I, J, K
Ivey, Thomas Hunt (1841-1918)
Tom Ivey was born in 1841, and died in Sydney on 2nd January 1918. He joined the Bank of NSW in Melbourne
1862, and then was sent to New Zealand, where he served in Dunedin. He returned to Victoria and served in Geelong,
then in Wellington, NZ; Hamilton, NZ; Ballarat, Victoria; then Auckland, NZ. He was Manager in Sydney 1889-98;
assistant General Manager; Chairman of the Bank; and also Inspector. He retired in 1912.
Ivey is mentioned in various monographs as an office-bearer in Manly sporting organisations. He was a vicepresident of the Manly Lawn Tennis Club in 1896, and a junior vice-president of the Manly Cycling Club in 1897, along
with the wealthy merchants H S Badgery and Thomas Littlejohn. He was on the committee of the Manly Surf Club in
1911. In 1913 he attended a send-off of Surf Club stalwart S Row, who was employed by the Bank of NSW, and proposed one of the toasts. He is mentioned in Arthur Lowe’s reminiscences of the early days of surf-shooting (p41) as being one of a group who were ludicrously threatened with prosecution for indecent exposure in 1893 for drying themselves on the South Steyne after a swim. At that time Ivey would have been in his early 50s.
Lowe states also that Tom Ivey was an officer in the Naval Brigade, which often practised rifle and gatling-gun fire
from the ocean front at Manly, and whose ranks included a number of Manly men. According to Lowe, he was a “rattling
good forward in the early Manly rugby teams”. He was vice-captain of the Manly Federals rugby team in 1896 and
1897, and played for them in the losing 1895 semi-final team against Paddington. In 1895 he was also involved with the
Rowing and Sailing Club.
Sands’ Directory for 1895 has him at the mansion of Uyeno, Addison Road. Later he lived at the mansion of Stancombe, Osborne Road.
A son, H T Ivey [also known as Tom?] was manager of the Manly branch of the Bank of NSW 1910-1939, and was
also involved with the Manly Rowing and Sailing Club.
See entry in A Biographical Register 1788-1939, v1. Obituaries appeared in Bulletin 10 January 1918 p14, and Town
and Country Journal 9 January 1918 p47.
Jackson, James L
Artist, entry to be compiled.
Jenkins, James (c1774-1835)
James Jenkins and his brother William were sentenced to death at the Wiltshire Assizes on 11 March 1797, for stealing some sheep. This sentence was later commuted to transportation for seven years, and they eventually arrived in Sydney on the Coromandel in June 1802.
Before 1821 James employed himself building houses and ships, and cutting cedar in the Illawarra district. He was an
experienced stone mason. He married Elizabeth Saunders on 12 December 1815. Their children were Elizabeth (b1816),
Mary (b1818), William (b1819 or 20), James (b1822), Martha (b1826), Philip (b1829), Ann (b1831) and John (b1835).
Through a sequence of bequests and purchases, Jenkins amassed 1540 acres around Narrabeen, while his daughter
Elizabeth owned a further 200 acres. He developed farms at Mount Ramsay and Long Reef and had land at North Harbour. On 19 April 1826 he purchased for £25 Thomas Steele’s land grant of 100 acres north and south of Manly Creek,
which was on the track to North Harbour. This land provided an ideal stopping place between his farms. According to a
Memorial written by his widow in 1835, he “proceeded to improve the said land, by clearing and fencing, cultivating and
building thereon; he erected a stone dwelling house, thirty feet in length and seventeen feet in breadth, containing five
apartments; and moreover, he constructed, with some convict help, a link of road extending from Long Reach [Long
Reef] to North Harbour, and including not less than thirteen bridges, which also were erected at his own expense; and
these improvements cost him at least three hundred pounds Sterling.” Thereafter, the road between North Harbour and
Jenkins’ farms was known as Jenkins’ Road.
James Jenkins had also petitioned Governor Darling on 19 March 1827 for a landing place at North Harbour, before it
had been decided to site the township of North Harbour there. Allotment 29 was promised to Jenkins on 27 December
1827, and the land having been duly measured for him, he wrote to the Acting Surveyor General, on 6 March 1828 for
permission to build. He said, “I have engaged two Stone Masons for the purpose of immediately erecting a dwelling
before the days get short.” Possession of this land was authorized on 13 September 1831.
James Jenkins died on 27 January 1835 aged 61, leaving his estate to his widow Elizabeth and their eight children.
Mrs Elizabeth Jenkins later purchased land measuring 33 perches next to the family home in Kent Street, the total price
being £346 10s, “with the remission of £217 10s sterling authorized for her in compensation for the loss sustained by her
late husband James Jenkins, in being deprived of certain land purchased by him at Manly Cove.” On the death of their
daughter Miss Elizabeth Jenkins, the Salvation Army was a significant beneficiary.
