3 June 2002 | Top Stories | Research | People |

However you look at it - it's just not Ned!

By Katherine Smith

Above: Case proved: Mr Cliff Ogleby (left) and Professor John Clement, holding a plaster cast of Ned Kelly's death mask with, on the computer screen, the now unidentified image and the three-dimensional model of the original death mask. Photo: Michael Silver

University of Melbourne experts in forensic odontology and geomatics played a central role in proving recently that a certified photograph of Ned Kelly - not long ago auctioned by Christie's for $19,000 - does not, in fact, show Ned.

The University experts compared the purported Ned Kelly photograph to both a three-dimensional computer model of his death mask (a casting of his shaved head made soon after death) and a plaster copy of the mask.

Their findings leave no doubt that whoever it is in the photograph, it is certainly not the iconic bushranger.

The University entered the controversy when The Age asked forensic odontologist Professor John Clement and dental prosthetist Mr Ronn Taylor, who work together in the School of Dental Science, to test doubts cast on the veracity of the photograph by retired dental surgeon, Dr John Chapman.

Professor Clement and his team are world-recognised for advances in identifying missing persons from remains - which can include working with no more than a skull and lower jaw.

Their comparison of the head of the person in the suspect photograph and Ned Kelly's death mask found differences in the ears, forehead, eyebrow ridges and nose that rule out the possibility that they were the same person.

Professor Clement then called on fellow ARC investigator Mr Cliff Ogleby, in Geomatics, who has created highly accurate three-dimensional computer models of Ned Kelly's death mask and armour for the State Library.

Mr Ogleby tested the photograph by superimposing his computer model of the bushranger's death mask on the head of the person in the photograph. For a second comparison he did the same test with two authentic photos of Ned.

The comparisons showed a near perfect fit between the death mask and the authenticated photographs but a distinctly obvious mismatch for the disputed image, with the ears alone being markedly different.

"There's no way it's the same person. I've got about 40 students here who have looked at it and agree. In fact we tested the photograph against one of Heath Ledger, who will play Ned in a coming film, and we got a much better match," Mr Ogleby reports.