By MICK ROBERTS ©
THE Glenrowan Inn where the bushranger Ned Kelly’s ‘last stand’ took place in 1880 is arguably Australia’s most infamous pub.
While the history of bushranger Ned Kelly is well documented, the story of the Glenrowan Inn and its host, Ann Jones, just over 230km north-east of Melbourne, near the Warby Ranges of Victoria, has been largely untold.
Now a vacant paddock, where the pub once traded has been probed and prodded by countless historians, archaeologists and enthusiasts fascinated by the infamous bushranger. It’s the pub, and Mrs Jones though, that takes my interest.
The timber inn traded for less than two years, although many histories wrongly state that it was rebuilt and traded as a hotel after it was reduced to ashes in Ned Kelly’s 1880 last stand. While it did continue to provide accommodation after it was rebuilt, its days as a licensed hotel ended with the Kelly siege.
Here’s my take on the history of the Glenrowan Inn, and its best-known publican, Ann Jones.
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Read the Time Gents’ story about when the publican of the Glenrowan Hotel reportedly received the surprise of his life in 2011 when he collected his regular mail – a letter from the Australian Electoral Commission, addressed to “Edward Kelly, Glenrowan Pub”. See story: Ned Kelly’s not on the roll.
‘Didyano’ Pub & Beer Trivia
DIDAYNO #230: The term ‘beer-sparrer’ was commonly used Australian slang from the 1890s through to the 1950s to refer to a person who ‘bludged’ or ‘sponged’ a glass of beer from another person in the pub.
For more Time Gents pub and beer trivia visit HERE
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Categories: PREMIUM CONTENT, Publicans, Victoria hotels
Wonderful article, one of the best I have seen on Glenrowan. A great read. Sorry I could not leave $2 as I was obliged to open a paypal account which is not convenient
A wonderful account of the Wine Cafe and the Jones Smith families. I don’t have a pay pal account
I believe that the site of the Inn is still in the ownership of the Briggs family. It was not sold as claimed in this story in 2017.
Jane Jones did not die from a wound received at the Glenrowan siege. She received a graze to her forehead from a stray bullet. Her death some two years after was unrelated to that wound.