Bert Kelly
Encyclopedia
Charles Robert "Bert" Kelly CMG
(22 December 1912 – 17 January 1997), was an Australian politician and government minister. He was influential in moving Australian political parties away from support for high-tariff
policies.
Kelly was born in Tarlee, South Australia
and educated at Prince Alfred College
, Adelaide
. His father, Stan Kelly was a part-time Commissioner of the Commonwealth Tariff Board
from 1929 to 1940, and supported its opposition to the high-tariff policies of successive Australian governments. He was a farmer before entering politics and in 1951, he was granted a Nuffield Fellowship
to study farming in the United Kingdom.
member for the House of Representatives
seat of Wakefield
at the 1958 election
. He was a passionate supporter of free trade
, when this was very much a minority opinion in Australia. He was Minister for Works
from February 1967 to February 1968 in the Holt
and Gorton ministries
and then Minister for the Navy
until November 1969. His period as minister may have been limited by his free trade views.
After Kelly's departure from the ministry, he wrote a column in the Australian Financial Review
, Modest Member, supporting free trade. When the seat of Angas
was abolished in 1977, its member Geoffrey Giles
beat Kelly for preselection
for Wakefield.
Kelly renamed his column "Modest Farmer" and it was published successively in the Australian Financial Review, the Bulletin
and the Australian
. He was made Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George
(CMG) in 1980. He was survived by his wife, Lorna and three sons. His funeral was attended by former Labor
Prime Minister Gough Whitlam
and Ray Evans, the former head of Western Mining Corporation and president of the right-wing H. R. Nicholls Society
.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(22 December 1912 – 17 January 1997), was an Australian politician and government minister. He was influential in moving Australian political parties away from support for high-tariff
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
policies.
Kelly was born in Tarlee, South Australia
Tarlee, South Australia
Tarlee is a town in South Australia. The origin of the name is uncertain, but it is thought to be a corruption of the name Tralee in Ireland. The town is in the lower Mid North region where Main North Road crosses the Gilbert River. It is approximately 8 km south of Giles Corner, where the...
and educated at Prince Alfred College
Prince Alfred College
Prince Alfred College is an independent, day and boarding school for boys, located on Dequetteville Terrace, Kent Town, near the centre of Adelaide, South Australia...
, Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
. His father, Stan Kelly was a part-time Commissioner of the Commonwealth Tariff Board
Productivity Commission
The Productivity Commission is the Australian Government's principal review and advisory body on microeconomic policy and regulation. It is an independent statutory authority in the Treasury Portfolio and responds to references from the Treasurer...
from 1929 to 1940, and supported its opposition to the high-tariff policies of successive Australian governments. He was a farmer before entering politics and in 1951, he was granted a Nuffield Fellowship
Nuffield Foundation
The Nuffield Foundation is a British charitable trust, established in 1943 by William Morris , the founder of the Morris Motor Company. Lord Nuffield wanted to contribute to improvements in society, including the expansion of education and the alleviation of disadvantage...
to study farming in the United Kingdom.
Political career
Kelly was elected as the Liberal PartyLiberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
member for the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
seat of Wakefield
Division of Wakefield
The Division of Wakefield is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of South Australia. It is located north of Adelaide, incorporating the outer northern suburbs of Salisbury and Elizabeth, and extending north as far as Clare. It covers the east coast of the Gulf St Vincent north of...
at the 1958 election
Australian federal election, 1958
Federal elections were held in Australia on 22 November 1958. All 122 seats in the House of Representatives, and 32 of the 60 seats in the Senate were up for election...
. He was a passionate supporter of free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
, when this was very much a minority opinion in Australia. He was Minister for Works
Minister for Housing (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness is Mark Arbib, who was appointed on 14 September 2010, following the Labor Party's win at the 2010 election...
from February 1967 to February 1968 in the Holt
Second Holt Ministry
The Second Holt Ministry was the forty-third Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 14 December 1966 to 19 December 1967.Liberal Party of Australia–Australian Country Party Coalition-Cabinet:*Rt Hon Harold Holt, CH MP: Prime Minister...
and Gorton ministries
First Gorton Ministry
The First Gorton Ministry was the forty-fifth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 10 January 1968 to 12 November 1969.Liberal Party of Australia–Australian Country Party Coalition-Cabinet:*Rt Hon John Gorton, MP: Prime Minister...
and then Minister for the Navy
Minister for Defence (Australia)
The Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Stephen Smith is the current Minister.-Ministers for Defence:...
until November 1969. His period as minister may have been limited by his free trade views.
After Kelly's departure from the ministry, he wrote a column in the Australian Financial Review
The Australian Financial Review
The Australian Financial Review is a leading business and finance newspaper in Australia.Fairfax Media publishes it in a compact format six days a week, Monday to Saturday....
, Modest Member, supporting free trade. When the seat of Angas
Division of Angas (1949-77)
The Division of Angas was an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia. The division was created in 1949 and abolished in 1977. It was named for George Fife Angas, a South Australian pioneer, and was based in rural areas including Mount Barker, Murray Bridge and Renmark...
was abolished in 1977, its member Geoffrey Giles
Geoffrey Giles
Geoffrey O'Halloran Giles was an Australian politician. Born in Adelaide, South Australia, he was educated in Victoria at Geelong Grammar School before returning to South Australia to attend the University of Adelaide and Roseworthy College. He became a grazier and cattle breeder, and served in...
beat Kelly for preselection
Preselection
Preselection is the process by which a candidate is selected, usually by a political party, to contest an election for political office. It is also referred to as candidate selection. It is a fundamental function of political parties...
for Wakefield.
Kelly renamed his column "Modest Farmer" and it was published successively in the Australian Financial Review, the Bulletin
The Bulletin
The Bulletin was an Australian weekly magazine that was published in Sydney from 1880 until January 2008. It was influential in Australian culture and politics from about 1890 until World War I, the period when it was identified with the "Bulletin school" of Australian literature. Its influence...
and the Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
. He was made Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(CMG) in 1980. He was survived by his wife, Lorna and three sons. His funeral was attended by former Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
Prime Minister Gough Whitlam
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
and Ray Evans, the former head of Western Mining Corporation and president of the right-wing H. R. Nicholls Society
H. R. Nicholls Society
The H.R. Nicholls Society is an Australian think tank of the New Right on industrial relations. It was created in March 1986 after John Stone, Peter Costello, Barrie Purvis, and Ray Evans organised a seminar aimed at discussing the Hancock Report and other industrial matters.The Society is named...
.