Thomas Kennedy (Australian politician)
Thomas Kennedy (1860 – 16 February 1929) was an Australian politician and farmer. He was born in Gisborne, Victoria, and finished his schooling after primary education. He became a farmer by age 17.
In 1893 he ran for the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Benalla and Yarrawonga. He finished level on votes with John Montgomery Templeton, and the returning officer cast the deciding vote for Templeton. Kennedy challenged the result, claiming irregularities—for example, the Devenish booth had no electoral roll—and that Templeton held an office of profit under the crown as a member of the Victorian militia and an official liquidator. In November 1893 the Committee of Elections and Qualifications voided the election, though it ruled that the office of liquidator was not an office of profit. A by-election on 20 November 1893 gave Kennedy the seat. He remained in the Victorian Assembly until 1901.
In 1901 Kennedy moved to federal politics, winning the Australian House of Representatives seat of Moira for the Protectionist Party at the first federal election. When Moira was abolished in 1906, he stood for Echuca but was narrowly defeated by Albert Palmer. He then retired from politics and returned to farming at Buffalo, Victoria. Kennedy died there in 1929, aged 68–69.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:03 (CET).