Roy Kendall (9 June 1899 – 9 March 1972) was an English-born Australian politician and intelligence officer for the British Secret Intelligence Service.

Roy Kendall
Senator Roy Kendall greeting two Air Force officers.jpg
Senator for Queensland
In office
22 February 1950 – 30 June 1965
Personal details
Born(1899-06-09)9 June 1899
Battersea, London, England, United Kingdom
Died9 March 1972(1972-03-09) (aged 72)
Mount Ommaney, Queensland, Australia
NationalityEnglish Australian
Political partyLiberal Party of Australia
Spouses
Olga Kapelman
(m. 1923; div. 1929)
Doris Margery MacPhee
(m. 1929)
OccupationIntelligence officer, merchant seaman, newsagent
Military service
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Branch/serviceRoyal Navy
Years of service1939–1945
RankCaptain
CommandsSecret Intelligence Australia

Born in London, he was educated at Bristol Cathedral School before becoming a merchant seaman. After serving in the Royal Naval Reserve from 1914 to 1918, he was recruited by Britain's Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) in December 1941 for the purpose of "penetrating the Japanese Mandated Islands or other areas in the Pacific". He was "vouched for" by the Australian director of naval intelligence, and in 1942 was appointed head of Secret Intelligence Australia, a branch of MI6 in Australia, reporting directly to Winston Churchill.[1]

After the war, he became a newsagent in Brisbane, Australia. In 1949, he was elected to the Australian Senate as a Liberal senator. He remained in the Senate until retiring in 1964. Kendall died in 1972.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Waterson, D B. "KENDALL, Roy (1899–1972)". The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  2. ^ Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 16 November 2008.