Edwin Thomas John Kerby (12 April 1885 – 5 July 1971) was an Australian politician.

Edwin Kerby
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Ballaarat
In office
13 December 1919 – 2 June 1920
Preceded byCharles McGrath
Succeeded byCharles McGrath
Personal details
Born(1885-04-12)12 April 1885
Ballarat, Victoria
Died5 July 1971(1971-07-05) (aged 86)
NationalityAustralian
Political partyNationalist Party of Australia
OccupationMining engineer

Early life

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Born in Ballarat, Victoria, he attended Grenville College before becoming a mining engineer and electrical contractor.

Military service

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He served in World War I from 1914 to 1919. During his service he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal.[1]

Politician

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In 1919, he was selected as the Nationalist candidate for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Ballaarat, and defeated sitting Labor MP Charles McGrath by one vote, the closest result ever recorded for the House of Representatives. McGrath successfully challenged Kerby's election in the courts,[2] and a by-election was held in 1920 and won by McGrath. Kerby became a businessman, focusing mainly on aviation, and became prominent among ex-servicemen's causes; he held the leadership of the RSL. He died in 1971.[3]

Amateur radio

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Throughout his adult life Kerby maintained an interest in amateur radio and held the callsigns VK7EK while resident at Ringarooma, Tasmania (1932 to 1939) and VK3KK while living in Auburn, Melbourne, Victoria (1946 to 1969).[4]

Notes

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  1. ^ "Edwin Thomas John Kerby". UNSW Australia. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  2. ^ Kean v Kerby [1920] HCA 35, (1920) 27 CLR 449.
  3. ^ Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Archived from the original on 17 July 2007. Retrieved 2008-06-08.
  4. ^ Potted biography

References

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Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Member for Ballaarat
1919 – 1920
Succeeded by