[1] Kelling, his brother Carl and the Hamburg merchant Johann Ferdinand Benoit were asked by Count Kuno zu Rantzau-Breitenburg to manage a German immigration project to New Zealand.

Together with German emigrants, the Kelling family and Carl left for New Zealand on the Skjold on 21 April 1844 from Hamburg.

Kelling had two further children in New Zealand, but his wife died after child birth on 28 July 1848.

Other land was added to it, and soon they had planted field crops, fruit trees, vines, walnuts, hops and tobacco.

He served almost continuously until the abolition of provincial governments at the end of 1876, and was not a member only for the time he spent as an immigration agent in Germany.

At a meeting with electors in Stoke, it was decided that there was no real difference in political opinion between Kelling and James Wemyss, the other contender for the position.

Kelling was a supporter of Julius Vogel's public works scheme, whilst Richardson was opposed to it.

At the nomination meeting, held at the Provincial Hall on 26 January 1871, the show of hands went eleven to ten in favour of Kelling.

[14] Richardson resigned on 31 March 1873 "owing to urgent private affairs which require[d his] immediate departure for England".

At the nomination meeting on 9 May, Charles Elliott, Andrew Richmond and Fedor Kelling were proposed.

[16] On 13 May, Kelling retired from the election and placed an advertisement in the Nelson Evening Mail, stating that he wanted to avoid vote splitting and urging electors to support Richmond instead, so that the Vogel Ministry can continue with their public works programme.