Early Life and Enlistment

Born on 22 December 1895, Jeremiah Joseph Kelly — known to many simply as Jerry — was one of fourteen children. A son of Wollongong, he was raised with the values of resilience, loyalty, and service.

At just 19 years old, in May 1915, Jerry enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at Liverpool, NSW, joining the 4th Battalion, 6th Reinforcements.  Like thousands of young Australians, he answered the call of duty with a sense of adventure and deep loyalty to his country.

Just one month later, on 16 June 1915, he embarked for the Middle East, bound for a place that would come to define his life — Gallipoli.

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Gallipoli and the Battle of Lone Pine

On 7 August 1915, Jerry landed as a reinforcement at ANZAC Cove, arriving in the midst of the brutal Battle of Lone Pine.

The 4th Battalion had suffered heavy casualties the day before. As a machine gunner—a role carrying immense responsibility—he was sent straight into the chaos.

The conditions at Lone Pine were horrific.   The trenches were choked with the dead and wounded.   The air was thick with smoke, dust, and the deafening roar of artillery.   Australian soldiers fought in narrow, sandbagged trenches, often shoulder-to-shoulder with the fallen, in desperate close-quarters combat.

Jerry and his fellow machine gunners were stationed in captured Turkish trenches under constant threat from artillery, snipers, and wave after wave of counterattacks — often launched from just metres away.

In just five days, more than 2,200 Australians — and as many as 6,000 Turkish soldiers — were killed or wounded.

The violence Jerry witnessed at Lone Pine would have left a profound mark.   His survival was not simply luck—it was a testament to courage, endurance, and the will to stand firm.

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Illness and Return Home

By early September 1915, disease had become as deadly as enemy fire.   Jerry contracted dysentery — one of the most widespread and debilitating illnesses at Gallipoli.

On 10 September 1915, just over a month after arriving, he was evacuated to the hospital ship Gascon, before being transferred to Malta and later Egypt.
He spent months recovering — first from dysentery, then from enteric fever — illnesses that left him severely weakened.  His condition was possibly life-threatening, and after a long recovery, he was declared medically unfit for further service.

In January 1916, he was repatriated to Australia and formally discharged on 11 July 1916, bringing his wartime service to an early but honourable conclusion.

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A Lifetime of Community Service

Though his military career ended early, Jerry’s service to his community was only just beginning.

Upon returning to Wollongong in 1916, he immediately set about advocating for fellow veterans.   He became Secretary of the Returned Soldiers’ Association and, in 1917 — after its transition to the Returned Soldiers and Sailors Imperial League of Australia (the forerunner of the RSL) — he was elected the first President of the newly formed Wollongong sub-Branch.

Jerry’s service continued not with medals, but with meaningful action.  He helped lay the foundations of veteran support that many local families still rely on today.
His leadership was grounded in experience — he knew firsthand the toll war could take, both on the battlefield and back home.

In 1922, Jerry began an extraordinary 37-year career in local government.

He helped oversee major developments, including:

• The creation of the North Beach Bathing Pavilion in 1938

• The 1947 amalgamation that formed the City of Greater Wollongong

He was elected Lord Mayor on three occasions: 1934–1936, 1942–1944, and 1951–1956.

In 1934, Jerry led the sub-Branch in purchasing the land on which the new City Diggers Club will be built  and in 1954, he had the honour of escorting Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Wollongong — the first reigning monarch to do so.

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A Lasting Legacy

Beyond the RSL and council, Jerry was deeply involved in community life.   He was a foundation member of the Wollongong Surf Lifesaving Club, Honorary Steward of the Kembla Grange Race Club, Chairman of the Wollongong Patriation Department, member of the Wollongong Showground Trust, and served as a Justice of the Peace for 40 years.

Recently, while moving out of City Diggers, the sub-Branch discovered old 16mm film reels in the archives.   When digitised, they revealed rare footage of 1950s Anzac Day Marches — and footage of J.J. Kelly with the Queen — another legacy brought back to life.

His influence is seen not only in places named after him, but in the very shape and spirit of the city itself.   
By now, most locals know his name through J.J. Kelly Park.
Now, they can also know his story.

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Final Reflection

His wife, Eileen, wrote in a letter found in his service record — addressed to the Secretary of Army Records in 1967 — seeking details of his service so she could apply for an Anzac Medallion.   She noted that Jerry “never spoke of the war during our marriage—at least only occasionally, and never in detail.”

Like so many of his generation, Jerry carried the weight of what he had seen in silence.  But today, we are proud to speak his name aloud.   We share his story and we honour all that he gave — in war, and in peace.

Each year, we will continue to uncover another story—another name among the 363—and ensure they are remembered not just as soldiers, but as people.
As part of this city.

Because behind every etched name—like Jerry’s—is a life once lived, and a story worth telling.

They deserve nothing less.

Lest we forget.