Built in 1858 at a cost of 3,740 pound. Closed in 1989 after 131 years of continual service. Joe appeared here on two occasions. The original furniture fittings are still in the building, including the prisoners dock and cells. The court house contains a sounds cape of trial proceedings from actual 19th century cases. Story boards and radio recordings offer an insight into the court and it's people

TOURISM | SIEGE SITE | ACCOMMODATION | ATTRACTIONS | FOOD

Welcome to the tourism section of Joe Online, here I will point you in the right direction, of the sites where Joe, and or the gang, trotted along, lived upon or simply robbed upon. Even knowing Joe departed this world over 120 years ago, his memories, like his legend, live on, and continue to grow stronger each and every day. Read on to discover the sites, you will not regret!
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SITE OF AARON SHERRITTS DEATH HUT.

The Woolshed, home of Joe Byrne and Aaron Sherritt, this magnificent spot in the world, loved so much by Joe and Aaron, was, although hard to believe it may seem, a huge bustling town of over 4,000 residents. 

The picture to your right, is the site of Aaron's death hut, Aaron was shot dead here by Joe Byrne, the small tree, marks the back door, of Aaron's hut.

The route to this site is very easy to find, head out of Beechworth, towards the cemetery end of town, you will drive past the route to the Woolshed valley turn left here, keep on going, until you come to a left - right intersection, turn right here, keep on going, you are now only about three hundred meters from the hut, remember you might think you are beating around the bush, you are going the right way. 

First thing you will notice is the Lilly's planted by Belle Barry, Aaron's 15 - year old wife, there is plenty of them, so you will notice them.

More information phone Mike: 0401 274 730

SITE OF THE BYRNE HOMESTEAD

This site is on private property, so unfortunately I cannot give you directions, but, this site and personally, is my favourite, is the most spectacular, of all the Kelly gang sites, it still mesmerizes me how little - known about Joe Byrne is, this land, is never walked on, besides the owners of the property, who, I must say, are great people, they are never bugged about people asking about going on the property, simply, because, no - one really is interested in Joe, this is the prime reason I am setting up a website, about Joe. 

The picture on the right, is Mike, the webmaster, standing on the remarkable site , in which are the remains of Byrne stables. The remains, are more than likely old bricks of granite, which have rotted away over the years.

Okay, this site isn't really in the Byrne Country, but, Joe was here on Saturday October 26th 1878, when three policemen, Lonigan, Scanlon & Kennedy were shot dead by Joe and the gang.
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Evidence points to that Joe shot Constable Scanlon after he was blown from his horse by Ned, which means, if this evidence is correct, our history books need to be re - written! Mc Intrye, the only Police survivor of the Stringybark creek shoot - out, he must have assumed Ned shot Scanlon, but as Ian Jones Clearly points out in " Ned Kelly: A Short Life " Ian states: 

Ned was 30 yards away, Steve was 40 yards away with Ned Kennedy and Mc Intrye between him and Scanlon; Dan had just been wounded; Joe was no more than 12 or 14 yards away to Scanlon's right. He probably fired the fatal shot straight into the wounded troopers exposed right side as he raised his arm to try and un - sling the Spencer

The site of the Stringybark creek shoot - out, today, is very hard to find, but the tourist spot ' The Kelly Tree ' is very easy to find. Of course the ' Kelly Tree ' is not in the correct position.

For more Information phone Mike: 0401 274 730

The shoot - out site at Glenrowan, is clearly mapped out for the thousands of tourists who flock to Glenrowan each year. The siege site, which ended in the deaths of the two youngest members of the gang, and also Joe, who was the first killed, during the siege.
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Joe, who fell crying the immortal words:

 Here's to many more days in the bush, for the Kelly Gang!  

He then dropped, a bullet blow, to the groin splitting Femoral Artery, and more than likely, the femoral nerve. James Reardon who lay, close to Joe, accounted:
I heard him drop like a log, and he never groaned or anything, and I could hear like blood gushing  

The bullets that hit Joe had blown there way all through the bar in the Inn, a bullet struck at an old Grand Father clock in the next room, it began chiming like mad. Joe was dead.

A day later Joe was seen strung up on the Benalla lock - up door (see our lock - up section for more), to be photo graphed, this sickly spectacle, just proves how desperate the authorities were to capture these four brave men.

The site of the Siege is the utter easiest to be found; walking over the overpass in main street Glenrowan, you are confronted by the replica Ann Joe's Inn, and the replica railway station. Also the place or area I should say where Ned Kelly was captured. The webmaster, has nick - named the bushy tree, in the Centrex of the Ann Jones Inn allotment, as Joe's second tree because it is where I personally believe Joe was laying in this area.

Touring this spot is self - guided, everything is very clearly mapped out. 

Glenrowan was described in The Australian Handbook, 1903, as -

At the foot of the Warby Ranges at Taminick, Bailey's and Booth's vineyards were established before the turn of the century, along with some fruit orchards. Bailey's became renowned for fortified wines, particularly muscat, and Booths for high-baume red table wines.


Glenrowan is situated between forested ranges - Warby Ranges and Mt. Glenrowan to the north and a forested range to the south. The road and railway line curve northwards between the ranges, and the town's new settlement has followed the northwards curve. The new settlement is Hamilton Park, and contains several water storages. The original township near the railway station has the school, two churches, a recreation reserve and shops with the tourist attractions.
Glenrowan's census populations have been:
12 (1861), 125 (1891), 320 (1911) and 200 (1981).

For more information phone Mike: 0401 274 730

 

After Aaron's murder, Joe and Dan rode to Glenrowan to eventually being destructed, and before 3 pm Monday June 28th, Dan, Joe and Steve were dead. Ned was captured and taken to Melbourne, and eventually hung on the 11th of November at 10am.
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Two day dead body of Joe was hung on the Benalla lock - up police station door to be photographed, (Check out our " Lock-up " section for more) Then on Tuesday June 29th Joe was thrown in a hessian bag, and buried in an un-marked grave in Benalla Cemetery.
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Joe was being buried around the time of his life long mate, Aaron Sherritt, when Aaron was buried in the Beechworth Cemetery, in an unmarked grave also. Aaron's father, John Sherritt, was buried next to his beloved son Aaron, and John, also wanted to be buried in an unmarked grave to be with Aaron.
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Ned, ended up in the Melbourne gaol yard, after his execution was wheeled across, on a trolley, to the gaol's dead house, and was literally hacked to bits, removing most of his vital organs. His body was then ' dug up ' in 1929 during the destruction of the gaol walls, his carcass was then moved to Pentridge prison.
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The two youngest members of the gang, Dan and Steve, where buried in the Greta Cemetery, by family and close friends, they were the only two of the four gang members to receive proper burial.
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BEECHWORTH COURTHOUSE

Built in 1858 at a cost of 3,740 pound. Closed in 1989 after 131 years of continual service. Joe appeared here on two occasions.
The original furniture fittings are still in the building, including the prisoners dock and cells.
The court house contains a sounds cape of trial proceedings from actual 19th century cases. Story boards and radio recordings offer an insight into the court and it's people

 

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Beechworth Courthouse 94 Ford street Beechworth

Phone (03) 5728 2721 Fax (03) 5728 2767