Bernie Kelly was born in the NSW northern tablelands town of Quirindi. His father was a Railway Worker and his mother a Teacher who met and married at Quirindi. The family remained at Quirindi up until the late 1930’s but then moved around the state to various railway centres. As a child, Bernie Kelly lived at Rankin Springs, Illabo near Junee and then Table Top near Albury.
Bernie’s father returned to Quirindi in the early 1960’s where he held the position of Station Master. Bernie also returned to the town after his time at Wests. Bernie Kelly played with Wests at the start of the club’s golden era in the late 1950’s.
