Philip Charles Kelly, OAM – passed away 10 January 2017 – aged 88
I am very sad to advise that our esteemed friend and Shipping Australia colleague, Phil Kelly passed away early this morning after a tenacious but ultimately unsuccessful battle with cancer. Phil had beaten cancer once before and was optimistic about his prospects. But in Phil’s words “we fight a lot of battles in this industry and we certainly don’t win them all”, sadly his final battle fell into the latter category.
Our sincere condolences to his wife Frances, sons Philip and Jack, daughter Alexandra and their families. The Shipping Australia family and particularly the shipping community in Victoria extend our deepest sympathies.
Phil always told me that he would continue to work for as long as he could make a contribution because he loved the industry and it kept him active, and that he did. Phil reluctantly resigned from his role as Victorian State Secretary in July last year when he realised that he would not have the energy and strength to continue while undergoing chemotherapy. Since then, Phil had remained optimistic about the outcome until quite recently.
Phil has been an icon of the shipping industry, especially in Melbourne where he has spent almost 70 years in the industry. He was influential during the transition from general cargo to containerisation, became Victorian State Manager of Associated Container Transport Australia, served on the board of the Melbourne Harbour Trust and later took on the role of general manager of the historic barque Polly Woodside. Retiring from full-time work 28 years ago, his commitment to the maritime sector saw him immediately take on the role of Victorian Secretary of the Australian Chamber of Shipping, which later became part of Shipping Australia Limited. It was a role he held until his retirement in July last year. With his polite demeanour and quiet efficiency, he guided the Victorian State Committee, demonstrating an outstanding ability to represent the industry at the highest level and negotiating positive outcomes for members. He contributed to numerous Victorian logistics reviews and represented the shipping industry in the channel deepening project, empty container park working groups and the 2015 review of the privatisation bill for the Port of Melbourne.
His illustrious career has been widely reported. In 2008 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the shipping industry and to the preservation of Australia’s maritime history. Most recently, in November 2016 Phil was selected as the 2016 inductee to the Australian Maritime Hall of Fame.
We will miss you Phil and wish you fair winds and following seas.