D K Muir, The Jenkins Road (1992) is recommended.
Johnson, William (fl 1860s-70s)
William Johnson was a long-established baker on the Corso. He was born in Parramatta in 1840, and learned the
trade of a baker in Sydney. In 1864 he came to Manly, where he worked at his trade, and fifteen years later started as a
baker on his own account, which he carried on for more than ten years. His business was conducted in premises which
were first used as a bakery in 1856. He was a member of the MUIOOF Order for many years, and was the founder of the
Native Rose Lodge in Manly. In 1876 he was one of the signatories to the Petition to form the Municipality of Manly.
See entry in Aldine Centennial History of New South Wales, 1888 v2, (unpaginated).
Kaberry, Lewis (?-1962)
Lewis Kaberry was a partner in the architectural practice of Kaberry and Chard. He was born in Yorkshire, was articled to the American navy, worked in New Zealand then came to Australia. He designed, built and lived in a house in
Oyama Avenue, Manly, named Casa Del Mar.
With his partner, Clifford Chard, he specialized in designing theatres. They apparently designed something like 58
theatres (of which only three survive in their original from). Kaberry and Chard buildings include: Civic Theatre, Auburn; Leeton Roxy (1930); Kings Theatre, Thirroul; Junee Athenium (1928/29); Ivanhoe Theatre, Victoria; Tivoli, Brisbane (alterations, 1927); and possibly Wagga Wagga Plaza theatre (similar to Auburn Civic). He also designed the large
carousel at Glenelg in SA, and was behind its removal and re-erection at Manly.
He died in 1962, and the Manly Daily carried an obituary in its issue of 8th February 1962, p8:
“The Manly community in particular will mourn the passing on peacefully on Tuesday morning last at Manly, after a
short illness, of Mr Louis Kaberry, well known architect and theatre specialist.
The late Mr Kaberry was born in Pontefract, Yorkshire, and became an architect under British Admiralty Articles. He
emigrated to America, visiting San Francisco after the earthquake, where he helped in the [state] capital’s reconstruction
and he met and married Mrs Kaberry. After the birth of his second child Max, the family came to Australia and lived at
Mosman. Following the birth of his third child, they took up residence in the “Village” [of Manly] in 1915.
In 1920, Mr Kaberry formed the first Christian Science Society in 36 Osborne Road, and was a devout follower until
his death. He later designed the Christian Science Church in Eustace Street. He continued in practice as an architect as
Kaberry and Chard until 1958, and was active director in his sons’ business right up to the time of his death. He is survived by his widow, Hettie, Dr Phyllis Kaberry [qv], Lecturer in Anthropology at London University, and two sons, Max
and Norman.
There are memorials to his achievements in every State.”
Kaberry, Phyllis (1910-1977)
Phyllis Mary Kaberry (1910 – 1977), anthropologist, was born on 17 September 1910 at San Francisco, eldest of three
children of well-known cinema architect Lewis Kaberry [qv] and his wife Hettie. The family settled in Sydney in 1914,
and came to Manly circa 1919. From an early age Phyllis proved intelligent and adventurous, spending her childhood
exploring Middle Harbour in a boat she and her two younger brothers had fashioned from corrugated iron. She attended
Fort Street Girls’ High School and the University of Sydney, where she gained first-class honours. The family home was
at Oyama Avenue until the 1960s.
She spent 1934-35 in the Kimberley, which led to her book Aboriginal Women (1939). From 1936 she lectured in
London at the LSE with Professor Malinowski, whose posthumous papers she edited. In 1939-40 she worked as an anthropologist in New Guinea, then went to Yale University to lecture. In the 1940s she studied women in the British
Cameroons; they honoured her by making her a ‘Queen Mother’. She published Women of the Grassfields in 1952.
From 1949 Kaberry lectured at University College, London, and was awarded the Rivers (1957) and Welcome (1959)
medals of the Royal Anthropological Institute.
She died in Camden, London, on 31 October 1977.
See article by Christine Cheater in Australian Dictionary of Biography 1940-1980, p596.
See also Sandy Toussaint’s Phyllis Kaberry and Me (Melbourne Uni Press, 1999).
Keirle, Mayor Arthur Thomas (1866-1956)
MAN02424 Mayor Keirle MML
From: Official Jubilee Souvenir to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the incorporation of the Municipality of
Manly. (1927), pp 47-48:
“It is safe to say that there is no more interesting person in local government circles than Alderman Arthur Thomas
Keirle, who has been connected continuously as an alderman of the Municipality of Manly since 1912, and has occupied
the Mayoral Chair on seven occasions.
