How many times do we hear "Is Ned Kelly in Heaven?"  Well in my latest book I identify as close as anyone can about Ned and Eternity.  The book is titled:  

“Australian Bushrangers, the Police, and God”.

It is factual story is about “Australian Bushrangers”, who had the opportunity to trust in God, either before, during or after capture.  The Australian bushranger may have committed what appear to be dreadful crimes, and as such they became outside of the law of the land.  This story is about just a few of these bushrangers, who have had the opportunity to trust in God, either before, during or after capture.  Most of these men committed the crime known as ‘Robbery Under Arms’ and as we have seen from the movie industry, the likes of the story ‘Robbery Under Arms’ is glamorised to the extent that we cannot but admire their exploits. 

These exploits that obtain our occasional admiration, were generally committed using firearms; they robbed folk whilst threatening them with a firearm.  Many and various are the crimes of bushrangers and they would have included cattle theft, horse stealing, stealing general goods such as food and clothing, shooting, attempted murder and murder. There are also instances where bushrangers have on occasion returned money to the victims, and even given away money and goods to needy folk. 

This very real and dangerous drama cannot be what it is, or what it was, without acknowledging the valiant and possibly more dangerous part played by the God consciousness, police and troopers, of the day.  During a trial of a bushranger a magistrate stated: “Take the case of these constables, were they not brave men also?  It is a strange thing that we hear little of the undoubted police bravery, yet, if there is the slightest courage shown by a bushranger, he is lauded as if he were a hero of romance”. 


The book also identifies the simple but adequate faith expressed by Bushranger Power.