James Wallace has been overlooked in almost every book about the Ned Kelly story despite historical records showing he was an important and central player.
The book tells of Mr Wallace’s role behind the scenes in protecting his lifelong friend Joe Byrne, who was a Kelly Gang member.
Mr Wallace, a respectable school teacher, hid the gang for a time at an old splitters’ hut behind his school at Bobinawarrah and supplied them with provisions.
He also contributed to critical letters that told Ned Kelly’s side of the story, fed misleading information to the police and assisted in the collection of the plough shares used in making the gang’s armour.
In 1881, Mr Wallace was called upon to appear at the Royal Commission into the Police Force of Victoria, which was established to look into the conduct and efficiency of the force during the Kelly outbreak.
The commission made adverse findings against Mr Wallace and recommended he be dismissed from public service.
Under threat of prosecution, Mr Wallace fled to Queensland towards the end of 1882.
He remained in Queensland for six years before returning to Victoria where he eventually became a journalist and later the managing director/editor of the Kerang Times.
Mr Newman’s book gives a detailed account of Mr Wallace’s activities during the Kelly outbreak and his subsequent life.
James Wallace — The Kelly Gang Sympathiser is available at Collins Booksellers in Echuca and Shepparton.
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