ORIGIN

The idea behind THE GAME NED KELLY_® surprisingly came from the ancient Nordic game called ‘Hnefatafl' which translates as 'The Kings Table'. Research shows that this game was played in the Nordic regions from as early as 400AD. The most common version of Hnefatafl was usually played on a board of 11x11 squares but variations of boards with 7x7 up to 19x19 squares have also been found. Remains of Hnefatafl have been found in the Nordic regions as well as countries the Vikings expanded to between the 8th and 11th century, such as Ireland and Ukraine. In Ireland the game was called 'Brandub', which means 'Black Raven'. One of the best preserved boards was found at Ballinderry in 1932 (see picture below).

This game was so popular with men, women and children in its day, that it was even included in burial ships so the deceased could continue to enjoy playing it in Valhalla! The popularity of Hnefatafl started to wane around the 12th-century when Chess was introduced to the north. One of the last recordings of the game being played is by the Swedish botanist Linnaeus in 1732, during his visit to Lappland in the north of Sweden.

............................

The idea to adapt Hnefatafl into a game based on Australia's most famous bushranger happened in Brisbane one balmy night back in 2003. Cliff Clohessy was watching his daughter Myee and son-in-law, Ketil Mortensen, play the Viking game by drawing lines on a sheet of paper and using buttons for pieces. He remarked that the set-up of the ancient strategy game reminded him very much of the Siege of Glenrowan...

Fascinated by Cliff's remark and inspired by the challenge of making an Australian version of the game, Ketil began hammering away the very next morning. Cutting pieces from a brass tube and welding them into helmets, Ketil began creating his own set of Kelly Gang and Policemen_.and the first prototypes for THE GAME NED KELLY_® .

Pooling their diverse and individual talents together, Cliff (an architect), Myee (a violinist) and Ketil (an IT engineer) formed CMK Partners and began working enthusiastically on their new idea. Their first fun adventure was to convert an old washing machine into a spin caster and start casting pieces from solid pewter on the back verandah.

They researched the fascinating history of the Kelly legend, added some unique twists to the rules and gave a truely Australian flavour to their game. With extensive design, production and market research they finally launched THE GAME NED KELLY_® on the market with great success.

Now available at 130 retailers throughout the country Cliff, Myee and Ketil passionately believe their 100% Australian Made strategy game is sure to become a favourite - just as Hnefatafl was in the days of the Vikings!

............................