Kennion arrived in South Australia early in 1883 and soon realised that more churches were needed in the rapidly growing suburbs of Adelaide and in outlying country districts.

During his 12 years in the diocese many churches were built, considerable progress was made in the building of the cathedral, and the number of clergy increased from 50 to 75.

He did not take a leading part in ecclesiastical affairs, but was an excellent chairman of the English committee on faith and order.

He tended to encourage practical initiatives in his diocese, supporting recruitment of clergy to the Chaplaincies, naming clerical families and describing their activities in the War including recognition of individual gallantry awards, and promoting women volunteers to work in agriculture.

Although he never served in the prestigious role of Grand Chaplain of UGLE, in 1897 he was granted the honorific rank of Past Grand Chaplain in recognition of his services to English Freemasonry, as part of a series of similar honorary promotions intended to mark the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria.

His obituary in the Church Times mentioned, "In later years he was accredited with having been the first English bishop to become a cyclist.