Freedom Rider champion, Labor stalwart earns OAM

Mr Kelly was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the community of NSW.

He settled in Moree in 1961, however, it was his actions over the 1965 Freedom Riders that catapulted Mr Kelly into politics.

The Riders were a group of students led by the late activist Charles Perkins, who travelled by bus to remote country towns in NSW, protesting racial discrimination against Aboriginal people.

When they reached Moree, the students were booed and spat upon, behaviour that sparked outrage in Mr Kelly.

At that time, the town banned Aboriginal people from entering the swimming pool and memorial hall.

Incensed by the ill treatment, Mr Kelly, who was president of the Labor Party at the time, went to a meeting at the town hall to protest.

"I went to the meeting at 8pm, Charlie [Perkins] and Jim Spegleman were sitting on the stage off the left," Mr Kelly said.

"8pm came and went, 8.30pm came and I thought good god, these people don't know what they're doing. So I walked up to the stage and said to Charlie, 'do you mind if I have a little preamble here and move a resolution to the council?', he said 'go for your life'.

"So I got on to the microphone and spoke to the audience, which were 90 per cent Aboriginal people. I told them I agreed that it was a terrible injustice that had been inflicted on them and that I was going to move the following resolution to go to council for the next meeting to obliterate these sorts of things from the statute books."

Mr Kelly moved for the ban on Aboriginal people using the baths and town hall be expunged, however, no action was taken.

"Something had to be done, I didn't realise at the time, but the triennial elections were due to take place that year, a little while later I realised that the election was due to be held so I put my name in and ran and I had a terrific result.

"The next morning bang bang bang on the front door, it was the mayor, and he said, 'don't think you're going to be mayor of this bloody town, I'm going to be mayor'. I said, 'Bill, I'm not interested in that, I have an agenda to carry out.'

"The first meeting of council was called, I went along, and when general business came up in council the first thing I moved was the resolution of the 1955 council be expunged from councils books, I had a seconder and would you believe it was carried unanimously.

"The Aborigines were free to have a swim in the baths if they wanted.

"It was so wrong, because these people were dragged in to the First World War. They came back and they weren't even recognised. We could use them at our will when it suited us. I suppose, with my catholic background, I have always had a great regard for my neighbour."

In 2016, Mr Kelly's actions were honoured at the Labor party conference when he received the Labor Lifetime Award for being a member of the party for more than half a century.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, then a shadow minister, described Mr Kelly as a "remarkable man".

"Ned is an example of the true believe in the Australian Labor Party," Mr Albanese said in Parliament.

"A bloke who has given up more than five decades of his life and made a real impact."

As a member of the Labor Party since 1960, Mr Kelly has served as president of the Ballina branch (2012-2015), secretary and president, Lismore branch (1975-1979) and president Forster-Tuncurry branch (1961).

He was chairman of Lismore Base Hospital (1981-1986) and a board member (1979-1989).

As well as serving as a councillor on Moree Council, Mr Kelly was board member, Moree District Hospital, (circa 1960s), committee member, Moree Aboriginal Advancement Association, (circa 1975) and former member, Moree Tenancy Advisory Committee.

Mr Kelly now lives in Bexley, NSW.