The Ned Kelly Encyclopaedia
Australian History Biography True Crime Criminology Historical Reference Outlaw History Encyclopedic Reference
The Ned Kelly Encyclopaedia by Justin Corfield is the ultimate one-volume reference for anyone fascinated by Australia’s most mythologised outlaw. Published in 2003 by Hachette Australia and now a sought-after vintage hardcover, this 525-page illustrated A-to-Z contains more than 1,300 alphabetically-arranged entries covering every person, place, weapon, trial, legend and artefact connected to the Kelly Gang. From the armour’s metallurgy to the location of Stringybark Creek, each entry is cross-referenced and sourced, turning the chaotic folklore into an orderly, fact-checkable map of the era.
What makes this copy especially collectible is its condition: a clean, very-good hardcover protected by its original dust jacket, free of inscriptions, ex-libris plates or smoke odour—ideal for both scholars and gift-givers. The generous use of period photographs, maps and courtroom sketches brings the 1870s Victorian bush to life, allowing readers to see the faces, homesteads and evidence that shaped the saga. Young adults researching a school project and adults building a serious Australiana library will appreciate the depth: bushranger statistics, police pay scales, even the subsequent cinematic portrayals of Ned are all here.
Because the book is now out of print, intact first editions have become scarce. Owning this reference means never having to trawl through scattered websites or biased memoirs again—every verified date, quote and location sits on your shelf in a single, dust-jacketed volume. Whether you’re tracing family connections to the goldfields, writing historical fiction, or simply indulging a love of true-crime narratives, The Ned Kelly Encyclopaedia delivers authoritative, quick-access answers while still inviting long, serendipitive browsing sessions under the lamplight.
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