Above left:Dan Kelly chatting to Jack Allen at The Redbank Hotel in 1935. A copy of this newspaper (The Truth)can be obtained from the John Oxley Library, Brisbane. Above right: the author's grandfather, Jack Allen, photographed in 'Truth' newspaper in 1935 when he came forward and identified Dan Kelly as the man he had known as the member of the Ned Kelly Gang. Other people also identified Dan Kelly. There is even a 1933 Cinesound News interview with Dan Kelly availableon video.

Vince Allen states that Grandfather knew the Kelly's well, being a contemporary. It was though him that Vince's father Oscar - and Vince - met some Kelly descendants as well as Dan Kelly. After Jack and Dan were reunited in 1935, the two old men chatted away about the old days while Vince and his older cousin, Paddy, would listen at the door. Paddy, proud of the fact that he had a real live bushranger at his house, avidly took notes of the conversations to tell the boys at school. Later, when Oscar and Vince visited Dan where he was living at Main Junction, Brisbane, Dan told them more of his life story. The story in the book has been compiled from Paddy's notes, visits with Dan, and the Allen family oral history. Although Dan told the Allens that he'd had a special girl, 'Mary',in the book, is a fictionalised character. The book tells Dan Kelly's story as related by him. The book is registered as a work of fiction because it is Dan's story, and isn't, as yet, verified.

Of course it's different from recorded accounts! Dan wanted to tell his side of the argument.

Some interesting testimonies from different sources -

Among some of the people who met Dan Kelly both before and after the inferno at Glenrowan were two shearers, Duncan Cameron and James Murty. James Murty and his uncle, Duncan Cameron were shearing at Togglemayne Station (nr Hay) when they met Ned and Dan Kelly. It was about 1876, Ned was shearing and Dan was tar boy and they worked together for several seasons. Later they went shearing in Northern new South Wales and, after reporting to the manager, they were on their way to their hut when they heard - "Well, Jim and Dunk - how are you both?" It was Dan Kelly, and both men, thinking that Dan had died in the fire, stared at him in amazement. From An Autobiography or Tales and Legends of Canberra Pioneers by Samuel Shumack (Weetangerra). This is a large book and tells many stories and intricate details of sheep and cattle men, bushrangers, families from around 1840 to the 1920's. Well worth reading.

In Horsemen Bold, by Donald Hambleton Johnson, an interview was conducted with Mr Theo Walker in 1985. His father was Thomas Walker who was born in the Glenrowan area in 1857.
Thomas had run into Dan Kelly (whom he had known in his youth, at a Dalby horse sale. He had told his son, "Well you never know who you are going to run into, do you?" It was some time later when he told his son, Theo, that he had met Dan Kelly,member of the Ned Kelly Gang at that horse sale in Dalby. In 1935 Mrs Walker was visiting at the Ipswich Hospital when she was directed to an old man who was a patient there. He was Dan Kelly, and Mrs Walker spent some time verifying his story.There are other testimonies and Statutory Declarations in this book which state Dan Kelly survived the fire and went on to live a long life under the alias of Jack Day.

John Harris, alive today and living at Ferniview, Fernvale,nr. Ipswich. He states Dan Kelly camped on his property around 1946, building himself a hut from the old bitumen drums left behind after the highway was put through. John, after going to collect the bread left by Lowood bakers with his father, used to sit on the old man’s knee. Dan showed them his burns, and his brand. Prior to that Dan went under the name of Ryan. John tells the story how Dan was going to show himself at a sideshow when the police arrived and forbade the sideshow to state that this man was Dan Kelly (the sideshow was following Worth’s Circus). The owner of Worth’s Circus (Grandfather Worth) went to see Dan, and identified him as Ned Kelly’s brother, having known the Kellys prior to 1880.

A lady, alive today and living in Toowoomba, remembers meeting Dan Kelly near Fernvale in the 1940’s. He used to come to her father’s farm and have cups of tea.

7th December 2002 My name is Kaye Logan Rule. I remember my father George Alfred Rule telling me stories about The Kelly Gang. One such was about a dispute over the ownership of a rifle between Dan Kelly and my grandfatherJoseph Henry Rule.To settle the dispute grandfather and Dan Kelly had a fight behind the pub. Ned Kelly was the referee. Grandfather won the fight. My father also made reference to our family owning a sawmill and that Ned Kelly worked at this mill. Years after the supposed death of Dan Kelly my great uncle Jim Rule, was at an auction when his name was called by the auctioneer the man standing to my uncle asked if he was related to Joseph Rule and made reference to my uncle about the fight he had with him over the rifle. My uncle believed this man to be Dan Kelly.

Grandfather is Rule is shown in the background, Kaye's father is shown on the right.

Testimonies from present day people are currently being collated - watch here for new developments