Ned Kelly's Letter to Sergeant Babington as a 15 year old Ned Kelly's Letter to Sergeant Babington as a 15 year old

This is a letter written by a young Edward Kelly, the famous Australian bushranger Ned Kelly. After Ned's father's death in 1866, the family moved to Eleven-Mile Creek, in the Greta District, Victoria, to be closer to his mother's family. In 1869, at the age of fourteen, Ned was arrested for the first time and charged with assault and robbery, but was later discharged. During the Kellys’ time at Eleven-Mile Creek, Ned became acquainted with the popular bushranger, Harry Powers, who taught him the ways of highway robbery and bushranging. Eventually, Ned joined Harry as his young apprentice. This ill-fated alliance was to eventually lead to Ned’s second arrest. Ned was charged with two counts of highway robbery and as an accomplice of Harry Powers. The initial charges were dismissed and Ned was remanded to Kyneton to face his second charge. During his three-week stay at Kyneton, Ned met Sergeant James Babington, who was kind enough to pay for Ned’s accommodation in Kyneton. Upon his release, Ned returned to Greta, near Eleven-Mile Creek, and wrote Sergeant Babington this letter as a way of showing his appreciation.