About

From Ireland to New Zealand to Australia. Merchant Seaman, Builder, father to 14, Funeral Director and Drive In Picture Theatre builder, owner and operator. Michael Kelly did a lot in his 67 years .

He met his wife Sheila during the war in New Zealand and migrated to Australia with four children. After being in Melbourne for a time, in 1953 he answered a Weekly Times advert to come to Birchip as a carpenter for Mc Loughlans. After building numerous sheds and shearing sheds for other farmers, he branched out on his own as a builder, taking on apprentices Laurie Ryan , Kevin Weinert and son David. There are many buildings in town built by Michael and his crew over the years including houses built for Bryan & Peg Hogan, Ross & Anne O’Donnell, Pat & Betty Connelly and Jim & Jill Doran. Also the Catholic Church in Watchupga, BP Service station in Wycheproof and the catholic presbytery there.

David had been helping his dad in the funeral business as a school kid and he actually officiated at a funeral in Watchupga at the age of 14. His parents had gone to NZ for his aunties wedding and wouldn’t you know it someone died. So David knew what to do and did all the preparation. Dieter Britz was a Voight’s Garage employee who was seconded to Kelly’s on funeral days and he drove the hearse.

Still standing solid, Birchip’s first two storey house built in 1962 after the little Taverner Street house ( at one stage since, Ged Mullane’s house), became too small for the growing Kelly family. Four children were born in NZ and the other ten while in Birchip, although Erica didn’t quite make the hospital, being born in the ambulance at Teddy Waddy. David built Birchip’s 2nd two storey house, taking a little longer to complete but finished in 1981. David was apprenticed to his dad when he left school at 15, working both as a carpenter and in the funeral business and at the drive-in.