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Thomas Kennedy (Australian politician)

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Thomas Kennedy
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Moira
In office
29 March 1901 – 12 December 1906
Preceded byNew seat
Succeeded byDivision abolished
Personal details
Born1860
Gisborne, Victoria
Died16 February 1929 (aged 68–69)
Buffalo, Victoria
NationalityAustralian
Political partyProtectionist Party
OccupationFarmer

Thomas Kennedy (1860 – 16 February 1929) was an Australian politician. Born in Gisborne, Victoria, he received a primary education and was a farmer by the age of 17.

In 1893, Kennedy contested the seat of Benalla and Yarrawonga in the Victorian Legislative Assembly at the general election. He received the same number of votes as another candidate, Lieutenant-Colonel John Montgomery Templeton, with the returning officer declaring Templeton the winner on his casting vote. Kennedy then lodged a petition with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, alleging irregularities in the electoral process (the Devenish booth had received no electoral roll), and also that Templeton held an office of profit under the crown as a member of the Victorian militia and an official liquidator.[1] In November 1893, the Committee of Elections and Qualifications declared the election in Benalla and Yarrawonga void, although it also ruled that liquidator was not an office of profit under the crown.[2] A by-election was held on 20 November, which Kennedy won.

He remained in the Legislative Assembly until 1901.[3] In that year, he transferred to federal politics, winning the Australian House of Representatives seat of Moira for the Protectionist Party at the first federal election.[4] Kennedy's seat of Moira was abolished in 1906; he contested Echuca instead, but was narrowly defeated by Albert Palmer.[5] He retired from politics and became a farmer at Buffalo. Kennedy died in 1929.[3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "BENALLA AND YARRAWONGA ELECTION". Mount Alexander Mail. No. 10, 759. Victoria, Australia. 20 October 1893. p. 3. Retrieved 22 January 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "Benalla and Yarrawonga Election" (PDF). Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Thomas Kennedy". Re-Member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851. Parliament of Victoria. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  4. ^ Carr, Adam. "1901 legislative election: House of Representatives, Victoria". Psephos. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  5. ^ Carr, Adam. "1906 legislative election: House of Representatives, Victoria". Psephos. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
Victorian Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Member for Benalla and Yarrawonga
1893–1901
Succeeded by
Australian House of Representatives
New division Member for Moira
1901–1906
Division abolished