Under Siege: Francis Augustus Hare – The Man Who Caught Ned Kelly by S.P. Hare 208-Page Hardcover Book
$44.95
Pre-purchase now – all books will be mailed out from Monday, 29th June, 2026!
Hare was born at the Cape of Good Hope into a large military family and aspired to join the army. After failing to be accepted by the British East India Company, he sought adventure during the Victorian gold rush, eventually becoming an officer in the Victorian Mounted Police. He was posted to the northeast colony, where he gained fame for pursuing bushrangers such as Ned Kelly and Harry Power. His efforts to combat the Kelly Gang included using harassment tactics and spies, notably Aaron Sherritt, whom Gang member Joe Byrne murdered. Hare engaged the Gang at Glenrowan, where he was wounded in a gunfight. Despite being exonerated, his reputation suffered after a Royal Commission, and his police career ended. He later served as a magistrate before passing away at his nephew’s home. Initially celebrated, recent portrayals depict Hare and the police in a less favourable light, in contrast to Kelly’s portrayal as a social bandit.
Pre-purchase now – all books will be mailed out from Monday, 29th June, 2026!
Francis Augustus Hare was born in 1830 at the Cape of Good Hope into a military family as one of sixteen children. Aspiring to join the army as a boy, he saw his dreams dashed when he failed to be accepted into the British East India Company. The discovery of the Victorian goldfields inspired him to seek adventure, and he set off to prospect. Although he had some success at the diggings, his thirst for a more enterprising life led him to join the Victorian Mounted Police as an officer. Hare was soon posted to the colony’s north-eastern regions, overseeing gold escorts at Beechworth — a town familiar to him from his prospecting days. During this period, Hare gained fame for his reckless pursuits of bushrangers, including Harry Power, Ned Kelly’s mentor. His aim was to rid the colony of such criminals, and the Kelly Gang became his greatest adversary. After the unlawful killing of three policemen, Hare was tasked with tracking the Gang for two years.
This historical novel is wonderful. It is an authentic, moving and extremely informative story of a man who comes to Australia and tries his luck at the Victorian goldfields. His fate draws him into the police force and ultimately into the pursuit of Ned Kelly and his Gang. We are given a superb insight into that hunt and into Melbourne in the late 1800s, including some of Melbourne’s notable characters of the time. We get to know the mounted policeman, the superintendent, and eventually the police magistrate, Francis Hare. And to share much of his internal and external world. I felt that I was there. I cannot give higher praise than that. Rod Saunders
Lawyer, Playwright
He believed that harassment and cutting off supply routes could flush out the Kelly Gang, a tactic complemented by police spies. His trusted informant, Aaron Sherritt, was murdered by Gang member Joe Byrne just before the battle at Glenrowan. Facing pressure from the press, the government, and locals to reach a resolution, Hare finally confronted the Gang at Glenrowan. He was the first officer to respond to Ned Kelly’s gunfire, but was seriously wounded and had to retreat after suffering extensive blood loss. Hare returned to a hero’s welcome, but subsequent inquiries, including a Royal Commission, cast doubts on the police force’s reputation. Although he was exonerated, Hare believed his reputation was damaged, effectively ending his police career. He spent his remaining years as a Police Magistrate before falling ill. Hare died in 1892 at his nephew William Clarke’s home at Rupertswood, with a large crowd attending his funeral procession. While Hare was celebrated in his lifetime, recent portrayals of Ned Kelly often depict Hare and the police in a poor light. Kelly is often celebrated as a social bandit, and the police as bullies and fools — neither of which is entirely true.
Sue’s work vividly brings Superintendent Francis Hare to life, depicting him not as a character in “The Kelly Story” but as a genuine man shaped by his era. Her engaging writing is underpinned by meticulous research, providing a richer understanding of the world he inhabited. Kellyland Glenrowan was pleased to facilitate Sue’s access to original source material, including a Victorian Police General Orders volume containing directives issued between 1867 and 1872, penned in Francis Hare’s own hand. I am proud to support this vital work and see it shared with readers. Jesse Sanderson Kellyland Glenrowan
Written by his great-great-grandniece, S.P. Hare, this compelling account uncovers the life of Superintendent Francis Hare—goldfields pioneer, mounted police officer, and key figure in the dramatic showdown with the Kelly Gang at Glenrowan. Drawing on family history, archival records, and Hare’s writings, Under Siege: Francis Augustus Hare sheds light on the man behind the uniform. From his Cape colonial roots to his role in shaping early Victoria, Hare’s story unfolds against a backdrop of ambition, duty, and public expectation. His story reveals not just a tale of bushrangers and bravado, but a complex portrait of loyalty, ambition, and personal discipline.
