MISTRUST of outsiders curious about the North East’s bushrangers remains high, as filmmaker Gary Hunn can testify.
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The Queenslander found that out when he doggedly sought footage of a Greta property owned by a descendant of Ned Kelly’s kin.
Having tried for three months to gain permission to film, Hunn says he only succeeded with the landlady after some quick-thinking on a last-minute phone call.
“I said ‘how about we make a donation to charity?’ and she said ‘well about how you donate some money to the chaplaincy at Wangaratta?’ and I said ‘how much do you think would be suitable?’,” Hunn recalled.
“She said $100 and I said ‘well that should be fine’.
“She then said ‘how do I know you’re going to pay?’ and I said ‘we’re all good Catholic boys’, there was three us in the car, ‘we’ll pay’.
“Well we get to the driveway and this car screams down, with dust everywhere at 80 to 100 km/h, and out pops this lady and she said ‘have got the $100?’
“I actually had a cheque which I had written out to show her I was going to pay it, but she said ‘that’s alright I prefer cash’.”
The offscreen drama was in aid of Where The Bushrangers Rode, a movie-length documentary tracing the steps of Australia’s outlaws.
Filming locations have included Peechelba Station, where Mad Dan Morgan was fatally shot and Glenrowan, Beechworth, and Greta cemetery where Kelly is buried.
“We stopped at the cemetery at Greta and were just in there looking at things and somebody says ‘what are you doing?’,” Hunn said.
“We said ‘we’re just looking for the Kelly graves’ and he said ‘are you friends or foes?’ and we said ‘we’re friends of course’ and he said ‘well in that case just go to your left’.”
Hunn’s zest for Australian history has inspired his “labour of love”.
“I had to get permission from 46 different councils and we had to have our own public liability insurance so we wouldn’t sue them,” he said.
The 2½-hour documentary extends from the Battle of Vinegar Hill in 1804 through to the escapades of Captain Moonlite, Ben Hall and Captain Thunderbolt.
Interviewees include Morgan aficionado Neville Lowe, of Walla, and the author of the book Ned Kelly: The Authentic Illustrated History Keith McMenomy.
More than 80 hours of material has been recorded over the past 2½ years across NSW and Victoria.
Hunn, who lives on Magnetic Island off Townsville’s coast, expects to complete post production on the film by early next year.
He hopes it will then be picked up for screenings on the documentary film festival circuit.
It will also be submitted to independent distributors and public broadcasters worldwide for showing.
