The best-selling author visited Shepparton last week during his book tour of north-east Victoria, a region rich in the history of the Kelly Gang.
The Kellys operated mainly near Wangaratta, but their horse-stealing racket and other lawless activities took them all over the north-east, including the Shepparton region.
The Kellys had a huge support base across the region that helped them evade authorities for nearly two years after they killed three police officers in 1878, which sparked the biggest and most expensive manhunt Australia had seen.
Mr Keiza delved deep into Victoria’s sordid history to break through the sensationalism and tell the story of Ned Kelly without the rose-tinted glasses of Aussie folklore.
“I've met people who knew Ned Kelly's brother, Jim Kelly, who was still alive in the 1940s, and was the last man to see Ned Kelly alive just before he was executed,” he said.
“For over 140 years the myths and legends around Nick Kelly painted him almost like he was some sort of Robin Hood character and a freedom fighter.
“But the reality is that he was a very dangerous man, a very, very tough, hardened criminal.
“He killed three policemen, and more than 200 other police officers dedicated themselves to catching the guy who had killed three of their colleagues.”
Collins Booksellers Shepparton owner Joseph Sofra said it was a pleasure to have Mr Kieza call in to sign all his books, including his latest, The Kelly Hunters.
“He is a fantastic author ... he does his research very well,” Mr Sofra said.
“We’ve sold his books over the last 10 years extremely well.”
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