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From the collection of Melbourne Legacy

3180 Items featured online

Newspaper - Article, Sir Alfred Kemsley dies, aged 90

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Historical information

An article from The Age about the death of Sir Alfred (Kem) Kemsley in 1987.
It mentions that is was a loss of one of Melbourne's 'great characters'.
Between the wars he served as secretary to the Melbourne Metropolitan Town Planning Commission and as secretary to the Liquor Trades Defence Union. In 1934 he became general manager of 3UZ. In world war 2 he was appointed director of the organsation of The Australian Army with the rank of Colonel. After the war he was one of those who founded the advertising agency United Service Publicity (later USP-Needham). He served as chairman and long remained director.
Sir Kemsley was one of the earliest supporters of the Shrine and was instrumental in its construction. He was a shrine trustee and governor of the Corps of Commissionaires. An early and long serving member of Legacy.
His many honours included KBE (1980), CMG (1973), CBE (1960), and ED.
He was survived by a wife, son Liston, and daughter Jean by a previous marriage.
The article was part of an album of past presidents from 1965 to 1989. The folder included biographical details and obituaries, eulogies and death notices of prominent Legatees. The items have been catalogued separately.

Significance

A record that the death of Legatee Kem Kemsley a past president of Legacy, was reported in the press. The information was collected to record the lives of prominent legatees in a folder.