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Andrew (Andy) was one of nine children of Mary and James (Jim) Kelly. He was born on the 19th April 1905 at Kapunda where his father owned the Hamilton Hotel for a number of years. There were five sons, Thomas, William, Jack, Andy, Pat and James, plus three daughters, Katie, Mary and Eileen. Once the family moved to Renmark, Jim assisted in using a team of bullocks to form irrigation channels. From there, Jim became involved with looking after blood stock and breaking in colts, including at Allan’s Creek where he broke in 200 head of horses. Later he was put in charge of 14,000 sheep travelling south-east looking for feed. Despite the rough trip Jim and his offsiders got through and back again without too many losses as Jim ‘would starve himself to try to bring his stock through safely’. Jim then became the overseer at Chowilla then Calperum Stations. His sons were later to follow in working on these stations. Leaving station work, Jim then was employed as a teamster in Renmark, then a ranger to the Renmark Irrigation Trust and afterwards took droving contracts.
Andrew and several of his siblings attended the local Renmark Public school, but from an early stage his life revolved around horses. He was a natural as were his siblings, being involved in rough riding, race meetings, show competitions and steeple chasing.
Andy had just turned 14 when his parents were initially informed that his older brother, Private Thomas Kelly 1021 was missing during the intense fighting of WWI. They were later informed that he was killed in France on July 25th, 1916. Distressingly for the family, Tom’s remains were never found. The family placed a poignant tribute to him in the local Murray Pioneer. “He lies in France but not forgotten. His eyes were dimmed with sorrow, Yet his smiles were sweet but sad As he whispered when he left me "Mother do not grieve for me". How we prayed and with what longing Waited for the news of joy That would speed the ship to harbor Bringing home to us our boy. Horses, saddles and whips were waiting For our horseman to return, Now cares are down upon our forehead, Grief has over smothered joy; Our hearts are ever aching for our absent lonely boy Immaculate heart of Mary, Your prayers for him extol. O Sacred heart of Jesus Have mercy on his soul.”
Once able to leave school, Andy and brother Jack worked as station hands on Chowilla Station at Paradise. Of his other brothers, William worked on the Gums Station, Pat working at Kulcurna, and Jim on Cuthero.
Just months after his 18th birthday, Andy sustained a severe kick in the chest from a mare in July. A fellow worker on Chowilla, Harry Teschnfer, drove Andy to Ral Ral, where he was met by Mr. Willie Robertson and brought into the Renmark Hospital. Over the ensuing months the Murray Pioneer ran regular updates on Andy’s condition and slow progress. ‘It is expected that many weeks will elapse before he is able to get about again.’ By September, Andy was still confined to his hospital bed, despite improvement overall.
In January the following year, Andy’s 70-year-old father died. Jim was known as an exceptionally careful man, thoroughly understanding the business of moving stock, a pursuit he was last involved with for the Renmark Butchery and Bakery Company. The Murray Pioneer in a eulogy wrote that ‘In his young days Mr. Kelly rode the North West Bend station and was known as a great buck-jump rider. He backed and broke in the outlaw Grey Wattie. He rode a considerable number of winners for Doctor Hamilton of Kapunda, and in the country districts round Kapunda was counted a skilful horseman on the flat or over fences. On the river he rode several horses with success and was a finished rider. He had a happy knack of getting the best out of young horses and schooled many a jumper. One of the best Mr. Kelly ever owned was The Rake, and with this horse he won many hurdle events. It has been said of him in his young days that, given a fair go, could not be thrown. When racing he never used spurs and seldom carried a whip, thoroughly believing that more races were lost than won by their use.’ Andy certainly walked in his father’s footsteps and inherited his abilities in training horses.
The family placed a tribute to Jim in the Murray Pioneer. ‘On the 14th of January ‘24 at the Renmark Hospital, James the beloved husband of Mary Kelly leaving 5 sons, 3 daughters and 7 grandchildren to mourn their loss. Ours was a family chain Linked lovingly together, But Oh! The chain is broken now, The main link gone forever. Just beyond these earthly partings we soon shall united be. In the home beyond the River Close behind the Crystal Sea. Immaculate Heart of Mary Your prayers for him extol. Oh sacred Heart of Jesus Have Mercy on his soul. R.I.P. Inserted by his loving wife and family.’
