Tell 'em I Died Game The Legend of Ned Kelly

Ned Kelly did not say Tell 'em I died! But well he might have -- and many people believe he did. Graham Seal's classic study of the Ned Kelly legend shows that, in a sense, facts are unimportant. Many generations of Australians have needed to believe in Ned Kelly, and have tailored his legend to fit their needs. The recent upsurge in Ned Kelly is the latest phase in a tradition that has taken Ned from bush Robin Hood and folk hero to media obsession and national icon, projected to the world as part of the 2000 Sydney Olympics celebrations. Regardless of the facts, the bushranger who murdered policemen and robbed banks remains Australia's best-loved villain -- or hero?