He was born near Yankalilla the eldest son of Robert (1823 – 17 May 1893) and Mary Ann Kelly, née Clarke, ( – 14 May 1893) who left London on the John Woodhall, arriving in South Australia in January 1849.
He moved to Oakey on the Darling Downs, Queensland, where he ran a substantial farm, and was appointed a magistrate there in 1899.
[4] He was a founder, with W. Kent, of the Queensland Farmers' Union,[5] and founded a land agency in 1912 with Edward Gore (c. 1877–1935).
Kelly retired a few years later, but the company Edward Gore & Co.
[6] Robert Kelly (1823 – 17 May 1893) married Mary Ann Clarke ( – 14 May 1893) before leaving for South Australia.