Summary

Shoulder plate from Ned Kelly's armour, made in a makeshift bush forge in the area around Glenrowan in north-east Victoria from the mouldboards of ploughs between 1879-1880. Ned Kelly stated that 'without armour I could never have possibly robbed a guarded bank and disarmed police without taking life'.

Armour was made for each of the four members of the Kelly gang while they were on the run (Ned's was the prototype) and made it's most well known appearance during the siege at Glenrowan Hotel. The armour worked protecting the gang from bullets however it made it hard for them to run and shoot, being heavy and difficult to move it. It also made a symbolic statement that the gang's intention was to continue their life as outlaws.

Physical Description

Shoulder plate, manufactured from a rectangular sheet of metal, 5 mm thick. One side is semicircular in shape and the other two corners are rounded. The sides adjacent to the semicircular side are bent upwards to form a curved shape, reminiscent of a shovel head. Along the top edge, three circular holes are removed, to allow the shoulder plate to attach to the rest of the suit. The holes are 10 mm in diameter.

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