What was the Kelly armour made of?
The armour was manufactured from plough mouldboards, iron plate about a quarter-inch thick, and ploughshares. The various pieces were joined to the others by leather straps. Thirty mouldboards were used with the iron being heated and hammered into shape. The parts of the armour were then riveted together. The idea for using armour is believed to have come from a book entitled LORNA DOONE which is believed to have been Ned Kelly’s favourite book. The design is believed to have come from a suit of Chinese armour which Joe Byrne had seen in Beechworth and an illustration in a book by Walter Scott who was another popular author at the time. After the first suit was completed it was tested by having bullets from a Martini Henry rifle fired at it from 10 metres (this was the rifle used by the Police). The bullets ricochetted off it. It is believed that not all the suits were made at the same time, but at different times and in different locations in case the Police heard about it. In fact th
