Body of infamous Aussie outlaw Ned Kelly found

The headless remains of the infamous Australian outlaw Ned Kelly have finally been identified, officials said Thursday, solving a mystery dating back more than 130 years.

Considered by some to be a cold-blooded killer, Kelly was also seen as a folk hero and symbol of Irish-Australian defiance against the British authorities.

After murdering three policemen, he was captured in Victoria state in 1880 and hanged at Old Melbourne Gaol in November of the same year. But his body went missing after it was thrown into a mass grave.

The bodies in the grave were transferred from the jail to Pentridge Prison in 1929 and then exhumed again in 2009. The investigation into Kelly began when a skull believed to be his -- and stolen in 1978 -- was rediscovered.

I read "A Fatal Shore" years ago. The Irish "currency" always
wanted to go back to Ireland, whereas the Scots were happy
to be relatively free of the monarchy, not to mention a fresh
start and land.

Any way, one of the more infamous Irish criminals escaped with a
handful of other convicts, and tried to walk to China (and
people think education is bad today...).

The getaway part of the escape plan fell apart when the food ran
out and they started eating one another.

The survivors ended back in prison, and yet, the cannibalism taint
notwithstanding, at least one prisoner went along with the
known cannibal's next escape.

On a lark, my wife and I decided to take the 2 kids to Melbourne for a 10 day vacation last month, We reasoned that since it was winter over there the weather would be delightful. It was, 60’s during the day, 40’s at night. Also, due to it being winter, crowds were small. We stayed at a golf course condo on the Mornington Peninsula, $500 for 7 nights. We also stayed 2 nights in Melbourne itself for a reasonable price.

The bottom line is that it was wonderful. The people are modest, shy, and very pleasant. They love Americans and most of their TV is recycled US shows, American and London news, and even American sports. I watched a National Baseball League game live. The people are sports fanatics including Australian Rules Football, Rugby, and even baseball. There is a six team major league which plays in their summer. My son and I went to an Aussie Rules Footbasll game at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds (MCG) and were totally delighted. The city of Melbourne itself was bustling like no American City I have seen in a long time. The biggest challenge was learning to drive on the left, which I found difficult, especially at first.

The sights included very interesting city neighborhoods, the Mornington Peninsula with its beaches, ocean, and small beach towns, Kangaroos, Koalas, Penquins, and other interesting animals. The suburbs and homes are beautiful and the countryside is very charming. For your information, there is no dry, dusty outback near Melbourne. The environment is very pleasant and green. Just yesterday, Melbourne was named as the most liveable city in the world. Based on our wonderful vacation, I can certainly understand why it was selected for this honor. In conclusion, a vacation to Melbourne is highly recommended to all Freepers.

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