Bert Kelly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bert Kelly
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| Minister for the Navy | |
| In office 28 February 1968 – 12 November 1969 |
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| Prime Minister | John Gorton |
| Preceded by | Don Chipp |
| Succeeded by | Jim Killen |
| Minister for Works | |
| In office 28 February 1967 – 28 February 1968 |
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| Prime Minister | Harold Holt John McEwen John Gorton |
| Preceded by | John Gorton |
| Succeeded by | Reg Wright |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Wakefield |
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| In office 22 November 1958 – 10 November 1977 |
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| Preceded by | Philip McBride |
| Succeeded by | Geoffrey Giles |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 June 1912 Tarlee, South Australia |
| Died | 17 January 1997 (aged 84) |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Occupation | Farmer |
Charles Robert "Bert" Kelly (born June 22, 1912 – died January 17, 1997) was an important Australian politician. He served as a government minister. Bert Kelly helped change how Australian political parties thought about trade. He encouraged them to move away from policies that charged high taxes on imported goods, known as tariffs.
Early Life and Education
Bert Kelly was born in Tarlee, South Australia. He went to school at Prince Alfred College in Adelaide. Before becoming a politician, he worked as a farmer.
His father, Stan Kelly, also had an interest in trade. He worked for the Commonwealth Tariff Board. This board looked at how tariffs affected Australia. Stan Kelly believed that high tariffs were not good for the country.
In 1951, Bert Kelly received a special scholarship. It was called a Nuffield Fellowship. This allowed him to travel to the United Kingdom. There, he studied different farming methods.
Political Career Highlights
Bert Kelly was elected to the Australian House of Representatives in 1958. He represented the area called Wakefield. He was a member of the Liberal Party.
Kelly strongly believed in free trade. This means countries should trade goods without many taxes or restrictions. At the time, this idea was not very popular in Australia.
He served as a government minister twice.
- From February 1967 to February 1968, he was the Minister for Works. He held this role under Prime Ministers Harold Holt and John Gorton.
- From February 1968 to November 1969, he was the Minister for the Navy.
As Navy Minister, he had to deal with a sad event. This was the collision between two ships, HMAS Melbourne and USS Evans. This happened in June 1969. Some people believe his strong views on free trade might have limited his time as a minister.
After leaving his ministerial roles, Kelly continued to share his ideas. He wrote a regular newspaper column. It was called Modest Member and appeared in the Australian Financial Review. In this column, he kept arguing for free trade.
In 1977, the area he represented, Wakefield, changed. Another politician, Geoffrey Giles, was chosen over Kelly to run for the seat.
Later Life and Legacy
After leaving parliament, Bert Kelly kept writing his column. He changed its name to "Modest Farmer." It was published in other well-known Australian magazines and newspapers. These included The Bulletin and The Australian.
In 1980, he received a special honor. He was made a Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (CMG). This award recognized his important contributions.
Bert Kelly passed away on January 17, 1997. He was survived by his wife, Lorna, and their three sons. Many important people attended his funeral. This included former Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.
Gough Whitlam once said about Bert Kelly:
No private member has had as much influence in changing a major policy of the major parties.
This means that Bert Kelly, even as a regular Member of Parliament, greatly influenced how major political parties thought about important issues.
Bert Kelly's family also has a connection to sports. His grandson, Craig Kelly, and great-grandson, Jake Kelly, both played professional Australian rules football.
