People Australia

Frank Kenna, n.d.

State Library of Queensland, 88164

Francis (Frank) Kenna (1865-1932) telegraphist, teacher, journalist and politician 

Birth: 21 September 1865 at Maryborough, Queensland, son of Irish-born parents from County Kildare, Joseph Kenna (c.1828-1908), drover, later butcher and cab proprietor, and Ellen, née Fleming (1841-1907). Marriages: (1) 31 August 1903 at the registry office, Brisbane, to Ruby Mary Thomson, a pianist from South Australia. The marriage was dissolved in July 1904. (2) 16 July 1907 at Gympie to Edith Elvira Stamp (1885-1961). They had two sons. Death: 23 June 1932 at Brisbane. Religion: Anglican. 

• Educated at Maryborough State school. Telegraphist in Queensland Posts & Telegraphs Department.
• Pupil teacher 1883. 1886 clerk in Lands Department at Ingham. Telegraphist Maryborough, Bundaberg, Toowoomba, Bowen & Cooktown.
• Editor Worker (Brisbane) 1899. Co-founder Queensland Social-Democratic Vanguard 1900.
• Elected a Labor member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Bowen on 11 March 1902. In the split of 1907 became a follower of William Kidston. Was defeated by his Labor opponent in the election of 5 October 1909
• Editor Sun (Brisbane) and Charters Towers Telegraph. 1911 owner Bangalow Herald (New South Wales) and Logan and Albert Bulletin (Southport).
• Subsequently farmer near Caboolture.
• Contributed poetry to Australian publications from 1885, including the Sydney Bulletin. Published verse collections, Songs of a season (1895) and Phases (1915).

Sources
D. B. Waterson Biographical register of the Queensland Parliament 1860-1929 (Canberra, 2001); Verity Burgmann, In Our Time: Socialism and the Rise of Labor, 1885-1905 (Sydney, 1985).