BENALLA
#enjoybenalla
At a Glance
Benalla was central to the story as the headquarters of the manhunt involving a large force of rural and metropolitan police, informers and indigenous trackers from Queensland.
The search for the outlaws covered vast tracts of the ranges and border area, often in the face of hostile conditions, public criticism and undermined by misinformation from ‘Kelly sympathisers’.
Ned Kelly often visited the town, both for recreation and legal matters. He first appeared in the (former) Benalla Courthouse in 1869 as a 14-year-old accused of assaulting a Chinese immigrant (charges dismissed). Behind the courthouse is the holding cell where he and his associates waited for trial.
In April 1877, he was held at Benalla police station on charges of being drunk and disorderly. On the short walk to court he broke free of his police escort which included constables Alexander Fitzpatrick (involved in a later altercation with the Kelly family at Greta) and Thomas Lonigan who was one of the
three policemen murdered by Kelly and his Gang at Stringybark Creek. Kelly escaped into a nearby bootmaker & saddler’s shop where an all-out brawl occurred and Kelly was eventually subdued, cuffed and taken to court.
Captured at Glenrowan two years later, Ned was held in Benalla enroute to his hearing at Beechworth in a small portable cell now permanently displayed at the Benalla Costume and Kelly Museum along with the green sash presented to him at Avenel for bravery. Note, the museum is currently closed for major renovations, reopening 2023.
Explore Benalla & Surrounds
A thriving regional centre on the Broken River, Benalla is the gateway to Victoria’s High Country. See a fantastic range of large-scale artworks by leading Australian and international street artists throughout the town and along the North East Victoria Silo Art trail and Winton Wetlands.
The Benalla Art Gallery is also one of the best in regional Australia. Its collection includes a tapestry of the siege of Glenrowan from the Ned Kelly series by Sidney Nolan and notable colonial and contemporary Australian artists from Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton to Emily Kame Kngwarreye and Destiny Deacon.
Historic Sites
- The Old Courthouse
- Old Bootmaker and Saddler Shop
- Benalla Cemetery – Gang member Joe Byrne was buried here in an unmarked grave (now defined) after the siege at Glenrowan. Martin Cherry, killed in the crossfire and Dr John Nicholson, who treated Ned’s bullet wounds and retrieved the green sash are also buried here as well as Qld Native Mounted Policeman, Corporal Sambo.
- The Commercial Hotel (currently closed)
- Benalla Costume and Kelly Museum.
Getting to Benalla
Drive 212 km, about 2 hours 20 minutes via M31 Hume Fwy. VLine train from Southern Cross Melbourne to Benalla Station.
Visitor Information
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