Robert Heffron
|
The Honourable Bob Heffron |
|
|---|---|
Heffron as Premier in 1960.
|
|
| 30th Premier of New South Wales Election: 1962 |
|
|
In office 23 October 1959 – 30 April 1964 |
|
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor | Sir Eric Woodward |
| Deputy | Jack Renshaw |
| Preceded by | Joseph Cahill |
| Succeeded by | Jack Renshaw |
| Minister for Education | |
|
In office 8 June 1944 – 31 May 1960 |
|
| Premier |
William McKell James McGirr Joseph Cahill Himself |
| Preceded by | Clive Evatt |
| Succeeded by | Ernest Wetherell |
| 5th Deputy Premier of New South Wales | |
|
In office 23 February 1953 – 28 October 1959 |
|
| Premier | Joseph Cahill |
| Preceded by | Joseph Cahill |
| Succeeded by | Jack Renshaw |
| Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Botany |
|
|
In office 25 October 1930 – 22 May 1950 |
|
| Preceded by | Thomas Mutch |
| Succeeded by | District abolished |
| Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Maroubra |
|
|
In office 17 June 1950 – 23 January 1968 |
|
| Preceded by | New district |
| Succeeded by | Bill Haigh |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
10 September 1890 Thames, Colony of New Zealand |
| Died | 27 July 1978 (aged 87) Kirribilli, New South Wales, Australia |
| Political party |
New Zealand Socialist Party Victorian Socialist Party Industrial Labor Party Australian Labor Party (NSW Branch) |
| Spouse(s) | Jessie Bjornstad (m.1917–1977) |
| Children | Maylean Jessie Cordia OAM (1919–2006) June Scott |
Robert James "Bob" Heffron (10 September 1890 – 27 July 1978), also known as R. J. Heffron, was a long-serving New South Wales politician, union organiser and Australian Labor Party Premier of New South Wales from 1959 to 1964. Born in New Zealand, Heffron became involved in various Socialist and Labor movements in New Zealand and later Australia before joining the Australian Labor Party. Being a prominent unionist organiser, having been gaoled at one stage for "conspiracy to strike action", he was eventually elected to the Parliament of New South Wales for Botany in 1930. However his disputes with party leader Jack Lang led to his expulsion from the ALP in 1936 and Heffron formed his own party from disgruntled Labor MPs known as the Industrial Labor Party. The success of his party enabled his readmission to the party and his prominence in a post-Lang NSW Branch which won office in 1941.
Heffron served as Minister of the Crown in the cabinets of William McKell, James McGirr and Joseph Cahill, most notably as Minister for Education from 1944 to 1960 and as Deputy Premier. In his significant tenure as minister for education Heffron oversaw massive expansion of the state's public schools and the development of higher education services including the establishment of the New South Wales University of Technology (now the University of New South Wales). Rising to become Premier in 1959, he spearheaded a final attempt to abolish the New South Wales Legislative Council via referendum in 1961, which ended in failure. Serving as Premier until 1964, Heffron was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for 37 years until his retirement on 23 January 1968.
...
Wikipedia