Site 10 - Site of James Mahood Saddlery Shop

Shortly after 2.00pm on Monday 10 February 1879, the Editor of the Jerilderie and Urana Gazette, Samuel Gill, called at Mr James Mahood’s saddlery to apprise him of the hold-up presently underway at the Bank of New South Wales, by members of the Kelly Gang. It would appear that Mahood was somewhat sceptical of Gill’s narrative, so Gill left to raise the alarm in other quarters.

Mahood was left in no doubt as to the veracity of Gill’s account when, later that day and shortly before 5.00pm, Steve Hart, in company with Thomas McDougall, proprietor of the Traveller’s Rest Hotel, appeared at his saddlery shop demanding to see the saddles Mahood had for sale. On selecting one, Hart ordered Mr McDougall to pick it up and carry it back to the Traveller’s Rest Hotel, where Steve Hart had tied up the unsaddled horse of Senior Constable Devine.

Apart from the money and a gun taken from the Bank of NSW, the police guns and a horse assigned to Senior Constable Devine, Mr Mahood was unfortunate to be the only citizen to have an item - a saddle - stolen by the Kelly Gang.

All drinks at the Royal Mail and Traveller’s Rest Hotel were paid for by Ned. 

Bank documents destroyed were mortgages and other documents held by the Bank as security. Unfortunately for the clients, the Bank’s head office had copies, as did the Land Titles Office. 

Within 14 days of the robbery, the banknotes were in circulation in Benalla, Wangaratta, and Beechworth, whilst Devine’s horse was recovered from the upper reaches of the King River in Victoria.