Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Published Biographies

http://mawsonshuts.antarctica.gov.au/western-party/the-people/alexander-lorimer-kennedy

http://www.mawsons-huts-replica.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Mawson-FactFile02-Mawsons-men.pdf

http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/biography/kennedy_alexander.php

Additional Biography

Birth

Alexander Lorimer Kennedy was born on the 23rd April 1889, to Joseph Arthur Kennedy and Elizabeth Isabella (nee Lorimer) in the District of Nairne, SA (SA Birth 437/104). Alexander’s father was a well-known teacher who taught at Woodside, Wallaroo Mines, Burra, Glenelg and later became headmaster of the Norwood Public School.

Schooling

Alexander commenced his schooling at the Sturt Street State School and in December 1902 he won a public exhibition (scholarship) to St Peter’s College. He attended there from 1903 to 1905, passing his Junior (1903), Senior (1904) and Higher (1905) Examinations. In 1905 Alexander represented St Peters in an Intercollegiate rowing event against Geelong College, Victoria.

University

Alexander commenced studying Science at Adelaide University in 1906. He also passed subjects at the School of Mines and in the Arts Examinations. Alexander was still a student at the University in 1911 when he was chosen as a member of the Mawson Expedition to Antarctica. After returning from the Antarctica, Alexander returned to his studies and was awarded his Bachelor of Engineering and Diploma of Applied Science in Mining in April 1915 followed by his Fellowship Diploma in Mining in December 1915 from the School of Mines.

University Sport

Boat
Alexander represented the University at rowing from 1907. He rowed in Intervarsity events in 1907, 1908, 1910 & 1911. Alexander was awarded a Blue for Boat in 1908.

Rifle
Alexander began shooting for the University Rifle Club in 1910. He represented the University in Intervarsity Rifle in 1911 and was awarded a Blue for Rifle in 1911, making him a Double Blue.

Football
Alexander played Football for the University in 1907 in the Adelaide and Suburban Association.

Mawson Expedition to the Antarctic

Alexander went on two Expeditions to the Antarctic, the first from November 1911 to March 1913 and the second in 1930.

“Alexander Kennedy served with Frank Wild at the Western Base. This base was established on the Shackleton Ice Shelf as time and ice conditions had prevented Captain Davis carrying Wild's party any further to the west. Kennedy was the party's magnetician and cartographer and his duties entailed a great deal of night work. He also had to establish his equipment in an igloo to avoid contact with anything metallic which would influence the readings obtained from them.

In 1914, after he returned to Australia, Alexander was appointed as magnetic observer for the Carnegie Institute Washington. To undertake this work, he was involved in camel journeys to sites of magnetic stations in Central Australia.

Marriage and Family
In early 1915 Alexander married Rosa Beatrix (Trixie) Stevens. They had three daughters, Beatrix Margaret, born 1 December 1915 and Joan in 1920 and Elizabeth born in 1934.

Alexander was not the only talented member of his family. He sister Daisy was a renowned violinist who studied at the Vienna Conservatorium and preformed in London and Europe.

World War I

Alexander enlisted on 30th August 1915 in the 1st Mining Corps. He was 26 years old described as a draughtsman with the SA Railways, 5’ 9”tall, 162 lbs, with a fair complexion, brown hair and brown eyes. Alexander and Trixie were living at Davenport Terrace, Wayville and later at Main Street, Henley Beach then Marlborough St, Henley Beach. He attended NCO School at Mitcham. Alexander was appointed a 2nd Lieutenant on 27th November 1915. Alexander departed Australia on 20 February 1916 on the “Ulysseys” from Sydney, via the Suez and disembarking at Marseilles, France on 5th May 1916. On the 8th May 1916 he arrived at Hazelbrouck (Flanders) by train.

Alexander was promoted to Lieutenant in the field in France on 15th June 1916. He was wounded in action on 1st July 1916, in France. Alexander served in England after his injury and did not return to France until July 1917. On 22nd February 1918 Alexander was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth suffering from pneumonia. He returned to France in May 1918 and served at the 1st Army Mine School. In October 1918, he was hospitalised at the 5th British Red Cross Hospital with severe pyrexia. Alexander departed from France on 22 February 1919, returning to Australia on the ‘Sardinia’ on 19th May 1919.

