Harry Kneebone

Harry Kneebone
Senator for South Australia
In office
1 April 1931  18 December 1931
Preceded by John Chapman
Succeeded by Jack Duncan-Hughes
Personal details
Born 17 March 1876
Kadina, South Australia
Died 22 December 1933 (aged 57)
Political party Labor
Occupation journalist, editor
Religion Methodist

Henry "Harry" Kneebone (17 March 1876 22 December 1933) was an Australian journalist, author, editor and politician.

He was born at Kadina, South Australia in 1876, son of Henry Kneebone of Cornwall and Elizabeth Ann (née Tonkin). He worked as a journalist for the Kadina and Wallaroo Times (whose editor was David Bews), then joined the gold rush to Western Australia, and joined the Coolgardie Miner as editor,[1] which ceased publication around the end of 1909. He joined the Daily Herald, a Labor Party publication in Adelaide, in 1910 and was made editor in 1911. In 1912 he was appointed press officer to the High Commission in London where he performed useful service. He founded the Anzac Buffet, which supplied more than a million free meals to Australian soldiers in London.[2] In 1916 he returned to Adelaide and editorship of the Daily Herald, which had fallen on hard times. He was unable to reverse its decline and the paper went into voluntary liquidation in 1924.

In 1924 he was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly but resigned the following year to contest (unsuccessfully) the House of Representatives seat of Boothby. In 1931 he was appointed to the Australian Senate as a Labor Senator for South Australia, filling the casual vacancy caused by the death of Country Party Senator John Chapman, but lost it in the election of later that year.[3] He returned to journalism, as the editor of The Labor Advocate, a Trades Hall publication.[4]

Kneebone died in 1933.[5] His death notice in The Advertiser mentioned his editorship of the Advocate but not his political career.[6]

He showed great concern and affection for the Aboriginal peoples and was fascinated by their culture. His Methodist views influenced his social democratic politics.[7]

Family

Henry Kneebone (1876–1933) married Henrietta Whitta (1875 – 17 January 1951) on 4 November 1903; they lived in Jellicoe Avenue, Kings Park. Their children included:

References

  1. "Concerning People.". The Register (Adelaide: National Library of Australia). 11 April 1912. p. 4. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  2. "Death of Mr. Harry Kneebone". The Advertiser (Adelaide: National Library of Australia). 23 December 1933. p. 15. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  3. Blewett, Neal 'Kneebone, Henry (1876–1933)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/kneebone-henry-6982/text12133, accessed 22 July 2013.
  4. "Back to the Ranks". The News (Adelaide: National Library of Australia). 2 January 1932. p. 7. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  5. Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
  6. "Family Notices". The Advertiser (Adelaide: National Library of Australia). 23 December 1933. p. 17. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  7. Payton, Philip, Making Moonta: The Invention of Australia's Little Cornwall
  8. "Printing Trade Union Appoints Secretary.". The Advertiser (Adelaide: National Library of Australia). 15 March 1951. p. 5. Retrieved 14 December 2014.