Australian History
Monday, February 10, 1879. : Ned Kelly’s famous Jerilderie letter is penned.
Early in February 1879, Ned Kelly and his gang rode into the small town of Jerilderie, located in the Riverina area of southern New South Wales. After robbing the bank of some two thousand pounds, Ned Kelly then dictated a letter to gang member Joe Byrne, which became the infamous “Jerilderie letter”, one of just two surviving original documents from Ned Kelly. Kelly sought to have the letter published as a pamphlet by the local newspaper editor, so that others could see how he had apparently been mistreated.
The Jerilderie letter outlined a number of Ned Kelly’s concerns and grievances about the way he had been treated by police, and what he believed were injustices in how his actions had been perceived. In the letter, Kelly tried to justify his criminal activity, and outlined his own version of events leading to the murder of three policemen at Stringybark Creek the previous October. He also alleged police corruption, outlining evidence for his argument, and called for justice for families struggling with financial difficulties – as his own had done. The letter began:
“I have been wronged and my mother and four or five men lagged innocent and is my brothers and sisters and my mother not to be pitied also who has no alternative only to put up with the brutal and cowardly conduct of a parcel of big ugly fat-necked wombat headed big bellied magpie legged narrow hipped splaw-footed sons of Irish Bailiffs or english landlords which is better known as Officers of Justice or Victorian Police…”
In essence, the missive was an expansion of a letter Ned Kelly had written previously to Victorian parliamentarian Donald Cameron and Victorian police in December 1878, also outlining his version of the events at Stringybark Creek. Kelly’s pleas for understanding were dismissed: thus, Kelly sought to elicit sympathisers among a new audience. The Jerilderie letter contained some 8000 words, and went on for 56 pages. A copy was made by publican John Hanlon, and another by a government clerk: the original and both handwritten copies have survived. It was first referred to as the ‘Jerilderie Letter’ by author Max Brown in his biography of Kelly, “Australian Son”, written in 1948.
Australian History
Monday, February 10, 1964. : 82 men are killed as the HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Voyager collide off the New South Wales coast.
The HMAS Melbourne was the lead ship of her class of aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy. Originally named the HMS Majestic, she was launched on 28 February 1945, and renamed the HMAS Melbourne on 28 October 1955. The HMAS Voyager was a Daring class destroyer, launched on 1 May 1952.
On the night of 10 February 1964, both Melbourne and Voyager were conducting flying operations about 30 kilometres off Jervis Bay in southern New South Wales. Voyager was acting as a rescue ship in order to pick up the crew of any aircraft which might fall into the sea during landing on or taking off from the Melbourne. Voyager was just under a kilometre astern of Melbourne so that when the latter reversed her course it was necessary for Voyager to transfer her position from ahead to astern. In doing so, Voyager cut across the bows of Melbourne and was cut in half, with the forward half sinking almost immediately. Whilst there was no loss of life on the Melbourne, Voyager lost 82 personnel.
World History
Tuesday, February 10, 0060. : The apostle Paul is shipwrecked on Malta.
The apostle St Paul was an Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin, a tent-maker and a Pharisee. The Pharisees were an ancient Jewish religious group who interpreted and practised strict adherence to the law of Moses. Prior to his conversion, Paul (then Saul) was responsible for the persecution of many Christians, and for trying to stamp out the fledgling Christian group. He is mentioned in the Biblical book of Acts as being present and approving at the stoning of Stephen, Christianity’s first martyr. Saul underwent a spectacular conversion while travelling along the road to Damascus. He was blinded by a brilliant light, accompanied by the voice of Jesus, rebuking him for his persecution and instructing him to continue on to Damascus. Here, he was tended by a Christian named Ananias.
Upon the completion of Saul’s conversion, his sight was returned to him, and he became Paul, one of Christendom’s most avid missionaries, enduring hardship, torture and imprisonment for the sake of his Lord. 10 February 60 A.D. is, in Christian tradition, the day when the apostle Paul was shipwrecked on the island of Malta. The story is told in Acts chapters 27 and 28. During Paul’s three-month stay in Malta, he converted many Maltese to Christianity, one of them being Publius, whose father’s illness Paul cured. Publius was later appointed Bishop of Malta. By the 3rd Century A.D., Christianity had become the accepted religion among most of the Maltese people.
World History
Monday, February 10, 1840. : Queen Victoria marries Prince Albert.
England’s Queen Victoria was born on 24 May 1819 at Kensington Palace in London, the daughter of Edward, duke of Kent (fourth son of George III), and Princess Mary Louise Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Although christened Alexandrina Victoria, from birth she was formally styled Her Royal Highness Princess Victoria of Kent. Victoria’s father died when she was less than a year old. Her grandfather, George III, died less than a week later. Princess Victoria’s uncle, the Prince of Wales, inherited the Crown, becoming King George IV. When George IV died in 1830, he left the throne to his brother, the Duke of Clarence and St Andrews, who became King William IV.
Victoria was recognised as heiress-presumptive to the British throne, and she succeeded her uncle, William IV, to the throne at the age of 18. Three years after her succession, on 10 February 1840, she married her cousin Prince Albert, the son of Ernest I, duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, who was of Wettin lineage. Albert was deeply devoted to his wife and children. Although he was initially unpopular, being regarded as an “outsider”, he soon won over the English people with his diplomacy and measured response to crises. The marriage lasted 21 years, until Albert’s death in 1861.