Mr Beattie, 42, was sentenced “be hanged from the neck” for the last time yesterday in front of a packed Beechworth court at the Ned Kelly weekend.

Organisers said they considered instructing the jury foreman to let Ned off just this once in celebration of Mr Beattie’s retirement after six years in the role.

But it was not to be.

A standing ovation from the audience as Ned was being led from the dock was one of the few signs giving away the fact the drama was being played out in the 21st century, rather than 1880.

Mr Beattie has been without his authentic Kelly beard only once in the time he has played the Australian bushranger.

That was for a documentary series depicting Ned’s hanging, and the shaving of his hair and beard after his death.

Mr Beattie, a tour guide at the Beechworth Historical Court House, said as well a passion for the Kelly story, a “real beard” would be a must for the new Ned Kelly actor.

“A tip for growing a beard is regular shampooing and conditioning.

“Happy wife, happy life,” he explained, with a chuckle.

Plenty of passion and controversy surrounds the Ned Kelly story, and Mr Beattie said he would go as far as to say he’s had death threats from one diehard fan who accused him of being too skinny to play the bushranger.

The man wrote on an internet blog that the only thing that would have improved the Ned Kelly Weekend was “if that skinny Ned was hanging from the highest tree in Beechworth”.

Exactly who will play the outlaw at next year’s Ned Kelly Weekend is still up in the air, though all are in agreement that they will have a big beard to fill.

Meanwhile, the Victorian Coroners Court has said that a skull handed in to it was not Ned Kelly’s but did match other remains unearthed at Pentridge Goal.

But Mr Beattie said he hoped one day Ned Kelly’s remains could identified and buried with Kelly’s mother at Greta.