David Kennedy (Australian politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Kennedy
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Kennedy in 1973
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| Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 2 March 1985 – 2 October 1992 |
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| Preceded by | New seat |
| Succeeded by | Max Turner |
| Constituency | Bendigo West |
| In office 3 April 1982 – 2 March 1985 |
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| Preceded by | Daryl McClure |
| Succeeded by | Abolished |
| Constituency | Bendigo |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Bendigo |
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| In office 7 June 1969 – 2 December 1972 |
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| Preceded by | Noel Beaton |
| Succeeded by | John Bourchier |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 March 1940 Ulverstone, Tasmania, Australia |
| Political party | Labor |
| Relations | Cyril Kennedy |
| Alma mater | University of Melbourne |
| Occupation | Schoolteacher |
Andrew David Kennedy, born on March 20, 1940, is an Australian radio host and former politician. He was a member of the Australian Parliament from 1969 to 1972. He represented the area of Bendigo for the Australian Labor Party (ALP).
Later, he served in the Victorian state parliament from 1982 to 1992. He represented the areas of Bendigo and Bendigo West. Before becoming a politician, he worked as a schoolteacher.
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David Kennedy's Early Life
David Kennedy was born on March 20, 1940, in Ulverstone, Tasmania. His older brother, Cyril Kennedy, was also a politician. Both brothers served together in the Victorian state parliament for ten years.
Kennedy is a very distant descendant of Mannalargenna. Mannalargenna was an important Aboriginal Tasmanian leader in the 1800s. When David Kennedy first became a politician, his Indigenous background was not widely known.
Kennedy spent his early years in Tasmania. He went to a Catholic primary school there. Later, his family moved to Melbourne. He continued his primary schooling in Burnley and Richmond. He also attended a public school in Hawthorn.
He finished high school at University High School, Melbourne. After that, he went to the University of Melbourne. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a diploma in education. From 1963 to 1969, he taught at Bendigo High School.
Time in Australian Parliament
David Kennedy joined the Australian Labor Party when he was young. He became the president of the Young Labor group in Bendigo. He also worked to help the party with public relations.
Kennedy was elected to the House of Representatives in 1969. This happened during a special election for the Bendigo area. He was 29 years old and became the youngest member of his party in parliament. He won his seat again in the 1969 national election.
In parliament, Kennedy often spoke about education. He strongly supported creating a university in Bendigo. He was critical of a government program that gave money to private schools. He believed it created an unfair education system.
He said the government was "wasting public money" on schools for wealthy families. He felt this created a "two-class system of education." His ideas often led to disagreements with the education minister, Malcolm Fraser.
Kennedy lost his seat in the 1972 election to John Bourchier. This election was important because the Labor Party won and formed the government for the first time in many years.
After losing his seat, Kennedy worked for a time as a press secretary. He helped the overseas trade minister, Jim Cairns, with media. He tried to win back his Bendigo seat in the 1974 election but was not successful.
Time in Victorian State Parliament
After leaving federal politics, Kennedy went back to being a schoolteacher. He was also involved in his local community. He was president of a health center and a director of a housing group. He also helped a music society in Bendigo.
Kennedy was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly in 1982. This is the state parliament for Victoria. He won the seat of Bendigo from the previous politician.
His original seat was later changed. So, he moved to represent the new seat of Bendigo West in 1985.
During his time in state parliament, Kennedy was a backbencher. This means he was a regular member of parliament, not a minister. In the 1988 election, he won by only a few hundred votes.
Before the 1992 election, the boundaries of his seat changed again. This made it harder for him to win. He was defeated by Max Turner from the Liberal Party.
Later Activities and Radio Work
In 1986, David Kennedy started hosting a classical music show. It was on a radio station in Harcourt. He later helped start Phoenix FM, a community radio station in Bendigo. In 2016, he celebrated 30 years of his radio program.
