Patrick Kerwin (politician)


Patrick James Kerwin was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.

Biography

Kerwin was born in Cork, Ireland, the son of Patrick Kerwin and his wife Catherine. He completed medical studies in Scotland and served as a ship's doctor before arriving in Northern Queensland in 1903. He then served with the Royal Army Medical Corps before becoming a practicing physician, first at Port Douglas for five years, then at Cairns for eleven years, then finally settling in Brisbane.
On 7 October 1903 Kerwin married Mary Elizabeth Walsh and together they had one daughter. He died in September 1950 and his funeral proceeded from the Holy Spirit Catholic Church, New Farm to the Nudgee Cemetery.

Public career

Representing the CPNP, Kerwin won the seat of Merthyr in the Queensland Legislative Assembly in 1929, defeating the sitting member, Peter McLachlan of the Labor Party. He served one term before being defeated three years later by Labor's James Keogh.