Armour worn by Ned Kelly at the siege of Glenrowan on 28 June 1880, made of steel from plough shares, leather, iron bolts. State Library Victoria. Left shoulder plate courtesy of Museums Victoria.

In 1879 – the year before the Glenrowan siege and Ned Kelly's ultimate capture – the Kelly gang began constructing suits of armour from plough parts. Some of these parts were bought, others were offered by sympathetic farmers and a few were stolen. The suits allowed the gang to walk away unharmed from close-range shooting, but they also made the gang members seem larger, more intimidating – even ghostly. After Ned Kelly was captured and the other gang members were killed, the police officers involved in the capture wanted to keep parts of the suits as souvenirs. Pieces of the suits became seperated, some making their way into private ownership. After years of research to determine which pieces belonged to which gang member, Ned Kelly's complete armour is now in the Library's collection.