Analysis of at least 2 primary sources
Ned Kelly Armour - Primary Source Analysis
<< Picture on the left is taken by Jarrett G. @ State Library of Melbourne. Taken on Melbourne Gaol/State Library History Excursion. Subject to Copyright.
The armour on the left, is the original armour worn by Ned Kelly in his final battle at Glenrowan. It consist of 2 shoulder pads, body plates covering the front, and back, as well as a helmet, with holes for the eyes to see, and a hip pad strapped from the body plate. There are side pads to cover the upper arms.
It is made of plough, some leather and some parts are strapped together by wires. There is a dent that is INSIDE-OUT, this is due to a test, done by the Kelly Gang to make sure the armour was bullet proof, it was shot from the inside, before the final battle. There are also several bullet indentation, due to the vigorous amount of police shooting at Ned Kelly in the siege at Glenrowan.
The armour was very heavy, weighting 41.4KG in total. This did not help him in the final battle, for a number of reasons.
Ned Kelly was excellent in 2 things, it was horse riding, and using a shotgun rifle. However, due to the sheer weight of the armour, it increased the difficulty to ride and control a horse. Also, the weight of the side upper arm plates forced him to use a carbine revolver, instead of a shotgun rifle, which requires two hands to function properly, and to aim properly. This two important aspects which he was excellent at was taken away from him. The weight also made it much harder to move about, lowering his flexibility. This severely reduced his effectiveness in battle.
In battle, the weight is also impractical because the wounds and gun shots to his vulnerable parts which as his leg, which is not protected, are shot.. this wounds makes Ned weaker, and therefore makes it harder to carry and support the weight. Therefore, this armour shows how he fell in battle.
Ned Kelly Carbine Shotgun Rifle Analysis
Ned Kelly's Shotgun Rifle Analysis -
This is Ned's favorite shotgun rifle he named "Betty", the shotgun was one of the few robbed from the robbery in Euroa. This rifle was not used in the Glenrowan siege, because the shoulder pads as well as the side arm pads reduced his capability to aim and function the rifle properly.
When this rifle was stolen from the bank, it quickly became Ned's favorite. This .577 Snider-Enfield carbine rifle had a "K" initial, carved by Ned Kelly himself.
Some say this was meant to show his love for his sister, whose name is Kate, others say it is a little more than to just a symbol of sibling love, but more to show his love for a certain lady.
Picture on the left taken by Jarrett G @ Melbourne State Library. Subject to copyright. Ned Kelly's armour, carbine rifle, and his boot in dimmed lights.
Ned Kelly's original armour & Ned Kelly's shotgun carbine rifle "Betty" and one of his boot, worn at the time of his death, at the Glenrowan siege.
From State Library History Excursion.
