Historical information

This Australian yesteryear postcard was published by Cobb & Co in circa 1990. It is a sepia toned artwork of the Ann Jones Inn in Glenrowan which was taken prior to 1880. The building at rear in this photograph was the private residence of Ann Jones, a migrant from Tipperary, Ireland. Two years after building her private residence, in 1878/1879, Ann Jones added the Inn to the front of the building which is depicted in the postcard. In 1880 the Inn was burned to the ground during the Kelly Gang siege. After the siege, Ann Jones and her children continued to live on the same location in a makeshift hut. This hut was later replaced with a dwelling using compensation money provided to Ann from the government for the loss of her property and goods; however, she was denied a new trading licence which did not enable her to re-establish her previously successful business.

The reverse of this postcard provides a snippet of information into the Glenrowan siege, for which this site is most well-known. It outlines the role and demise of the members of the Kelly Gang but what it does not include is how Ann Jones, owner of the Inn depicted on the postcard, was impacted. Ann’s son of 13 years, Johnny was killed during the siege, and a bullet grazed the forehead of her daughter, Jane Jones. Jane would die two years after this event from tuberculosis, but it was believed by Ann that the cause was grief for the death of her brother and distress at having witnessed the siege. Ann was provided with 100 pounds in compensation money for the loss of her children. Her husband, Owen Jones passed away late 1880 and in 1891 Ann Jones remarried. She died at the age of 80 in 1910. The “last stand” of the Kelly Gang at this location is estimated by Dr Stuart Dawson of Monash University to have taken less than 10 minutes in duration. During and following this time, the life of Ann Jones was turned upside down and everything she had worked for in the preceding years was now in ruins.

Significance

This postcard has the capacity to reveal information about the popularity of the Kelly story in Australia. It was created in approximately the 1990s which perhaps reveals a resurgence in interest into the Kelly Gang and Australian history when card was made.

This image, and others depicting the Ann Jone’s Inn, have the ability to shed light on the Kelly story and the events of the Glenrowan Siege. Additionally, they can reveal information into the life of a female business owner during the 1870-1880 period. Archaeological research has been conducted at this site by LaTrobe University and a study of these images alongside the analysis of the material culture found at this location can help to build more comprehensive understanding into life in Australia during this period and Ann Jones herself.

Physical description

Sepia rectangular postcard printed on card

Inscriptions & markings

Obverse:
[Illegible]

Reverse:
G4/ 3276/ Australian /
Yesteryear /
cards/
correspondence /
address /
Published by Cobb & Co (03) 5766 2409 /
The Glenrowan Inn owned by Ann Jones. /
It was this Inn in which the Kelly Gang imprisoned /
62 people, while waiting for the special train /
carrying the police to arrive from Benalla. On 28th /
June 1880, following a seige which lasted over 12 /
hours, Ned Kelly was captured. Joe Byrne was shot, /
and the Inn was set on fire in an attempt to flush out /
the two remaining outlaws, Dan Kelly and Steve /
Hart. However, some time prior, the two boys, it /
was believed, had committed suicide, as a result, /
their bodies were incinerated beyond recognition. /
A sepia tone facsimile of /
an early Australian photograph. /