Eric Shackle's Column

By Eric Shackle

“Coming events cast their shadows before them,” Scottish poet Thomas Campbell wrote in 1781. In 1940, in Sydney, Cinesound released an 83-minute black-and-white film, “Dad Rudd, MP”. That was 17 years before Australia’s Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, was born!

If the film is ever shown again (which is to be hoped) it should be retitled “Grandad Rudd, MP” as Kevin and his wife Therese have three grown-up children.

In 1981, Rudd married Therese Rein, whom he had met when they were both residents at Birgmann College during their first year of university. They have three children: Jessica (born 1984), Nicholas (born 1986), and Marcus (born 1993),[and one grand-daughter, Josephine (born 2012); Josephine is the daughter of Jessica and her husband Albert Tse, whom she married in 2007.

Daughter Jessica is a former solicitor, campaign worker, and PR consultant, and is now a writer. She earned a Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) and Bachelor of Laws. Hong Kong-born, Cantonese-speaking son-in-law Albert Tse has been reported as having been, or being, a solicitor and banker at Bankwest.. Elder son Nicholas married Zara Shafruddin, whom he had met at his sister's wedding, on April 14, 2012 at St. James’ Church, Sydney. Both are solicitors at the Sydney branch of the law firm Clayton Utz. Nicholas proposed to Zara in Prague three years earlier.[Younger son Marcus has completed secondary education and, like his elder brother, has studied Mandarin. Rudd's nephew, Van Thanh Rudd, is a Melbourne-based artist and activist.

Remus Rudd
Judy Rudd an amateur genealogy researcher in south-east Queensland, was doing some personal work on her own family tree. She discovered that Kevin Rudd's great-great uncle, Remus Rudd, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Melbourne in 1889. Both Judy and Kevin Rudd share this common ancestor.

The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows at the Melbourne Jail.

On the back of the picture is this inscription:

“Remus Rudd, horse thief, sent to Melbourne Jail 1885, escaped 1887, robbed the Melbourne-Geelong train six times. Caught by Victoria Police Force, convicted and hanged in 1889.”

So Judy recently e-mailed ex-Prime Minister Rudd for information about their great-great uncle, Remus Rudd.

Kevin Rudd's staff sent back the following biographical sketch for her genealogy research:

"Remus Rudd was famous in Victoria during the mid to late 1800s. His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Melbourne-Geelong Railroad..

“Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to government service, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad.

“In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the Victoria Police Force. In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honour when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed."

LINK VIDEO: Kevin swearing.