Kelly Country
Alternative history novel of Ned Kelly's successful revolution.
Kelly Country is a 1983 alternative history novel by Australian writer A. Bertram Chandler. The plot follows bushranger and rebel Ned Kelly as he successfully overthrows British colonial rule. This victory turns Australia into a global power, though the republic Kelly establishes eventually becomes a hereditary dictatorship.
Critic Yvonne Rousseau, writing in *Australian Book Review*, noted that Chandler thoroughly researched the period’s political and military possibilities. She observed that the novel addresses doubts about whether Kelly had the ambition to create a line of Hereditary Presidents, each respectfully called “the Kelly.” Rousseau praised the book’s astonishing adventures, frequent scene changes, and a final twist that casts ironic light on history—highlighting an uncertainty few can avoid—and paradoxically reveals the final Kelly, who destroyed Hanoi with nuclear weapons, to be more noble-hearted than the reader had assumed.
In *Westerly*, Van Ikin argued that the novel inevitably raises questions about Australian history and nationalism, but that these intellectual issues are not handled with the same energy as the battle scenes and historical spectacles. Ikin considered this imbalance deliberate, noting Chandler clearly aimed to write a rollicking, readable yarn full of suspense, excitement, and humor. Ikin credited the author for at least posing certain key questions, even if they remain unanswered.
The novel was first published in Australia by Penguin in 1983. It was reprinted by DAW in the USA in 1985, and by Orion in the UK in 2016. A German translation appeared in 1986 under the alternate title *Die Australische Revolution*. In 1984, the book was shortlisted for the Ditmar Award.
Quick Facts
- Author
- A. Bertram Chandler
- Country
- Australia
- Language
- English
- Genre
- Alternative history novel
- Publisher
- Penguin
- Release Date
- 1983
- Media Type
- Pages
- 341 pp.
- Isbn
- 0140060049
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The novel's synopsis describes Australian bushranger and rebel Ned Kelly leading a successful revolution against British colonial rule. The result is that Australia becomes a world power, but the Australian Republic which Kelly founded degenerates into a hereditary dictatorship. Critical reception includes Yvonne Rousseau's assessment in Australian Book Review that Chandler thoroughly researched the political and military possibilities of the period and dealt with misgivings about whether Kelly had the drive to establish a dynasty of Hereditary Presidents. Rousseau also notes a final revelation that casts an ironic light on history and shows the final Kelly—the one who wiped out Hanoi with nuclear weapons—to be a greater-hearted man than the reader has believed.
Reader's Guide
Kelly Country is significant as an alternative history novel that reimagines Australian colonial history through the lens of Ned Kelly's rebellion. The novel raises questions about Australian history and nationalism, though critic Van Ikin noted in Westerly that these intellectual issues are not tackled with the same zest as battle scenes or historical spectacle. Ikin observed that Chandler deliberately set out to write a rollickingly readable yarn, peppered with suspense, excitement, and enthusiastic humour, while ensuring certain key questions are at least asked. The novel was shortlisted for the Ditmar Award in 1984 and saw international publication in the USA (1985), UK (2016), and a German translation in 1986 under the alternate title Die Australische Revolution. Its legacy lies in its speculative treatment of a pivotal Australian figure and its exploration of the potential consequences of a successful colonial rebellion.
Did You Know?
- It was translated into German in 1986 with the alternate title Die Australische Revolution.
- The final Kelly in the novel is described as having wiped out Hanoi with nuclear weapons.
- The novel was published in Australia by Penguin in 1983, then reprinted by DAW (USA, 1985) and Orion (UK, 2016).
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