MELBOURNE - Once again, Ned Kelly has authorities scratching their heads.
But this time it's the skeletal remains of the notorious bushranger which have gone missing.
Heritage officials in Victoria say Kelly's skeletal remains have been removed from Melbourne's Pentridge Prison -- but where they are now issomething of a mystery.
Kelly was hanged at the Old Melbourne Gaol in 1880 and his remains, together with those of other executed prisoners, were moved to Pentridge in the 1920s and 1930s and buried in a mass grave.
Until recently, authorities believed all executed inmates were buried in a designated area within the prison grounds.
However, a historical plan revealed some burials could have been located outside the cemetery area and further investigations confirmed the accuracy of the document.
Now, Heritage Victoria bosses believe Kelly's remains could have been moved or discarded during drainage works some 50 years ago, and recent archaeological tests have since found no evidence of remains nearby.
"Based on the information available to us, we now believe these remains were probably removed in the 1950s or 1960s, as part of the installation of large service pipes that took place at the prison at the time," Heritage Victoria executive director Ray Tonkin said.
Heritage Victoria is overseeing development at the Pentridge Prison site to ensure burial sites -- which also include that of Ronald Ryan, the last person executed in Australia -- are properly and respectfully managed.