That year at the Renmark Spring Show Andy rode one of the Chowilla mares, called Fairy which was placed second, being paid the compliment that ‘She was nicely ridden by young Andy Kelly, a boy with hands.’ Over the ensuing years Andy was a regular rider in the Hunt Club seasons and had built a reputation for his ability in breaking in quality horses, including a fine mare called Bidomak which he described as a natural fencer. Andy rode that horse at the Renmark Competition with the ride being described as ‘a faultless display of fencing’. Another of Andy’s successes was a chestnut horse named Fire which romped home in the Port Adelaide Christmas handicap of ’37, creating much discussion. Andy also continued to be a classy rider winning the ‘best horse over battens’ and being awarded Champion Gentleman Rider as well as Best Jumping Pair where a jockey rides one and leads one over fences, with F. Nuske on Spot and Andy on Golden Clan. In ’39 he similarly won the same event on a horse called ‘Miss Girlie.’
By this stage WWII was looming with increasing fundraising efforts for the Red Cross and Comfort Funds. A Picnic Race Meeting was proposed for January ’40 with locals wanting to make it a successful meeting. At that time Andy was working at Cal Cal which reported that he had five horses in work and others were keen to participate from Chowilla and Calpernum Stations. Unbeknown to Andy at the time a fellow horseman, jockey Harry Dwyer from Loxton, was involved in the same event. The two were later to both be allocated to the same battalion (Harry as SX7486) and be involved in a very different form of racing – donkeys.
Soon after, 35-year-old Andy enlisted to serve in WWII in July ’40, as did another local, Jabez Howard (Howie) Trenwith becoming SX8214 and SX8179 respectively and both allocated to the 2/48th Battalion. Over that year many of the local men similarly enlisted and a number were placed in the same battalion. They initially trained at Wayville, now the Adelaide Showgrounds before marching to Woodside for more training.
The new soldiers from the region returned to Renmark on pre-embarkation leave visiting friends and relatives in September. Many of the 17 young men were in Andy’s 2/48th Battalion, including SX8176 Dick Smith, SX8039 Donald F. Priester, SX8184 Walter Smith, SX6876 Harold A. J. Roy, SX6866 Roy T. Loveday. SX8179 Howard J. Trenwith, SX6846 Harry Lock, SX6839 Henry Boothey, SX7996 Colin Roger R. Jacka and SX8274 Andrew Kelly.
The young men were feted at the Renmark Institute in October when over 500 people attended to hear speeches and watch the presentations of propelling pencils and cigarettes made to the 20 local men, including Andy. The Mayor said that “he felt the huge crowd present was more expressive than anything he could say of the regard in which they were held. He felt that the lads they had met to honour were brimful of the true British spirit. Right through history, England had fought for tolerance, freedom, and honour. So was it any wonder that the men of Australia had answered the call as they had.”
Their brief leave over, the new soldiers returned to the 2/48th. For a very self-sufficient young man, a charge of disobedience for failing to have his rifle clean before 7:30am proved to be financially costly and not the best start to heading overseas. His contingent then embarking on the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940, arriving on the 19th December 1940. There the recruits completing a few months training in Cyrenaica. He was to become one of the famed Rats of Tobruk.
News from the young men was shared through the Murray Pioneer. In February ’41 ‘Diver’ Derrick sent photos of a donkey race held in the Desert and the Bull Cup, won by another Renmark local, Harry Dwyer SX7416. The darkly printed photo was accompanied by the headlines that ‘Andy Kelly-Harry Dwyer Sponsor Successful Donkey "Stable" Pte. Derrick wrote: — I have enclosed some snaps taken at a donkey race meeting here in the Middle East, the meeting having been arranged by men of our Battalion and quite a number of River boys took part in the programme. I am hoping that the snaps and maybe the letter, will be published in your paper, thus giving the folks at home some idea of the time we are having over here. The Major Bull Cup for which there were 12 starters was won by Fire, trained by our Renmark mentor Pte. Andy Kelly, and ridden by another well-known River identity Pte. Harry Dwyer. The winner started from the extreme outside position and desperately ridden by Dwyer lasted long enough to hold off the strong challenge from Aurie's Star and win rather cleverly by a length and a half.’