Back in Australia

On his return from the war Alexander was engaged in engineering working at Broken Hill and Iron Knob.

From 1921 Alexander worked at Adelaide Observatory for four years. In 1922 Alexander was involved in the expedition to Cordillo Downs in North Eastern South Australia (about116 kilometres (72 mi) north of Innamincka and 155 kilometres (96 mi) south east of Birdsville), for the eclipse of the Sun. Alexander was in the advance party and Mr Dodwell, the Government Astronomer, described Alexander’s trip to set up the camp as follows:

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/165680122?searchTerm=Alexander%20Lorimer%20Kennedy#

In 1924 Alexander was involved in researching and reporting on magnetic disturbances in Spencer Gulf and in late 1924 he was appointed Deputy Government Astronomer for the four-month period when Mr Dodwell was on overseas study leave.

Canberra, NSW and WA

Alexander then spent two years at the newly built Mt. Stromolo Observatory in Australian Capital Territory and was one of the first residents of the newly built cottages on the grounds of the Observatory in 1926.

He then worked for the Kandoo Cement Company in NSW before moving to the Pilbara region in WA in October 1928. On his way through Adelaide to take up his role in WA, Alexander met up with the surviving members of the Adelaide University 1910 Intervarsity Boat Crew.

BANZARE Antarctic Expedition

In 1930 Alexander was a member of the British Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition to Antarctica. He was the group’s physicist. He departed from Hobart on the 22nd November 1930 and returned in 1931. Mawson’s BANZARE proclamation is in Alexander’s copperplate handwriting. Alexander was later awarded both the Silver and Bronze Polar Medals.

Back in WA

In June 1933 Alexander was working for Tantalite Ltd, Wodgina, WA (90 km south of Port Hedland).

Tragically on the 15th December 1934, Alexander’s wife Trixie died while in Adelaide, she is buried at the Nailsworth (North Road) Cemetery, SA.
By 1936, Alexander was manager of the Tantalite Ltd. and in August that year he became a new member of Port Hedland Road Board, a role he held until 1940.

In 1937 Alexander was described as a geologist carrying out investigations into mining of tantalite in the Northern Territory. Alexander travelled frequently by boat and plane on behalf of his company. Alexander married Melba More Bruse, the only daughter of Mr & Mrs FA Bruse of 48 Heytesbury Road, Subiaco and of Wyalkatchem.

Alexander’s eldest daughters Margaret and Joan were both educated in Adelaide and qualified as nurses at the Adelaide Children’s Hospital (1938 and 1940 respectively).

In November 1937 Margaret became engaged and in May 1938, she married Dr John Meavious Pedler at St Peter’s College Chapel. Alexander was unable to attend the wedding, however Margaret was supported by her sisters, Joan (bridesmaid) and Elizabeth (flower girl, aged 4 years).

Joan married Captain (Dr) Vernon Allan Ferguson-Stewart on the 8th March 1941 at the Naval Base Camp, Fremantle, WA. The couple took a flat in Thomas Street, West Perth. Joan travelled from Perth to Sydney in July 1941 to join her husband.

World War II

Alexander was the manager of the Tantalite Ltd mine at Wodgina, WA when WWII commenced in September 1939. He continued in that role, but newspaper articles report that demand for tantalite was falling (March 1940) and in August 1941 it was reported that the mine had been shut down.

Alexander moved back to South Australia and enlisted in the AIF as a Lieutenant at Keswick, SA on 28 July 1941 (SN S31419) with the Ordnance Mechanical Engineers. Alexander was discharged from this role on 23 October 1942 A year after the closure of the tantalite mines, new uses for the ore had been developed. A December 1942 newspaper article states “the ex-manager of one mine had been withdrawn from the army to take charge of the property”. This appears to refer to Alexander as he is recorded as travelling from Melbourne to Perth in March 1943 to take up an executive position at the Wodgina tantalite mine. A further article refers to the reopening of the mine as tantalite was required for the war effort.