Alderman Arthur Thomas Keirle was born on the 12th of November, 1866, at Middlezoy, near Taunton, Somerset,
England.
Educated in his native shire, first at one of the great national schools, and afterwards by private tutor, Mr. Keirle came
to Australia in 1884 and settled in Sydney. For a time he was ‘cub reporter’ on the Sydney Daily Telegraph, but the joys
of journalism enamoured him but little, and he turned his attention to law for two years…
He visited New Zealand, and purchased the copyright of Thomas Bracken’s poetical works, Musings in Maori Land, a
venture with which he had good reason to be well pleased. Returning to Sydney in the early nineties, our subject continued as a speculator, though his fancy changed from literature to land, and his good fortune has deservedly continued.
At the beginning of the present century the May-Oatway Fire Alarm sprang into favour, and Mr. Keirle was asked to
undertake the management of the company. He later became proprietor, and in addition, operates a strong group of automatic alarms.
In Municipal politics, Alderman Keirle has been active ever since 1912. In 1914 he was elected to the Mayoral chair,
and held the office for four successive years. In 1923 he was again elected to the chair, and on his return from a trip
abroad in 1925, found himself in the triennial elections at the head of the poll by a record majority, although absent at the
time. The popular verdict on this occasion was, no doubt, responsible for his election as Mayor for the sixth term of office. On the founding of the Manly and District Chamber of Commerce in 1923, Alderman A.T. Keirle was honoured by
being elected its first president.
During the war period Alderman Keirle threw himself heart and soul into all patriotic movements, and with the wonderful enthusiasm of the residents of Manly behind him, he nobly assisted in placing the Municipality on the scroll of
honour in the War Loan competition…
Alderman Keirle’s reclamation schemes have wrought a transformation, and dreary eyesores of days gone by have
been converted into healthful parks and recreation areas. His schemes in the dredging of Manly Lagoon have resulted in
a magnificent area being won, and Keirle Park will stand as a monument for all time. The beautiful grottoes and waterfalls on The Corso are the result of Alderman Keirle’s keen advocacy…
Some years ago, as a result of warm advocacy on the part of Alderman Keirle, twelve acres of land, magnificently
situated near the head of Darley Road, were granted by the Commonwealth Government for a Peace Memorial Hospital.
This site was secured through the good offices of Sir Joseph Cook. The scheme is gradually reaching its culminating
point and tenders for a magnificent building, worthy of Manly, have been already called.
Alderman Keirle enthusiastically championed the movement for The Spit Bridge, and he was chairman of the joint
committee, which comprised the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Manly, Mayors of North Sydney, Willoughby, Mosman,
and the President of the Warringah Shire.”
Mr Keirle was number 6 in the series, Moulders of Manly, which appeared in the Manly Daily, 22nd May 1946. He
died 10th August 1956, aged 90. Keirle Park is named after him.
Kellam, William A ‘Bill’ ( - 1969)
Scan 30.08.05 Manly Surf Club 1911, Bill Kellam far left kneeling
Bill Kellam was a pioneering member of Manly Lifesaving Club. The Manly Daily published the following obituary,
29 July 1969:
“Mr W A ‘Bill’ Kellam, founder of the Manly Lifesaving Club, died in Brisbane on Saturday. Mr Kellam was an
original also of the Manly Surf Club, out of which the lifesaving club was formed. He was vice-captain and chief instructor of the surf club. In addition he was a member of the club’s original boat crew in 1909 – the first surfboat in
Australia and probably the world.
Mr Kellam convened the public meeting at Manly School of Arts which led to the formation of the life saving club.
His action was the result of dissatisfaction among the younger members of the surf club that the club was becoming more
a social than a life-saving group. An account of that meeting is recorded in Heroes of the Surf, an account of the formation and growth of the life saving club.
According to the report, Mr Kellam told the meeting: “I convened this meeting at the request of life saving members
of the Manly Surf Club. Ever since I joined the club my reason has been for life saving only. I move that a life saving
club, with no other object than that of life saving, be formed in Manly, every member of such club to be a certificated
lifesaver.”
The motion was carried with only four opposing – and Manly Life Saving Club was born. Mr Kellam was elected the
club’s first honorary secretary. Hewas guest of honour at a golden jubilee dinner of past and present club members held
at the Hotel Pacific in February 1961. The club paid Mr Kellam’s expenses to attend, including his air fare from Brisbane. At the time, he christened a new club boat, the Bill Kellam.
The present club president, Mr Rex Phillips, said yesterday that Mr Kellam was one of Australia’s original surfers.
“He played a very prominent part in the development of the local life saving movement and is regarded as the club’s
founder,” he said.
