J. J. Kenneally
J. J. Kenneally (born James Jerome Kenneally; 1870 – 20 February 1949) was an Australian journalist and trade unionist. An early populariser of Australian bushranger Ned Kelly and his gang via his book The Inner History of the Kelly Gang and Their Pursuers (1929), he was also one of the original members of the country's Labor Party and later formed his own party.
J. J. Kenneally | |
|---|---|
| Born | James Jerome Kenneally 1870 Gaffneys Creek, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | February 20, 1949 (aged 78–79) Melbourne |
| Occupation | trade unionist and writer |
| Nationality | Irish Australian |
| Spouse | Emelie Winifred Kenneally (née Deegan) |
| Children | 5 |
| Relatives |
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Raised in the northeastern part of Australia's Victoria known as "Kelly country", he taught school, started Tasmania's Timber Worker's Union and was active in the union movement. He ran for the House of Representatives seat for Mernda, Victoria in the 1906 and 1910 elections.
He self-published Inner History in 1929, and the work was plagiarised by the press of the day. Twenty years later, it inspired Sidney Nolan's important Ned Kelly series of paintings and, by 1980, over 30 years after Kenneally's death, it had gone through nine editions. The book continues to be referenced as a significant work into the 21st century.