Ned Kelly: The Armored Bushranger Who Became Australia's Greatest Folk Hero

Ned Kelly wasn't just an outlaw - he was a working-class hero who took on the entire police force wearing homemade metal armor that made him look like a medieval knight. When Australian police came to arrest him in 1880, they found themselves in a legendary shootout against a man bullets couldn't stop.

Kelly and his gang crafted full suits of armor from stolen plow blades, complete with helmets and chest plates that weighed 96 pounds. During the final siege at Glenrowan, Ned walked through a hail of police bullets like a tank, taking over 20 hits before finally being brought down by shots to his unprotected legs. His last words before hanging? "Such is life."

But Ned wasn't just a criminal - he was a symbol of rebellion against corrupt police and the British class system oppressing Irish settlers. His famous Jerilderie Letter laid out his grievances in eloquent detail, turning him into a political revolutionary as much as a bushranger. He robbed banks, killed three policemen, and held entire towns hostage, yet became so beloved that 30,000 people signed a petition to save him from the gallows.

This episode explores how a poor Irish-Australian farm boy became the country's most famous outlaw, why he's still a cultural icon today, and the incredible final standoff that cemented his legend.

Keywords: weird history, Ned Kelly, Australian history, bushrangers, outlaws, Australian outlaws, armored outlaws, Wild West history, folk heroes, Irish Australian history, 1880s Australia

Perfect for listeners who love: outlaw stories, Australian history, epic last stands, folk heroes, and rebels who fought the system.

Another legendary episode from Weird History - where outlaws become icons.