Fran Kelly

Fran Kelly is an Australian radio presenter, current affairs journalist and political correspondent who has hosted the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Radio National programme Breakfast since March 2005.

Early life

Fran Kelly is the fourth of six children, named for her father Frank Kelly, a chiropodist and physiotherapist. Kelly grew up in Adelaide, attending St Dominic’s Priory College and completing an Arts degree at the University of Adelaide, majoring in literature and classics.^[1] While at university Kelly became involved in the women’s movement and feminist theatre, and sang with bands.

After completing her degree Kelly worked at Flinders University as an activities director, booking bands and organising entertainment for students. In 1980 Kelly moved to Melbourne to fill a similar role at La Trobe University. She sang in all-girl new wave band Toxic Shoc, which released their single Intoxicated in 1981.^[2] Kelly volunteered at Melbourne’s RRR, as a host of “Backchat,” a radio program discussing women’s current affairs. In 1984 she coordinated the statewide Women’s Arts Festival for Victoria’s sesquicentenary.

Career in Journalism

Kelly began work in journalism at the age of 29. In 1988, she moved to Sydney to work on Triple J’s The Drum, a youth radio program offering opinion and analysis on politics and current affairs. In 1990 Kelly became a reporter for ABC Radio National’s current affairs programmes AM and PM. She describes covering the Labor Party leadership battle between Bob Hawke and Paul Keating in 1991: "I remember standing in the pack in the corridor outside the PM's office, and being right up at the front of the crush, asking questions of Kim Beazley," she says. "I also remember not being intimidated, which is when I realised that this was probably the job for me."^[3]

In time, Kelly would become Canberra bureau chief, chief political correspondent with AM and PM, political editor for ABC's Radio National Breakfast and ABC television’s The 7:30 Report, and the ABC's Europe correspondent. In 2005 she returned to Australia to host Radio National Breakfast. The program airs nationally in Australia from 6:00 to 9:00 (live in the eastern states and on delay in other states), Monday to Friday, combining news, analysis, commentary, interviews and special features. In describing her work, Kelly says, "I don't have an agenda. What I do is question people as to what I think are the irrationalities in their position… .”^[3] She has a great love for the work that she does, “I love the program, I always have... It’s just one of the best jobs in Australian media.” ^[4]

Kelly was involved with the documentary series The Howard Years in 2008, for which she interviewed former U.S. president George W. Bush. Kelly appears regularly as a panelist and commentator on ABC TV's Insiders, engaging in debate and discussion with other experienced political journalists.

In 2008 Kelly received a Same Same 25 award, recognising her as one of the country's most influential gay and lesbian Australians.^[5] She was named by Sydney Morning Herald's the(Sydney)magazine as one of Sydney’s 100 most influential people of 2011. Kelly is described by the Australian electronic magazine Crikey as “one of the most influential media players in the country.”^[6]

Personal life

In describing herself, Kelly states that, "What I am, really am, is an activist."^{[citation needed]} She reports that, "I’ve identified as a proud feminist ever since I was at school and was a feminist activist for a long time."^[4]

In 2007 Kelly launched the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Same-Sex: Same Entitlements Inquiry.^[4] She has been involved with One Just World’s speaker forums, moderating a Women of the World forum for WOMADelaide and speaking on the "Stand Up Against Poverty" forum in 2009.^[7]

Kelly has been with her partner, journalist Marion Frith, since 1993, together raising Frith's three children from primary school age to adulthood.^[3]

References