Steve Hart (13 February 1859 – June 28, 1880) was an Australian bushranger and a member of the Kelly Gang. A close friend of Ned Kelly's brother, Dan Kelly, Hart was caught up in the murder of three policemen at Stringybark Creek. He was killed during the siege at Glenrowan, Victoria.
Early Life
Hart was born at Three Mile Creek, near Wangaratta, Victoria, in 1859. His parents, Richard Hart and Bridget Young had come from Ireland. They had other children, Richard 'Dick' Hart (Jr.), Hugh Hart, Thomas Hart, Nicholas Hart, Esther 'Ettie' Hart, Jane Hart and Winifred Hart.
Hart was a small man, and a very good horse rider. His brother Nicholas was a jockey. One story says Steve worked as a jockey around Beechworth and Wangaratta, and won 'The Benalla Handicap' after a protest was upheld. He did not open farm gates, and always jumped them with his horse.
Crime
In 1877, Hart was sent to Beechworth Gaol for 12 months for stealing 13 horses. He met Dan Kelly while in prison. When he was let out of gaol he went to Bullock Creek to look for gold with Dan Kelly. He is reported to have said here's to "...a short life, and a merry one." He was at Bullock Creek while Dan and Ned Kelly were in hiding from the police. The gang, which on that day included Joe Byrne, heard gunshots and discovered a police search party camped nearby at Stringybark Creek. The next day the gang went to the camp to take the policemen's guns. Three policemen were killed and the gang were made outlaws, which meant that they could be captured dead or alive for a reward. At this time the police did not know Hart was a member of the gang. As a member of the Kelly Gang he often rode around in women's clothes to avoid being caught. During the search for the Kelly Gang, the police were told to stop women riders to see if they were really women. The stories of how Ned's sister, Kate Kelly, did things to help the gang, were probably really about Steve Hart.
Bushranger
Hart took part in the bank robberies at Euroa and Jerilderie. 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 his name. Hart also stole a watch from Robert Scott, the bank manager. When a bank worker, 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, the Kelly gang held many people hostage in the Royal Hotel before robbing the bank. Hart stole a watch from Reverend Gribble, a parson at the Protestant church. Ned told Hart he was a common thief and made him give the watch back. After Jerilderie, Hart went into hiding with the gang for most of 1879, although Hart did go to a St.Kilda doctor to be treated for a foot problem.
Glenrowan
In June 1880 Ned Kelly came up with a plan to get his mother released from prison. Dan Kelly and Joe Byrne went to Beechworth and killed their friend Aaron Sherritt who they thought was a police spy. They knew this would bring many police by train to Beechworth to capture them. In the meantime Hart and Ned Kelly had gone to Glenrowan and forced railway workers to pull up the train tracks. They hoped the police train would crash, and then wearing home made armour they would capture the surviving policemen. These would be held as hostages until Ellen Kelly was set free.
Hart and Kelly forced many people of the town into a small hotel owned by Ann Jones. They were joined by Dan Kelly and Byrne who had ridden quickly across country from Beechworth. They waited at the hotel for the police. The plan failed when news of the Sherritt murder took a long time to reach Melbourne. The people kept at the hotel were becoming difficult to keep under control. Ned Kelly let one man go free at 3.00am, the school teacher Thomas Curnow, who said he had to get home to his wife. Instead he went to the train line and was able to stop the police train safely. The police went to the hotel and began shooting. It is estimated that 15,000 bullets were fired. Joe Byrne was shot dead in the front room of the hotel. Ned Kelly left the hotel in the early morning, probably to meet with other men who were going to help him capture the train. He was captured by the police.