Site 5 - Office of Michael J Curtin, Auctioneer

Address: Jerilderie Street

On at least two occasions in 1878, Mr Curtin sold horses at the Jerilderie sales on behalf of the ‘owner’ Mr Steve Hart. On the last occasion a dispute arose in which Steve Hart accused Mr Curtin of overcharging him £1; a charge indignantly denied by Curtin with him remarking that “for all I know they [the receipts] might be bogus ones”.

When guarding the captives in the Royal Mail Hotel on 10 February, 1879 Steve Hart inquired as to the whereabouts of the ‘Auctioneer Curtin – I’ve got some unfinished business with him’. On being told that Mr Curtin was at the Land Board Office in Urana on business Hart expressed his regret that he was unable to ‘catch up with him’.

Returning from Urana the following day, Michael Curtin heard of Steve Hart’s implied threat against him, and thinking that two could play the same game, armed himself and joined the party defending the Post and Telegraph Office on the Tuesday and Wednesday nights, against the threatened return of the Kelly Gang to hold up the Urana Coach.

By Thursday Michael Curtin was so disgusted at the lack of Police reinforcements being sent to the town, including the fact that local Policeman Trooper Richards had being ordered to join in patrolling down on the Murray River, that he decided to ride to Deniliquin to express those concerns - particularly as rumour was rife that the Kelly gang was intending to return to Jerilderie.

On his way to Deniliquin Curtin met the Coach that was transporting the Bank’s replacement cash, under the guard of one policeman, and carrying the two Bank officials who were returning to Jerilderie, Tarleton and Living.