttering no longer working.
Heritage Victoria will oversee the restoration work, drawing on traditional trade skills and finishes to protect and enhance the integrity of the property. Archaeological digs around the site are planned.
The home will become part of a local heritage trail that has been drafted by the Victorian Planning Authority as part of a plan to open up 290 hectares of land north of Beveridge to new housing.
