Site 14 - Jerilderie Courthouse

Address: 106 Jerilderie Street

Take the Virtual Tour of the building

Towards 10.00am on Sunday, 9 February 1879, Mrs Devine, wife of Senior Constable Devine, advised Ned Kelly that Roman Catholic Church services were usually held in the Courthouse once a month, and it was customary for her to prepare the altar for Mass to be held at 11.00am that day.

Thinking that it may upset his plans to rob the Bank the following day if the usual procedure was not followed, Ned ordered Dan Kelly, dressed in police uniform, to escort Mrs Devine across the road to the Courthouse and assist her in making the necessary preparations.

Mrs Devine was a regular attendant at Mass, but those who noticed her absence also noticed the ‘extra’ police across the road at the police barracks, and so they dismissed her absence from the service because of extra household duties that she may have had to perform.

Fortunately for Ned Kelly, a relieving Priest, Fr Kiely, officiated on that day rather than the usual visiting Priest, Fr Slattery, who’s usual practice was to go over to the barracks after Mass for a chat with the Devines, and if this had occurred Ned would have had no alternative but to lock up the popular Priest, which certainly would not have gone unnoticed, and possibly thwarting Ned’s plans for the following day.

The Jerilderie Court House was constructed in 1874. It was closed on 1 August 1988 and served as the town's public library between 1989 and 2009.