Steve Hart

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Steve Hart (b. 1859 - d. June 28, 1880) was an Australian bushranger renowned for his membership in the Kelly Gang.

[edit] History

Hart was born in Beechworth to Irish immigrant parents Richard and Bridget Hart (née Young). He was their second son. His family consisted of his brothers Richard 'Dick' Hart (Jr.), Hugh Hart and Thomas Hart, and sisters Esther 'Ettie' Hart, Jane Hart and Winifred Hart.

Hart was a sometime jockey around Beechworth and Wangratta and was reported to win 'The Benella Handicap' after a protest was upheld. It was rumoured that he rode around in feminine attire and rode sidesaddle to avoid detection. (www.ironoutlaw.com.au)

In 1877, Hart was convicted of horse theft and illegal use of a horse and sentenced to 12 months hard labour in Beechworth Gaol. When he was released with the usual remission period he promised to work, and he kept his promise—seeing as he never specified where he would work. One of the Kelly brothers (most likely Dan, as he and Hart were friends and had likely met in gaol at some point) came to his property and asked him to help them pan for gold. This prompted Hart's most famous quote, "Here's to a short life and a merry one!" as he rode off to Bullock Creek to help the Kelly brothers and their friend Joe Byrne pan for gold.

In 1878 the party of four heard shots being fired and, when they investigated, found a police party camped nearby. The next morning the four killed two of the police party. The other two were out looking for the Kelly Brothers as it was not known that Byrne and Hart had joined them. It is likely that Hart was not armed when the police camp was first held up, but he obtained a firearm afterward. He became an outlaw shortly thereafter with the rest of the Kelly Gang.

Hart took part in the robberies at Euroa and Jerilderie, and a few of the things he did are worth comment. At Euroa he met an old school friend of his, Francis 'Fanny' Shaw (sometimes known as Maggie Shaw) and through her, the police found out the name of the last member of the Kelly Gang. Hart also stole a watch from Robert Scott, the bank manager, and when teller Bob Booth asked him for something to remember the visit by, Hart gave him a lead bullet carved with the letter 'H'. At Jerilderie in 1879 Hart stole a watch from The Very Reverend Gribble, a parson at the Protestant church, and Ned told him to return it, which Hart did, 'looking daggers'. (Ned Kelly: A Short Life by Ian Jones.) After Jerilderie, Hart went into hiding with the gang and, for most of 1879, the gang remained shawdowy and elusive figues although Hart did appear at a St. Kilda doctor's surgery to be treated for a foot condition.

[edit] Death

In 1880 Hart took part in the infamous siege of Glenrowan in which he, Dan Kelly and Joe Byrne were killed. They were badly burnt at the fire of the Glenrowan Hotel. Hart's body, little more than a charred stump, was claimed by his brother Dick Hart and buried at Greta Cemetery the following day (June 29) in the same grave as Dan Kelly. He was 21 years old.

It has been rumoured that Dan Kelly and Steve Hart were not, in fact, buried in Greta Cemetery but somewhere in either the Heart of the Kelly properties. It has also been rumoured that the pair survived the siege of Glenrowan to escape to either America, South Africa or simply to Queensland.

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