Joe Byrne - Early Years

Early Years

Joe Byrne was born in 1857 in the village of Woolshed, near Beechworth. His father came from Goulburn and his mother was an immigrant from Galway, Ireland.

Joe Byrne commenced school at the Catholic school at Woolshed in 1862. He was a good student, normally amongst the top students in his class and developed a reputation as a "flash writer". He also became very good friends with fellow student Aaron Sherritt. However, Byrne's father Patrick developed heart disease and Byrne's school results suffered. He finished school in 1869 with a fifth-grade education while his father died in the same year. Joe Byrne also learnt how to speak Cantonese from nearby Chinese gold diggers and also learned how to smoke opium.

Byrne and Sheritt became closer friends at that stage and started getting in trouble with the law. Byrne made his first appearance in court in 1871 on the charge of illegally using a horse, having to pay a fine of 20 shillings up front to avoid going to jail. Byrne and Sherritt were later convicted of stealing a bullock and served six months in HM Prison Beechworth. During this imprisonment, Byrne and Sherritt met Jim Kelly who was the brother of Ned and Dan Kelly. Joe Byrne met in 1876 and the pair soon became firm friends.