Growing up in Point Pearce Mission, Kevin O'Loughlin went to the local primary school and then to Maitland Area School which was part of the Australian Government's assimilation program at the time. After working as a shearer and mechanic back on the mission on leaving school, O'Loughlin later moved to Adelaide for further study and eventually became a tutor and coordinator. Kevin O'Loughlin is a well known Narrunga man and a storyteller.
In 2017, O'Loughlin was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of South Australia.
