Ned Kelly's armour

Ned Kelly's armour weighed around 45 kilos but the heavy suit of steel saved his life when he emerged from the bush at Glenrowan, gun blazing, and helped launch the Kelly myth.

Our virtual reconstruction of Ned Kelly's iconic suit of armour shows how each piece was fashioned from plough metal and put together with bolts and leather.

You can also see where the bullet from a policeman's rifle struck the helmet's visor – and did you know that, ironically, Ned Kelly was captured when police fired at his unprotected legs?

Watch the video to find out more.

Ned Kelly's armour is now on display in the Redmond Barry Reading Room.