A welcome addition to the story of the Kelly Outbreak and Australian history is this publication by S.P Hare, a great-great-grandniece of the book’s subject, Francis Augustus Hare. Told in a first-person narrative, the book’s pace is clear from the first chapter. The account of the first encounter at Glenrowan is so well told that one could almost taste the frosty night air of 28th June 1880. The shift from lying injured in bed to Hare’s early days in South Africa is very effectively done. Having a mother related to the great slavery abolitionist William Wilberforce is also a notable family connection. Hare’s recounting of the various attempts to capture the gang and police procedures at the time provides great insight into what life was like then. This stands in stark contrast to the Kelly revisionists, who blame the police for everything that happened to the Kelly family. That said, the police were not without fault, as such organisations have had flaws since their foundation. The falling out with Sadleir, as well as Hare’s friendship with Captain Standish, is also examined. Overall, a fantastic book that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish. Well done, Sue, on a superb piece of writing. I’m pleased to endorse it as a must-read. Michael O’Connor Irish Garda (retd.), author From Sligo to Stringybark
Title: Under Siege: Francis Augustus Hare
Author: S.P. Hare
Extent: 208 pages
Type: Hardcover
Size: 148.5mm x 210mm
Cover: Full-colour laminated dust jacket with French folds
Case: Navy blue linen hard cover with silver foil stamping
Bonus: Every order receives a FREEUnder Siege full-colour bookmark, a FREEIron Outlaw Collector Card (series one, number one), and two FREE 36-page mini-mags by Chester Eagle, The Wars Were Over and The Armour on the life of Australian Son author Max Brown and Ned Kelly’s armour!
Bonus Extra: For a limited time, every order will receive a FREE exclusive and extremely rare 2001 Ned: The Exhibition 56mm button badge!
Under Siege: Francis Augustus Hare – The Man Who Caught Ned Kelly by S.P. Hare 208-Page Hardcover Book
$44.95
Pre-purchase now – all books will be mailed out from Monday, 29th June, 2026!
Hare was born at the Cape of Good Hope into a large military family and aspired to join the army. After failing to be accepted by the British East India Company, he sought adventure during the Victorian gold rush, eventually becoming an officer in the Victorian Mounted Police. He was posted to the northeast colony, where he gained fame for pursuing bushrangers such as Ned Kelly and Harry Power. His efforts to combat the Kelly Gang included using harassment tactics and spies, notably Aaron Sherritt, whom Gang member Joe Byrne murdered. Hare engaged the Gang at Glenrowan, where he was wounded in a gunfight. Despite being exonerated, his reputation suffered after a Royal Commission, and his police career ended. He later served as a magistrate before passing away at his nephew’s home. Initially celebrated, recent portrayals depict Hare and the police in a less favourable light, in contrast to Kelly’s portrayal as a social bandit.
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Description
Pre-purchase now – all books will be mailed out from Monday, 29th June, 2026!
Francis Augustus Hare was born in 1830 at the Cape of Good Hope into a military family as one of sixteen children. Aspiring to join the army as a boy, he saw his dreams dashed when he failed to be accepted into the British East India Company. The discovery of the Victorian goldfields inspired him to seek adventure, and he set off to prospect. Although he had some success at the diggings, his thirst for a more enterprising life led him to join the Victorian Mounted Police as an officer. Hare was soon posted to the colony’s north-eastern regions, overseeing gold escorts at Beechworth — a town familiar to him from his prospecting days. During this period, Hare gained fame for his reckless pursuits of bushrangers, including Harry Power, Ned Kelly’s mentor. His aim was to rid the colony of such criminals, and the Kelly Gang became his greatest adversary. After the unlawful killing of three policemen, Hare was tasked with tracking the Gang for two years.
He believed that harassment and cutting off supply routes could flush out the Kelly Gang, a tactic complemented by police spies. His trusted informant, Aaron Sherritt, was murdered by Gang member Joe Byrne just before the battle at Glenrowan. Facing pressure from the press, the government, and locals to reach a resolution, Hare finally confronted the Gang at Glenrowan. He was the first officer to respond to Ned Kelly’s gunfire, but was seriously wounded and had to retreat after suffering extensive blood loss. Hare returned to a hero’s welcome, but subsequent inquiries, including a Royal Commission, cast doubts on the police force’s reputation. Although he was exonerated, Hare believed his reputation was damaged, effectively ending his police career. He spent his remaining years as a Police Magistrate before falling ill. Hare died in 1892 at his nephew William Clarke’s home at Rupertswood, with a large crowd attending his funeral procession. While Hare was celebrated in his lifetime, recent portrayals of Ned Kelly often depict Hare and the police in a poor light. Kelly is often celebrated as a social bandit, and the police as bullies and fools — neither of which is entirely true.
Written by his great-great-grandniece, S.P. Hare, this compelling account uncovers the life of Superintendent Francis Hare—goldfields pioneer, mounted police officer, and key figure in the dramatic showdown with the Kelly Gang at Glenrowan. Drawing on family history, archival records, and Hare’s writings, Under Siege: Francis Augustus Hare sheds light on the man behind the uniform. From his Cape colonial roots to his role in shaping early Victoria, Hare’s story unfolds against a backdrop of ambition, duty, and public expectation. His story reveals not just a tale of bushrangers and bravado, but a complex portrait of loyalty, ambition, and personal discipline.
Bonus: Every order receives a FREE Under Siege full-colour bookmark, a FREE Iron Outlaw Collector Card (series one, number one), and two FREE 36-page mini-mags by Chester Eagle, The Wars Were Over and The Armour on the life of Australian Son author Max Brown and Ned Kelly’s armour!
Bonus Extra: For a limited time, every order will receive a FREE exclusive and extremely rare 2001 Ned: The Exhibition 56mm button badge!
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