BIO

DAVE WHITE.

The story of the Kelly Gang is one of the richest and most fascinating parts of Australian history. Yet the saga in general is full of contradictions, as speculation and arguments abound all the way from Ned Kelly's cradle to his grave! Each person who has ever put pen to paper (or stroked a key) perceives the same part of our history in a different way or from a different angle and this is not unique to the Kelly story. The siege of Glenrowan (or 'Last Stand') is equally confusing in that with so many versions of what occurred, one wonders what the truth actually is. I will do my best to present what I believe is the truth.
Apart from my words, I shall be presenting contemporary newspaper accounts, police reports, eyewitness statements and the like. Where applicable I have included text from various modern authors, however I keep this to a minimum since it is always better to get the full facts from the original sources. For me, Glenrowan was witness to the most exciting part of the Kelly story and it was Ned's defining moment in history. I do not concern myself here with how and why the gang became outlaws, nor do I involve myself in the debate of good versus evil. My aim is simply to present to you, the reader, the story of Glenrowan and let each individual make up his or her own mind. It is my hope that people of all ages, especially school children, will make use of this site to assist them in learning about the siege and perhaps one day, they, like me, will become hooked on Australian history. Also, If you are planning a visit to Glenrowan, perhaps you can get some idea of what to expect in the modern day tourist-oriented town it has become as you read my pages.
My connection in history with the Kelly story is a simple one. My Great-Great-Grandfather, Peter McCaskill, (Carbost Isle of Skye) owned the first pub in Numurkah. (pic to left is the pub after an addition and new owner) He was the founder of that town and my Grandmother told me that her mother has said that the Kelly Gang visited the hotel and that they were well known and respected there. What would any of them have thought of all this fuss so many years down the track? My background on the internet in regards to the Kelly story prior to this site were the Ned Kelly websites Ironoutlaw & Bailup. I contributed freelance articles to both sites for many years. Prior to the previously mentioned sites I operated a site titled 'Kelly Gang Errors' hosted free by About.com. I covered errors in the Kelly story including, books, film, newspapers, merchandising, use of Ned's image and much more. It was a very popular site and a precursor to what was to follow. In more recent times I have written the historical text for a Kelly book on the analysis of the handwriting of Ned Kelly & Joe Byrne.

In the pre-internet days, I spent many years in an attempt to build up a solid foundation of Kelly Gang knowledge by haunting the State Archives (doing hours upon hours of research) and by amassing a personal library chockfull of books on Australian history with an emphasis on the Kelly story. Even now, I am still learning new things everyday! I hope that some of you will learn some new things right along with me. If this site has been of help to any of you, especially the students, please feel free to let me know.
I hope all who stop by here enjoy their visit.

Dave White.