Derrick added ‘You may see by the prices written on the board the bad result the winner gave the fielders. On calling 2 to 1 I was knocked from my stand and immediately cut the price to even money, and still received a steady flow of punters; then with a hasty reckon up I decided the purse couldn't stand much more Fire money, so had to close on Mr. Kelly's nominee and await the sad result, which cost me some 12,000 Mils (about €15 Australian). Now probably the saddest part of this story was the registering of all bookmakers at B.H.Q., thus preventing my making off with the bag, the licence costing 30/- Australian and a security of £10 lodged at the orderly room before the events. And now before getting on parade I can tell all your, readers, the River boys are well, happy, and rearing to go, and all send a big cheerio to you folks at home. "She" won’t be long now.”
The following year Driver Dick Smith SX8176, also of the 2/48th wrote a prophetic verse to the editor which was published in February ‘42, whilst also mentioning that ‘Lester Johnson (SX8213), Max Walters (SX8182), Wally Smith (SX8184) and Andy Kelly (SX8214) were all well at the time of writing and sent their best wishes to their Renmark friends.’ Five months later, 26-year-old Lester was to become one of Andy and Dick’s comrades who were killed in action in Egypt on the 17th July ’42 and Roger Jacka narrowly avoided also dying of wounds.
By May ’42 Andy was again reprimanded with behaviour ‘prejudicial to good order and military discipline’. He later that year turned his hand to gaining Group II qualifications as a carpenter with the 2/48th. This achievement was coloured by Andy being fined for being absent without leave overnight just prior to Christmas.
Andy’s background with training quality horses probably made him the ideal but ironic selection to be Supervisor of the Donkey Derby on New Year’s Day ’43. John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan described how ‘‘A rest period of a couple of days was allowed as a prelude to our third Christmas in Palestine, to be followed by company training, and inoculation and vaccination, until New Year’s Day, when a donkey race meeting was held.’ Creative names for the donkeys reflected the humour of the trenches and included ‘Rommel Out of Africa by Easter’ and ‘Latrine out of Paper by Austerity’.
The following month, following their life-changing service in the Middle East, the men returned home to Australia in February ‘43 and thence to Renmark with a huge contingent being welcomed by family and friends. The local paper recorded Privates Maurice Ortloff from the 2/43rd and Andy returning together to Renmark in March. (On returning to his battalion, 28-year-old Maurice was then killed in action in New Guinea on October 1st that year.) Tom’s compatriots included Messrs. Walter Coombe SX7412, Bryan Nuske SX5237, Dick, F. Priester SX8039, W. Smith, R. T. Loveday SX6866. H. J. Trenwith SX8179, Harry Lock SX6846, D. French, R. Porter, Bryan, Lunday, R. Smith, R. Jacka and A. Kelly were amongst the many of the A.I.F. men who spent the weekend in Renmark.
The local Murray Pioneer noted the men’s return with record crowds massed at the railway station. A hugely patriotic article appeared. ‘Behind the official announcement by the Prime Minister (Mr. Curtin) this week that a further contingent of troops had arrived in Australia from the Middle East lies a story of great excitement and enthusiasm in the River districts. The joy which came to human hearts as trains conveying the troops drew into the various stations could only be appreciated by those who witnessed the unforgettable scenes on the crowded platforms It recalled to the mind happenings of 12 months earlier when the first troops from overseas returned to Australia.
‘Many of these heroes of Rommel's El Alamein debacle—their most recent triumph—had been away from home for three years and were among the "Rats of Tobruk". From the time some days earlier, that news leaked through that the men had arrived at "An Australian port," relatives had lived in an air of joyous expectancy, which broke loose aa the various men reached their home stations on three weeks' leave. Practically without exception the men looked 100 per cent fit, though some carried the unmistakable traces of hard campaigning under difficult conditions.’
‘At Renmark the station yard was crowded on the several occasions when special coaches were attached to the passenger train to brins the men to their home stations. The largest attendance was on the Saturday afternoon that the first of the Diggers arrived home. All parking room in the station yard and approaches having been taken, cars were parked for some hundred yards down the road outside, and there must have been 500 people present. The height of community enthusiasm, however, was not reached until the welcome home social on the Thursday evening, when the record attendance of 1,000 thronged the Institute to honour these heroes of many campaigns.
