He was a Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1925 to 1932 and again from 1935 until his death in 1967, representing the electorate of Bathurst.

[2] Kelly had active military service in the First Australian Imperial Force in Egypt and France between 1915 and 1919.

[1][3] In a pre-selection held in 1919, Kelly defeated Ben Chifley[4] and was endorsed as one of three Labor candidates to contest the multi-member electorate of Bathurst at the 1922 State election.

[8][9] After three years working as the gatekeeper at the Sydney Cricket Ground[1] (where William McKell sat on the board of trustees),[10] Kelly regained the seat in the 1935 state election on preferences from the Federal Labor Party candidate whilst standing as a candidate for NSW Labor.

[1][12] A portrait of Kelly by Australian artist Reg Campbell can be found in the permanent collection of Bathurst Regional Art Gallery.