The Division of Kennedy includes the regional city of Mount Isa, as well as surrounding towns such as Cloncurry.

It is named after Edmund Kennedy, an explorer in the area where the division is located in Queensland.

It takes in the Pacific coast of Queensland between Cairns and Townsville, including a small portion of Cairns itself, before sweeping westward to take in most of Queensland's northern outback—a large, increasingly sparsely populated area stretching west to the border with the Northern Territory.

The largest population centre in the electorate is the city of Mount Isa, in its far west.

Besides the Katters, other prominent members include Charles McDonald, the first Labor Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives, and Bill Riordan, a minister in the Chifley government.

His nephew, Bill, won the seat at the ensuing by-election and held it until his retirement in 1966.

His son and current member, Bob Jr. defeated his father's successor, Rob Hulls, in 1993.