‘It was Indeed a "meeting of the clans", including people from other districts as well as local residents. The hall's capacity proved unequal to the occasion. Renmark was determined to welcome those who had fought and suffered. A number of wounded men were present. Mothers, wives and sweethearts were noted in the crowd. Seats were provided on the stage as well as all round the hall—sometimes double-banked—but even then there was scarcely "standing room" for the mighty throng.’
In a eulogistic speech the RSL President commented that “in greeting these fine young men, that a mere 35 years ago they were peace loving lads in a peaceful country, but by virtue of their earnest training and their high ideals they were today fighting soldiers second to none in the world. He reiterated that nobody in Australia was more proud of them than members of the original AIF. Old soldiers had watched their exploits with the keenest interest. Many of them were sons of men who had served twenty-five years earlier.
"It must be a matter of pride that of the eleven Victoria Crosses awarded to Australians in this war three of these greatest awards have been made to members of one battalion." The men who bad assisted in these great exploits stood before them. They still had a job to do and he knew from conversation with the gallant men themselves that they desired to complete the task before them. This was not the "welcome" to which they looked forward, but a greeting in passing. He wished them all God speed and a final happy return to Renmark. On behalf of ex-servicemen, he congratulated them on what had been accomplished and expressed confidence in their determination to carry on their valorous campaign to victory.’
Unsettled back home, Andy was again fined for being AWOL in April, then faced a lengthy time of hospitalisation for both physical and his anxiety state, with the latter astute diagnosis perhaps explaining the former behaviour.
By November ’43 Andy’s discharge was approved enabling him to recuperate and return to the work he loved, training horses. One of these was a Renmark grey owned by a local, Dick Bolt. And steeplechasers like Sandalphon. Andy’s nephew, Peter Kelly was also following in Andy’s footsteps and was a promising apprentice jockey with Andy as his mentor. The Chronicle reminded readers that Andy ‘who until a year or two ago was better known as a colt-breaker, and a good one, too, came into prominence as a trainer with the rapid headway made by the grey steeplechaser, Sandalphon. Another of his winners was Perplex.’ Andy was also mentioned as the trainer of New Zealand born Tie Score and many other yearlings and fillies. His name became synonymous for quality training and recognising the potential of each horse. He was also lauded for the guidance he gave Peter as a jockey.
A celebration was held at Cal Lal in May ‘46 to honour the 55 members of the community who had enlisted in the Second World War. It included those from Renmark, Wentworth and Mildura, one of whom was Andy. He also became involved in the Berri Golf Club AIF Cup, a light-hearted but well lubricated competition where Andy won the trophy for the Best Net Score for nine holes.
Andy’s mother, Mary died aged 82 in March ’49. She was buried with her husband in the Renmark Cemetery.
Andy continued to work training horses at Glenelg. He recognised the potential of one of the horses, Trust Fund and later Jungle Prince, believing each could do well as a National horse because of the potential shown over jumps. The Chronicle observed that Andy ‘deserves all the success that he achieves, as he is a good man with horses, and patient, too. He trained the grey Sandalphon, runner-up in a Great Eastern Steeplechase and also a Grand National.’ By ‘52 Trust Fund’s form had been mixed and moderate, but the Chronicle writers believed Andy's words might still prove true. ‘Trust Fund, won the Torrens Steeplechase at Victoria Park on Saturday running away. The Trustee gelding was always prominent, and, following the main pacemakers, Inquest and Cape Soon, over the last obstacle, he streaked right away in the straight. It was a smart trial for the Great Eastern, but, of course, he will tackle much stronger opposition at Oakbank.’ Unfortunately, the horse ran lame because of a nail piercing the frog of his hoof and was unable to achieve his potential.
The gelding, Jungle Prince, won the Devon Steeplechase. Andy’s skills continued to be mentioned in the media. In May ’53 a horse called Anemons was reported to have ‘struck form with a vengeance and there is no fitter horse in training. He would have been a chance in a race like the Alderman Cup. but his trainer (Andy Kelly) decided to concentrate on the best races in the country. That has proved a profitable plan, as Anemos has won his last three races. Two of them were at Strathalbyn and the other at Murray Bridge. Anemos was unreliable early in his career, but Kelly's methods of training seem to have brought him solid. Anemos once won at Flemington at 100/1’.
Aged 67, Andy died just days after his birthday on the 21st April ’72. His remains are in Centennial Park, Derrick Gardens Path 23 Grave 144 B
Written and researched by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133 2/48th Battalion.