Ned Kelly and his gang are Australia's most famous bushrangers. Pursued by police for robbery and murder, Ned Kelly was finally captured after a gun fight with police at Glenrowan. His gang members died during the siege and Kelly himself was later hanged at the Melbourne Gaol on 11 November 1880.

The armour held by the State Library includes Ned Kelly's helmet, backplate, breastplate and shoulderplate. Crudely constructed from parts of ploughs, pieces of leather, and iron bolts, the armour was assembled and tested by the gang in the year before the Glenrowan raid.

View a video that takes you inside the armour [5:48min, 15.97MB Flash file] >