James Kennedy (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
The Honourable
Sir James Arthur "Jim" Kennedy Kt
(1882-1954) was an Australia
n politician and sportsman. Kennedy served as a minister
in the Dunstan
and Hollway
Victorian
state governments in the 1940s. He played Australian rules football
for Essendon
and Carlton
during the early 1900s. He was the brother of fellow footballer Ted Kennedy
.
. He first attended school at Errol Street State School before receiving a scholarship to attend Parkville Grammar School. He later attended Scotch College
, graduating in 1897.
In 1913 he was married to Ann Taylor Biggins at the Congregational church
in Carlton
. They later had two daughters.
. Making his debut in Round 13, he played three matches for the club in the 1901 VFL season
.
After several seasons away from the VFL, Kennedy joined Carlton in 1905, a year after his brother Ted had arrived at the club. His first year with Carlton was his most successful in the VFL, playing 18 matches out of a possible 19 including a preliminary final appearance. He appeared in a further five matches during the 1906 and 1907 seasons.
.
He was later president of the Brighton Cricket Club
and in 1945 was appointed a trustee of the Melbourne Cricket Ground
.
.
, serving as Mayor between 1932 and 1933. He retired as a councillor in 1945. While Mayor he cancelled the annual ball to buy shoes for disadvantaged children.
for the Higinbotham Province
in 1937 representing the United Australia Party
.
Under Premier Albert Dunstan
he served in the transport and mines portfolios between September 1943 until October 1945. He later served under Premier Tom Hollway as Minister for public works between 1947 and 1950 and as mines minister during 1948.
home of his daughter. He was buried at the Melbourne General Cemetery
. A commemorative window was dedicated to him at the Brighton Congregational Church in 1957.
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
Sir James Arthur "Jim" Kennedy Kt
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
(1882-1954) was an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician and sportsman. Kennedy served as a minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
in the Dunstan
Albert Dunstan
Sir Albert Arthur Dunstan, KCMG was an Australian politician. A member of the Country Party , Dunstan was the 33rd Premier of Victoria. His term as Premier was the second-longest in the state's history, behind Sir Henry Bolte...
and Hollway
Thomas Hollway
Thomas Tuke "Tom" Hollway was the 36th Premier of Victoria, holding office from 1947 to 1950, and again for a short period in 1952....
Victorian
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
state governments in the 1940s. He played Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
for Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
and Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
during the early 1900s. He was the brother of fellow footballer Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy (footballer)
Edwin 'Ted' Kennedy was an Australian rules footballer who played for Essendon and Carlton in the VFL during the early 1900s. He was the brother of footballer and politician James Kennedy....
.
Biography
Kennedy was born 5 February 1882 to James and Emma Kennedy in Parkville, VictoriaParkville, Victoria
Parkville is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, the population was 4,980....
. He first attended school at Errol Street State School before receiving a scholarship to attend Parkville Grammar School. He later attended Scotch College
Scotch College, Melbourne
Scotch College, Melbourne is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for boys, located in Hawthorn, an inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
, graduating in 1897.
In 1913 he was married to Ann Taylor Biggins at the Congregational church
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
in Carlton
Carlton, Victoria
Carlton is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
. They later had two daughters.
Australian rules football
In 1901 Kennedy joined Essendon in the Victorian Football LeagueAustralian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
. Making his debut in Round 13, he played three matches for the club in the 1901 VFL season
1901 VFL season
Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1901.-Premiership season:In 1901, the VFL competition consisted of eight teams of 18 on-the-field players each, with no "reserves", although any of the 18 players who had left the playing field for any reason could later resume...
.
After several seasons away from the VFL, Kennedy joined Carlton in 1905, a year after his brother Ted had arrived at the club. His first year with Carlton was his most successful in the VFL, playing 18 matches out of a possible 19 including a preliminary final appearance. He appeared in a further five matches during the 1906 and 1907 seasons.
Cricket
Kennedy played as a batsman for the Carlton Cricket ClubCarlton Cricket Club
Carlton Cricket Club is an Australian cricket team that competes in the Victorian Premier Cricket competition. The club was formed in 1864 and plays its home matches at Princes Park in North Carlton. Known as the Blues, Carlton has won eight First XI premierships, most recently in the...
.
He was later president of the Brighton Cricket Club
Brighton Cricket Club
Brighton Cricket Club was based at Brighton, Sussex and was briefly a major cricket team, playing four known first-class matches in the 1792 season, at which time it was representative of Sussex as a county....
and in 1945 was appointed a trustee of the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
.
Working life
Soon after finishing his schooling in 1897 Kennedy was employed by the British Australasian Tobacco Company. By 1903 he had moved to the Melbourne Electric Supply Company and had gained accountancy qualifications. By 1920 he was chief accountant of MESC and secretary of the company seven years later. In 1940 he had branched out into public practice, opening an office on Collins Street, MelbourneCollins Street, Melbourne
Collins Street is a major street in the Melbourne central business district and runs approximately east to west.It is notable as Melbourne's traditional main street and best known street, is often regarded as Australia's premier street, with some of the country's finest Victorian era buildings.The...
.
Brighton City Council
In 1928 Kennedy became a member of the Brighton City CouncilCity of Brighton
The City of Brighton was a Local Government Area located about south of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia, on the southeast bank of the Yarra River. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1859 until 1994.-History:...
, serving as Mayor between 1932 and 1933. He retired as a councillor in 1945. While Mayor he cancelled the annual ball to buy shoes for disadvantaged children.
Victorian Parliament
Kennedy was elected to the Victorian Legislative CouncilVictorian Legislative Council
The Victorian Legislative Council, is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia; the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit in Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Council serves as a house of review, in a similar fashion to...
for the Higinbotham Province
Higinbotham Province
Higinbotham Province was an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Council. It existed as a two-member electorate from 1937 to 2006, with members serving alternating eight-year terms. It was considered a safe seat for the Liberal Party of Australia throughout its history, though it was won by...
in 1937 representing the United Australia Party
United Australia Party
The United Australia Party was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. It was the political successor to the Nationalist Party of Australia and predecessor to the Liberal Party of Australia...
.
Under Premier Albert Dunstan
Albert Dunstan
Sir Albert Arthur Dunstan, KCMG was an Australian politician. A member of the Country Party , Dunstan was the 33rd Premier of Victoria. His term as Premier was the second-longest in the state's history, behind Sir Henry Bolte...
he served in the transport and mines portfolios between September 1943 until October 1945. He later served under Premier Tom Hollway as Minister for public works between 1947 and 1950 and as mines minister during 1948.
Church activities
Kennedy attended the Brighton Congregational Church. As an active churchgoer, Kennedy was deeply involved in various Christian causes. From 1902 he served as a Sunday school teacher at the Brighton church, later acting as church secretary. He was for a time vice-president of the Sunday Christian Observance Council. He was treasurer of the Victorian Congregational Union for over twenty years and was president of the Congregationalist Union of Australia and New Zealand in 1940 and 1941.Death and legacy
Kennedy died on 20 November 1954 at the BrightonBrighton, Victoria
Brighton is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Brighton had a population of 20,651...
home of his daughter. He was buried at the Melbourne General Cemetery
Melbourne General Cemetery
The Melbourne General Cemetery is a large necropolis located north of the city of Melbourne in the suburb of Carlton North.-History:...
. A commemorative window was dedicated to him at the Brighton Congregational Church in 1957.