Aaron Sherritt (August 1854 – 26 June 1880) was a figure in colonial Victoria best known for his close association with members of the Kelly Gang and for his controversial role as an informant for the police. Born and raised in the north-east of Victoria, Sherritt moved in the same social circles as Joe Byrne and other young men from the Woolshed Valley and surrounding districts. His life blended local friendships, brushes with the law, and shifting loyalties that would make him a central, polarising figure in one of Australia’s most famous bushranger episodes.
Background and early life
Sherritt grew up near Beechworth and attended the same schools as Joe Byrne. Contemporary accounts describe him as rugged and hardy; he spent time outdoors and was reputed to be capable in physical confrontation. Like many young men of his class in that region, he had multiple run-ins with local law authorities for offences that included petty theft and brawling. These incidents brought him into repeated contact with both the Byrne and Kelly families, alliances that would shape the final years of his life.
Links with the Kelly Gang and informant activity
During the period when the Kelly Gang was on the run after the Jerilderie raid, Sherritt became a controversial intermediary. He maintained friendships with gang members such as Joe Byrne yet at times provided information to police about the gang’s movements and potential hideouts. Records indicate he showed officers locations from which surveillance could be conducted and accepted modest payments for intelligence. His behaviour—remaining close to the outlaws while simultaneously informing authorities—created deep mistrust among the gang and within local communities.
The murder and immediate aftermath
On the night of 26 June 1880 Aaron Sherritt was shot and killed at his home in Sebastopol. Two members of the Kelly Gang, Joe Byrne and Dan Kelly, travelled to his residence and carried out the killing while police occupants within the house reportedly did not or could not intervene. The assassination was intended, according to later interpretations, both as retribution for betrayal and as a strategic move: the gang anticipated the police would mount a large response and planned to use the expected movements to their advantage. After the killing, Byrne and Dan Kelly rode to Glenrowan where other gang members had prepared a plan to ambush an approaching police train.
Why the murder mattered: catalyst for Glenrowan
Sherritt’s death is widely regarded as the opening act that precipitated the gang’s final stand at Glenrowan. The Kelly Gang’s strategy relied on provoking, delaying or channeling police forces; the homicide was intended to draw officers into the field at a predictable time. Delays and miscommunications, however, meant the police response did not unfold exactly as the gang had planned. The subsequent siege at Glenrowan led to the capture or death of key participants and remains one of the most extensively documented and debated episodes in Australia’s bushranger history. Readers can find more about related individuals such as Ned Kelly and the gang’s movements in detailed studies and archival records.
Legacy, interpretation and cultural memory
Aaron Sherritt’s life and violent death have been interpreted in various ways: as a tragic consequence of divided loyalties, as the actions of a petty criminal entangled with larger forces, or as a key tactical moment in the Kelly Gang saga. His story highlights the complex social fabric of rural Victoria in the late 19th century—where kinship, economic hardship, and antagonistic relations with authority could produce both criminality and resistance. The killing also raised questions about police practices of the period, the use of informants, and how local justice played out outside major urban centres.
Timeline and notable points
- August 1854: Aaron Sherritt is born in north-eastern Victoria.
- Late 1870s: Repeated minor offences and close association with Joe Byrne and other local figures.
- 1879–1880: Acts as an informant for police while maintaining contacts with the Kelly Gang.
- 26 June 1880: Murdered at his Sebastopol residence by Joe Byrne and Steve Hart is frequently mentioned in accounts of the period; some narratives also note the involvement of other gang members including Dan Kelly.
- June–July 1880: The killing contributes directly to the chain of events culminating in the Glenrowan siege.
For further context on people connected to this story, see resources on Kate Kelly, the broader Kelly family, and contemporary policing in colonial Victoria. Historians continue to debate motives, the degree of police culpability or incompetence, and how popular memory has shaped the reputations of all involved.