Few would argue Ms Griffiths’ statement that ‘the Ned Kelly story is the most famous Australian story’. Ms Griffiths claims ’we don’t have a museum for it. It’s amazing isn’t it?’ Those comments are incorrect and in my opinion misleading. 

Comments such as those by Ms Griffiths undermine the hard work and dedication of many in the North East who research and collect Kellyana and help keep the story alive, relevant and exciting.

Case in point: The Ned Kelly Vault at Beechworth. The Vault houses one of the most significant and ever-growing collections of Kelly artefacts and memorabilia in the world and the most extensive Kelly collection in regional Australia. We have successfully brought together descendants, Kelly authors and experts, as well as private collectors into one meaningful, unique and successful museum.  

We are staffed by dedicated volunteers who have welcomed tens of thousands of visitors since we opened in late 2014. We are a true community success story and without doubt the leading stand-alone, fully-accredited Kelly museum project in Victoria.

Ms Griffiths has herself visited The Ned Kelly Vault on several occasions so her statement about there being no other Kelly museum apart from the one she wants to build is utterly baffling. Or is it, as for almost three years Ms Griffiths has been seeking donations from the public in order to build her own ’Ned Kelly Centre’.

For the further benefit of Ms Griffiths, I’d like to point out there are also two long-existing Kelly museums in Glenrowan as well as substantial Kelly material on display in Benalla, Jerilderie, the Victoria Police Museum, the Old Melbourne Gaol and of course the State Library of Victoria.

I urge the public and other stakeholders to wait for the results and recommendations of the long-awaited and much anticipated ‘Ned Kelly Alive’ tourism feasibility study which will outline the way forward for precisely how the Kelly story should be told for the benefit of our entire region. As Ms Griffiths says, ‘the whole region really needs it’. On that point, I couldn’t agree more.

Gay marriages are closer at St Matthews Albury as the Anglican church takes a stand supporting marriage equality. This weekend the Anglican diocese of Wangaratta voted to support  the Bishop of Wangaratta in moving to authorise the blessing of gay marriages in church.

Anglican churches with many others are currently equality free zones, with the Anglican diocese of Sydney spending more than $1 million on the no vote and ramping up opposition to recognition of same-sex weddings. But the Anglicans in the diocese of Wangaratta are heading in the other direction.

For a number of years St Matthews Albury has said that we hope to conduct same-sex weddings and this synod vote brings that day closer.

This week I will go to Philadelphia to be part of a same-sex wedding in one of Pennsylvania’s most famous churches and I look forward to being able to conduct blessings and ultimately weddings in St Matthews Albury in the near future, although we have a way to go.

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