Mr Kellam lived in Camp Hill, at Brisbane in his later years.
See also the Manly Daily front page report from Thursday March 9th, 1961, “Founder sets seal on surf history”, which
reported on Mr Kellam christening the new surf boat ‘Bill Kellam’ for Manly Life Saving Club. He said on that occasion, “This brings back memories of our first boat, which we took over from the Manly Surf Club when we started in
1911. Yes, I rowed in the crew!”
Kemp, Alderman Albert A[lexander] ( - 1941)
Alderman Kemp, 1925
In 1924, credit for the opening of the first Spit Bridge was mainly due to one man, Manly Alderman Albert Kemp.
The Daily Telegraph, 24 December 1924, in an article "The Bridge Era: Spit to Manly now connected: Business Man's
Efforts”, said: “Alderman A.A. Kemp, of the Manly Council [is] managing director of the Australian Drug Company,
Ltd. It was as a member of the Manly Citizens' Association that Mr Kemp first submitted a scheme for the construction
of a low-level bridge, which he suggested might be built by the Sydney Harbour Trust. In 1922, as one of the selected
candidates of the Manly Progress Association, Mr Kemp successfully contested a seat in the Manly Council. At the first
meeting held on December 20 he moved a motion urging that steps be taken to promote the building of the Spit
Bridge......the Minister for Works agreed to introduce an enabling bill to permit Manly Council to borrow the money,
£60,000. Today the bridge is an established fact. It may be hideous in appearance, as many aver, but it will be effective." Kemp was Deputy Mayor in 1923.
He served as President of Manly Bowling Club in 1935-36.
NSW Deaths Records state that Albert Alexander Kemp died in Manly, 1941.
Kilminster family
The Kilminster family were well-known in Manly from the mid-1860s onwards. George Kilminster was a hotelier,
and had the Clarendon Hotel from 1878 to his death in 1883, when his widow Mary took over as licensee. George was
the brother-in-law of Mrs Sargeant, and audited the Manly Council elections in 1877.
Mrs Mary Wilson Kilminster was born at Braidwood, NSW, daughter of Farquhar and Mary (Wilson); died 1915.
Of their children, Miss Edith Kilminster (1879–1958) became a talented concert pianist, who studied in Europe under
Karl Klendworth, a pupil of Liszt, and was in great demand throughout Sydney as an accompanist and piano teacher in
the 1920s. She died 15 August 1958, aged 79.
George Kilminster junior worked for the Public Instruction Department.
An obituary for Miss Alice Kilminster appeared in the Manly Daily, 18 January 1946:
“With the death of Miss Alice Kilminster last week, another link with the very early days of Manly was severed. Her
father, George Kilminster, was auditor for the first Manly Council. Miss Kilminster, who was 86 years of age, lived here
almost continuously for 79 years, at first in the old stone cottage on the Ocean beach where “Lightway Flats’ now stand,
later at “Brightside”, which was then the only house on the eastern hill (Wood Street runs through its paddock, where
wild violets abounded), then for over 30 years at the old Clarendon Hotel, Ocean Beach, on the site of the Hotel Pacific,
and finally at “Aberdeen”, North Steyne. Miss Kilminster was always a faithful worshipper and worker for St Matthew’s
Church, having been confirmed there by Bishop Barker in 1876. She was also for many years a member of the Red
Cross Society, and of the Crippled Children’s Association Manly Branch, in which she was keenly interested.”
Kirkwood, Joe (1897-1970)
Joe Kirkwood, elected to the American Golf Hall of Fame, began his career as a caddy at Manly Golf Club. He was
the club’s assistant professional in 1911, and by 1916 was club professional at Riversdale Club in Melbourne. In 1920 he
won the Australian Open title and the Australian PGA title.
He moved to the USA in 1921, where he developed a reputation as a superlative specialist in trick shots. He made a
very good living out of demonstrating his tricks. One trick, for example, involved arranging three balls on top of one
another, then driving the middle ball down the fairway without the club touching the other balls. He could hit a ball from
the mouth of a person lying on the ground.
He toured widely. He was placed sixth in the British Open in 1921, and third in 1927. Among his tournament wins in
1923 were the Canadian Open, the Texas Open and the California Open. He won the Canadian Open again in 1933. He
toured America with fellow pro Walter Hagen, and in the 1930s with Gene Sarazen.
He was elected to the Golf Hall of Fame in 1969, and died the following year. His son, Ron Kirkwood, wrote his biography, Links of Life. His gravestone reads:
“Tell your story of hardluck shots,
Of each shot straight and true,
But when you're done remember son –
That nobody cares but you!
- Joe Kirkwood 1897 – 1970”