Essendon, the town

...a place in the KellyGang story 

Areas

Location

northern suburb of Melbourne On the main railway line from Melbourne to Benalla and north

Beginings

Essendon was on the way to the Ballarat and Bendigo gold fields

Importance of Essendon

Essendon was the start of the railway line out of Melbourne to Wodonga (Argus31/1/71) (Argus20/11/73)

What was Essendon like in the late 1870s

Essendon was a farming community on the outskirts of Melbourne. It was on the main railway line north.
Today the railway line takes a more direct route north but in the 1870 crossing the dividing range was a difficult task and the railway line took a more westerly parth out of Melbourne.
The railway line was opened (Argus3/9/72)

Facilities in Essendon in the late 1870s

Links to the KellyGang

Dr Turner at Essendon treated a tracker for erysipelas after the Glenrowan Siege
Hon John T Smith, Ass Com Nicolson and Insp O'Connor's father in law, lived at Essendon

Inspector O'Connor and the trackers caught the train to the Glenrowan Siege from Essendon on the night of 27/6/1880. (Age29/6/1880) (Argus29/6/1880) (Argus5/7/80)

Members of the Essendon community

 

 

 

 

 

What happened at Essendon after the time of the Kelly Gang

Essendon airport was Melbourne's major airport for many years

privacy policy
19-aug-10

What is happening at Essendon today - linked to the Kelly Country and Ned Kelly's story

See the local historical society http://home.vicnet.net.au/~ess

Enjoy this wonderful part of our history, but Please respect the privacy of the current owners