James Killen

Australian Parliament for Moreton
In office 10 December 1955 – 15 August 1983
Preceded by	Josiah Francis
Succeeded by	Don Cameron
Personal details
Born	23 November 1925 Dalby, Queensland, Australia
Died	12 January 2007(2007-01-12) (aged 81) Auchenflower, Queensland, Australia
Political party	Liberal
Spouse(s)	Joy Buley Benise Killen
Education	Brisbane Grammar School
Alma mater	University of Queensland
Military service
Allegiance	Australia
Branch/service	Royal Australian Air Force
Years of service	1943–1945
Rank	Flight sergeant

Sir Denis James "Jim" Killen,

Killen was born in Dalby, Queensland, son of Mabel Killen, née Sheridan,^[1] and dentist James Walker Killen, who died 16 January 1928.^[2] He was educated at Brisbane Grammar School and the University of Queensland, where he graduated in law. He enlisted for service in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II; he was discharged in 1945 with the rank of flight sergeant. After the war he worked on the land before returning to Brisbane. In 1949 he joined the new Liberal Party of Australia and became the founding president of the Queensland Young Liberals.^[3]

Political career

In the 1955 election, Killen was elected to the House of Representatives for the Brisbane seat of Moreton, holding the seat until 1983.^[4] He quickly became known as a talented orator but his outspokenness and commitment to causes that Menzies regarded as contrary to Liberal Party principles limited his chances of promotion.

His critics alleged he was associated with the extremist

In the 1961 election, Killen narrowly retained his seat, and since Robert Menzies' Liberal government was re-elected with a majority of only two, and with Killen's seat the last to be declared, it was claimed by some that Killen had 'saved' Menzies and his government. Killen claimed that Menzies had phoned him, saying "Killen, you are magnificent!", and that story was widely repeated for many years, but he later confessed he had made it up for the Courier-Mail to overcome his disappointment at not, in fact, receiving such a call from Menzies.^[6]

By the late 1960s Killen had somewhat moderated his views, and in the government of

Killen had a reputation as a great parliamentary wit who developed close friendships with many people on both sides of politics, among them Gough Whitlam, Fred Daly and Barry Cohen. He wrote the preface to Daly's collection of political anecdotes, The Politician Who Laughed (1982).

Private life

Killen was married twice. His first marriage was in 1949, to Joy (née Buley), with whom he had three daughters (one of whom predeceased him). Joy Killen died in 2000, and he married his second wife, Benise (née Atherton) the following year.^[5]

In 1976, Mungo MacCallum published an article in the Nation Review magazine alleging that Killen was having an extramarital affair with Margaret Guilfoyle, one of his cabinet colleagues. Oblique references to the rumours had also been made in other publications.^[10] He and Guilfoyle sued for defamation, and obtained an injunction against further publication.^[11]

Killen died in Brisbane in 2007. Gough Whitlam delivered the eulogy at his state funeral at Brisbane's St. John's Cathedral.^[12] Killen was survived by his second wife Benise, his two surviving daughters, and two granddaughters.^[13]

References