Biographical entry: Kelly, Bowes (1852 - 1930)
- Born
- 1852
Ireland - Died
- 1930
- Occupation
- Businessman and Pastoralist
Summary
Anthony Edward Bowes Kelly, mining investor, born in Ireland, was educated in Deniliquin. Initially a grazier, he bought a speculative interest in the Broken Hill Proprietary mine and became one of Australia's richest men.
Details
He arrived in Zeehan in 1891 to inspect its promising silver mine, before the 'bust' later that year. Undeterred, Kelly bought into the abandoned goldfield at Mount Lyell, which became Australia's greatest copper mine. He was a founding director of the Mount Lyell Mining Company, serving for thirty years on the board and resigning as chairman in 1924. A keen gambler, Kelly invested heavily in risky mines at Zeehan, Dundas, Rosebery, Mount Read, Mount Lyell, Balfour and King Island. He lost heavily in his later years, owning only a fraction of his former wealth at his death.
Wendy Rimon