Alfred Kennerley (10 October 1810 – 15 November 1897) was an Australian politician and

Premier of Tasmania The premier of Tasmania is the head of the Government of Tasmania, executive government in the Australian state of Tasmania. By convention, the leader of the party or political grouping which has majority support in the Tasmanian House of Assem ...

from 4 August 1873 until 20 July 1876. Kennerley was born in

Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

. He was a man of means who came from England to Australia when young and settled in

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

. On 18 February 1834 at Windsor he married Jane, daughter of Richard Rouse of

Rouse Hill House Rouse Hill Estate is a heritage-listed Homestead (buildings), homestead and estate (land), estate off Windsor Road (356 Annangrove Road), Rouse Hill, New South Wales, Rouse Hill, City of Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia. Rouse Hill House an ...

. When his father died Kennerley leased his land and sold his livestock, planning to return to England. He sailed with his wife for London in March 1842 and returned to Sydney in January 1845. He resumed farming at Bringelly, became a magistrate and, in trust for his wife, acquired from Rouse more property in Parramatta. Kennerley was not robust and found the climate very trying. In 1853 he returned to England with his wife. In June 1857 the Kennerleys arrived at Hobart in the Gloucester and named their new home Rouseville. He became an alderman about 1860, and was

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

in 1862, 1863, 1871 and 1872. He was elected to Parliament and on 4 August 1873 became premier without office. On 15 August 1873, William Lodewyk Crowther threatened Kennerley with violence when Kennerley mentioned Crowther's theft of

Aboriginal Tasmanian The Aboriginal Tasmanians (palawa kani: ''Palawa'' or ''Pakana'') are the Aboriginal people of the Australian island of Tasmania, located south of the mainland. At the time of European contact, Aboriginal Tasmanians were divided into a numb ...

remains: His ministry initiated a policy of public works, but though there was really little difference between the parties, there was a good deal of political strife, and it was difficult to get anything constructive done. Kennerley became discouraged and resigned on 20 July 1876. This was the only time he was in office, but he was well known for the remainder of his long life as a staunch supporter of the Church of England, and as one of the most philanthropic and high-principled citizens of Hobart. He died in his eighty-eighth year on 15 November 1897. His wife died many years before him and he had no children.

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kennerley, Alfred 1810 births 1897 deaths Members of the Tasmanian Legislative Council Premiers of Tasmania Mayors and lord mayors of Hobart People from Islington (district) Politicians from the London Borough of Islington 19th-century Australian politicians English emigrants to colonial Australia Tasmanian local councillors