On the 12 April 1943, Alexander re-enlisted as a Private at Port Hedland (SN W74983) and was discharged on 2 November 1943. Both records give his next of kin as Melba Kennedy.

Post WWII

Alexander remained in the mining industry in the Port Hedland area after WWII. In 1944 he was at Yampire George, WA (350 km south of Pt Hedland) and was appointed as a Justice of the Peace for the Roebourne Magisterial District.

Alexander is pictured below (August 1948). In September 1952 Alexander was still involved in tantalite mining but had moved to Perth with an address at 48 Heytesbury Road, Subiaco, WA.

Death

Alexander Lorimer Kennedy died on 24 August 1972, aged 83. He had been residing at Subiaco. He was cremated and his ashes are in the Crematorium Rose Garden at the Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth, WA. His wife, Melba More Kennedy, died on 31 July 1991, aged 89, she was cremated, and her ashes are with Alexander’s at the Crematorium Rose Garden at the Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth, WA.

Medals

British War Medal 1914-18; Victory Medal 1914-19; War Medal 1939-45; Australia Service Medal 1939-45; Polar Medal in silver (GVR in Admiral's uniform), clasp - Antarctic 1912-14; Polar Medal in bronze (GVR crowned bust), - clasp - Antarctic 1930-31. Lieut. A.L.Kennedy. A.I.F. on first two medals. S31419 A.L.Kennedy on second and third medals, A.L.Kennedy Aurora on fifth medal and Alexander L.Kennedy on last medal. First five medals impressed, last medal engraved.
Together with two sets of fibre dog tags, one for Lieu. A.L.Kennedy/3rd Aus.T.C. the other for A L Kennedy S31419.

Sold at auction in November 2014 for $23,000

Legacy

Alexander’s grandson Dr Adam Pedler “was educated at St Peters College graduating as School Captain before studying medicine at Adelaide University. During that time, he had a highly successful athletics career winning state championships in 110 metre and 400 metre Hurdles, in fact he remains the state’s record holder in the 400 metre hurdles to this day!”

Dr Peter Sharley (AUFC President) included Dr Adam Pedler in his article “Can you put medical and sporting careers in the NutriBullet together?” medicSA, July 2016.

Author EE (Beth) Filmer

For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project please see the document attached.

Alexander Lorimer Kennedy was born in Woodside, South Australia, on 23 April 1889. His father was the Headmaster of North Adelaide School, thus young Kennedy was educated by his father and then at St Peter's College and the University of Adelaide, from which he graduated in 1911. While at University he was a prominent member of the Boat Club, taking his Blue in 1908. He was the stroke of the University VIII - Cecil Madigan (another Australian Polar explorer) rowed at bow - that won the inter-University competition, besides being on the Intervarsity Rifle Shooting Team.

Kennedy was completing his studies at Adelaide University when being selected by Sir Douglas Mawson as Magnetician for his first Antarctic Expedition, being a key member of the Western Party, whilst further serving on Frank Wild's Eastern Journey; Kennedy answered the call of duty during the Great War, being wounded in action for good measure, before returning to the fold for a further Antarctic foray - once again under Mawson - for the BANZAR Expedition, in the course of which he earned the extremely rare combination of the Polar Medal in both silver and bronze

Antarctic - first foray

Later that year, Kennedy joined Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE) as physicist and navigator with the Western Party led by Frank Wild, which spent a year on the Shackleton Ice Shelf. He had taken a number of magnetism classes whilst still at University in order to prepare for what was required of him on the expedition. Frank Wild was the leader of the eight-man Western Party, Sydney Jones, medical officer; Charles Hoadley and Andrew Watson, geologists; Morton Moyes, Meteorologist; George Dovers, Cartographer; Charles Harrisson, Biologist and Alexander Kennedy, Magnetician. The site of their base on the Shackleton Ice shelf was precarious and chosen in some desperation. Ever since the Aurora left Commonwealth Bay, Captain Davis had been looking for a suitable location for the Western Party. They had come west some 2,500km without finding a suitable landing place. It was then early February 1912 and, with only a few days' coal in reserve, Captain Davis was thinking of abandoning the search and heading for Hobart and home. However on 15 February they sighted a massive ice shelf that they named the Shackleton Ice Shelf, after Sir Ernest, whose birthday it was that day. Now, an ice shelf is not the best place to site an expedition hut as they have a tendency to break up and float away, but Frank Wild thought it would be safe enough, and far better than an ignominious return to Hobart. Over the next few days, the crew of the Aurora deposited 40 tons of stores and equipment, including 12 tons of coal, onto the ice shelf.

