Benalla Police Station

...a place in the KellyGang story 

Location

The Police station was about 100 metres from the Court House and 150 yards from the telegraph station (RC2453) see also (RC1336)

Beginings

The police station was established in 1838 after the massacre at Faithful's Creek in April of that year

Importance of the Benalla Police Station

The Benalla Station was the headquarters for the police in operation against the KellyGang and the headquarters for the North Eastern District. Sub Inspector Baber was incharge of the Benalla sub district. (RC118)

What was the Benalla Police Station like in the late 1870s

Facilities in the Benalla Police Station in the late 1870s

Up to at least 1878 there was a gold escort based in Benalla. While the train made the movement of gold safer, the police had always played a big role in moving gold from the mining areas down to Melbourne.

The movement of police to and from the station was watched by the sympathizers (RC9651)

Many of the police lived in the police barracks (RC3325)

In 1862 Chomley was appointed head of the Benalla police district
At the time of the hunt for the KellyGang Sup Sadleir commanded the district and Com Standish, Ass Com Nicolson and Sup Hare commanded the hunt for the KellyGang.

At the time of the murders SConst Maud was Sup Sadleir's clerk. (RC7136)

 

Links to the KellyGang

A group of aboriginal trackers were based at Benalla police station in 1870. One of these officers was used in the arrest of Harry Power.

On 17/9/1877 Ned Kelly was arrested by Const Fizpatrick and he spent the night in the cells under Const Day as the watch house keeper. Sgt Whelan was the officer in charge of the police at the station. Next morning Sgt Whelan and Const Fitzpatrick, Lonigan and Day had fun taking Ned Kelly from the police cells to the Court House.

Ned Kelly mentioned this incident in his Cameron Letter, he said:

'...I could not be more sorry for them, with the exception of Lonigan I did not begrudge him what bit of lead he got as he was the beastliest meanest man that I had any account against for him. I could not be more sorry for them, with the exception of Lonigan I did not begrudge him what bit of lead he got as he was the beastliest meanest man that I had any account against for him. Fitzpatrick, Sergeant Whelan, Constable Day and King, the Bootmaker, once tried to hand-cuff me at Benalla and when they could not Fitzpatrick tried to choke me, Lonigan caught me by the privates and would have killed me but was not able. Mr McInnes came up and I allowed him to put the hand-cuffs on when the police were bested.'

11-18/3/1879 O'Connor and the Quuensland trackers went out from the station on their first search party

At this time Sgt Whelan was incharge of the station at the time.
When Const Fitzpatrick went off to Mrs Kelly's there was only one mounted constable left. (RC12943)

District Restructured

In July 1878 the north eastern district was formed from parts of the old Mansfield, Beechworth and Kilmore districts. It had its head quarters at Benalla. The district was bounded from a line starting, say, from Wood's Point north-east to Tintaldra, 144 miles; thence west along the course of the Murray to Burmah, 160 miles; thence south to Whroo, 56 miles; and thence south-east to Wood's Point, the starting point, 100 miles. There are some 11,000 square miles altogether. More than half of that area is high mountain range. Sup Sadeir was put incharge of the district.. There are 49 police stations in the district and 100 police.(RC1718)

Sgt Kennedy and his party was tasked by Sup Sadleir from Benalla

After the murders Sup Sadleir ran the district and AssCom Nicolson ran the hunt for the KellyGang from the Benalla office

At the time of the Sebastopol cavalcade police were sent from Benalla by train (Argus11/11/78)

8 telegrams were despatched from the Benalla police office from 2 pm on the day of the bank robbery. None were delayed unduely. (RC2457)

Sgt Whelan and SConst Maud were incharge while Ass Com Nicolson and Sup Sadleir went off to Albury (RC2950)
SConst Maud sent telegrams to SConst James. (RC15511)
Mr Wyatt came to the Benalla police station at about 9.30pm and saw Sgt Whelan. (RC5957)
Det Ward arrived at Benalla 10pm (RC13843)

Const Anderson arrived from Euroa with news of the robbery at 11pm. (RC15494)

The party that went to start the search party included Det Ward (in charge) Consts Johnson, McDonnell, Hodgson, Graves, Barry, Bell, Hedberg, and Anderson and others,and two trackers. (RC5964)(RC11917)

Col Anderson spoke to Standish about use of army to protect banks. (Argus16/12/78)

27/9/1879 Sup Sadier issued standing orders if KellyGang attacked again. See orders for Milawa.

Watch parties of police at Maggie Skillion's place were run from Benalla

The only place where Nicolson was able to maintain a complete search party was kept was Benalla. (RC Story XII) (RC713)

In July Ass Com Nicolson started regular rifle practice for the officers stationed at Benalla. His men who took part were Sup Sadleir, SConst Irvine R, Consts Arthur, W Bell, Canny, Falkiner, Gascoigne, Graham, Hagger, Kirkham, Moore, Phillips, Ryan, Wallace, (RC1014)

Sup Sadlier and Insp O'Connor were present at Benalla on 2/6/1880 when Sup Hare replaced Ass Comm Nicolson.

On 24/6/1880 Insp O'Connor and the Queensland trackers left Benalla for Melbourne on their way home

After news of the murder came through Hare and Sadlier organised all the police in the area. Hare put together a party of police with the intention of going to Beechworth on the train with Insp O'Connor and the trackers.

When news came throught that the KellyGang was at Glenrowan Sup Sadleir took all the rest of the police in Benalla

Glenrowan Siege 28/6/1880

SConst Kelly spent most of the 27th getting ready to catch the train from Melboutne. Hare's party left Benalla on the train at about 1.30am on the 28th.

When Sadleir heard of the siege at Glenrowan he took off with his party to join the siege

Later
On the evening of the siege Ned Kelly and the body of Joe Byrne were brought to the police barracks by train.
Next day Ned Kelly was taken down to Melbourne on the train (SMH30/6/80)
Ned Kelly's armour was also brought down. It was viewed by a lot of people (Argus2/7/1880)
The six new trackers were stationed in Benalla (RC11031)

What is happened at the Station today

The police in Benalla today operate the station in a quite different way

 

 

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