Wild thus selected a spot some 585m inland from the ice cliffs for the location of the hut and work began immediately on its construction. The hut was designed for eight men. It was 20 feet (6.1 m) square, with a 6 foot (1.8 m) wide veranda around three sides, and entry was through a vestibule with an outer and inner door to keep the weather out. Unfortunately, the bolts that were designed to hold the prefabricated sections together had been left behind in Australia and they had to make do with nails. Any concerns they may have had about the stability of such construction were unfounded. Within a very short time the whole structure was engulfed in snow up to the eaves as the building became part of the ice shelf. They dug blind tunnels and passageways into the accumulated snow to use as store rooms and tunnels and named the finished warren of a habitation 'The Grottoes'. Frank Wild, the only man with any polar experience, decided to take the men man-hauling and teach them how to work the sledges, cross crevasses and generally cope with the environment. This was a familiarisation exercise, albeit a harsh introduction to what would be expected of them next spring. The nine Greenland dogs they had brought with them would not be fit to haul sledges for some months and took no part in these early training exercises.

The Western Party was the happiest of the three AAE bases, without the personality clashes of Macquarie Island or Mawson's unfounded expectation that all the men at Cape Denison shared his driving passion and enthusiasm. This was due to Frank Wild's laid back, consensus style of leadership. During the winter, they got up late, worked on their individual projects from 1000hrs until 1300hrs - there was not much for a biologist and two geologists to do on an ice shelf during winter! Only the meteorologist, Moyes, was kept busy taking regular readings through the day and night. During their copious free time they all took on additional tasks, with the exception of Moyes who was excused because of his meteorological duties. Hoadley acted as the storekeeper; Jones and Kennedy serviced the acetylene plant; Harrisson took care of the hurricane lamps; Watson looked after the dogs; and Dovers was the 'odd job man' who covered for whoever was on cook or night watch. Every Saturday they had a scrub-out to tidy up the base and of course there was a traditional church service on Sundays. During the winter they prepared the food and equipment for next spring's sledging season, including hand-sewing several hundred calico bags in which to store food and other items - the sewing machine the base had been supplied with came without needles and spools. They also sewed their own sledging harnesses under Wild's careful tutelage and made harnesses for the dogs. For entertainment they played cards - bridge was very popular - chess and draughts. Outside they devised a sort of 12-hole golf course around the hut. Played with hockey sticks and with many of the greens located in crevasses, a round of 'gokey' often proved an unexpectedly hilarious activity when the crusty ground beneath their collapsed or the ball suddenly disappeared down a crevasse.

The winter was not without its mishaps: Jones was slightly burnt when the acetylene generator he was filling burst into flame, Kennedy dislocated his knee whilst skiing, and Harrisson and Watson were very lucky when a cornice broke off and crashed down narrowly missing them.

During the winter, adverse weather in the form of recurrent blizzards kept them holed up in 'The Grottoes' for days at a time, however, unlike the Main Party at Cape Denison they experienced a number of fine, bright days that enabled them to get out and about laying-in depots for use the following summer.

Wild planned two major sledging trips that summer. He would explore and chart the eastern coast of Queen Mary Land with Kennedy and Watson, collecting geological samples and making magnetic observations; while Jones, Dovers and Hoadley would explore out into Kaiser Wilhelm II Land as far as Gaussberg, which had been mapped by Drygalski in 1902. This left Harrisson and Moyes behind to continue the scientific observations at the winter quarters. However, Harrisson was keen to observe the snow petrels at the Hippo Nunatak, and Wild was persuaded to let him accompany the eastern sledging party. Harrisson was then to return to the winter quarters with the spare sledge and dogs.

Unfortunately, when they arrived at the Hippo Nunatak the depot they had previously stashed there had been destroyed and there was no sign of the sledge. Wild did not want to go on with only one sledge so the plan was changed and Harrisson remained with the sledging party. Back at the hut, this caused Moyes serious concern. He was expecting Harrisson's imminent return and, naturally thinking an accident had befallen him on the way back, set out to look for him, venturing as far as Henderson Island.
Wild, Kennedy, Watson and Harrisson continued in an easterly direction until they met impassable conditions associated with the Denman Glacier. With their way ahead blocked, Wild turned inland and went high up on to the ice cap before giving up and returning to 'The Grottoes'. In their nine weeks away, Wild and his party sledged more than 300 miles (a fraction under 500km).

Meanwhile, Jones, Dovers and Hoadley were still away exploring the coast to the west. They skirted round to the south of the Helen Glacier and spent five days at Haswell Island on account of a snow storm but in between times managed to explore the immense emperor penguin rookery nearby (about 7,500 birds) and collect all sorts of biological and geological specimens from this island. They spent Christmas at Gaussberg, where they found two cairns and numerous bamboo poles left by the German Antarctic Expedition ten years earlier. They were then 215 miles (346km) from 'The Grottoes'. On Boxing Day they turned for home. The unexplored terrain ahead of them appeared, as far as the eye could see from the summit of Gaussberg, similar to the terrain they had already traversed with very few prominent features by which to navigate.

Whereas the outward journey had taken seven weeks, they made their way back to 'The Grottoes' in half the time. Soon thereafter, the sea-ice started breaking out and although they did not know it, the Aurora would be with them in a little over a month. They went out to the edge of the sea-ice hunting. Seals were taken both for food and as biological specimens. Harrisson made a number of fish-traps which he lowered through the ice to rest on the bottom. On retrieval the traps yielded a mixed bag of fishes, amphipods and an octopus. The Aurora hove into view on 23 February 1913 and the men of the Western Pary were soon onboard and on their way home.

Great War - Somme

On his return to Australia, Kennedy established and operated a magnetic observatory in Western Australia for the Carnegie Institution, Washington, D.C. With the outbreak of the Great War, he joined the Australian Imperial Force and served in France as an officer in the 2nd Australian Tunnelling Corps and was wounded on 1 July 1916, the First Day of the Battle of the Somme. Returned home by 1919, from 1921 he worked at Adelaide Observatory for four years, followed by two years at the newly built Mount Stromolo Observatory in Australian Capital Territory.

Antarctic - Second Innings
Kennedy latterly served as Physicist on the second voyage of Sir Douglas Mawson's BANZAR Expedition. Set up to claim a large slice of Antarctica Kennedy joined Captain Scott's old vessel, the noble Discovery, on 19 November 1930 at Hobart. Three days later she set sail for Cape Denison, the site of the main base on Mawson's Australian AAE in 1912-14, via Macquarie Island. The Discovery then proceeded westwards and charting the coast of Adélie Land and spotting from the Gipsy Moth seaplane Banzare Land and Sabrina Land in January 1931 and Princess Elizabeth Land and MacRobertson Land spotted from the air the following month. With coal reserves running low, the Discovery returned to Hobart. In 1936 some 40% of the Antarctic continent from 45°E to 160 °E with the exception of the French Adélie Land was claimed as the Australian Antarctic Territory.

During the Second World War Kennedy served with the Australian Motor Vehicle section, until discharged in October 1942. A mining engineer throughout his life, Kennedy retired in the 1960s and died at Perth, Westen Australia in August 1972.

Two locations in the Antarctic, these being Cape Kennedy, a cape on the eastern side of Melba Peninsula, Queen Mary Land and Mount Kennedy, a peak, 2km south of Mount Rivett in MacRobertson Land, are named in his honour

When it was introduced in 1904, the Polar Medal in silver was awarded to men who had wintered while the bronze Polar Medal was given to the officers and crew of the relief ships. The two Medals are separate awards and thus both may be worn. Only 18 men, including Alexander Kennedy, have been awarded both