Mr James Thomas DOOLEY (1877 - 1950)

Date of Birth: 26/04/1877
Place of Birth: Carrick Crean, Longford, Ireland
Date of Death: 02/01/1950
Place of Death: Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia

Parliamentary Service

Position	Start	End	Period	Parliament
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly	10 Sep 1907	7 Sep 1927	19yr(s) 11mth(s) 29day(s)
Member for Hartley	10 Sep 1907	14 Sep 1910	3yr(s) 5day(s)	21st (1907 - 1910)
Member for Hartley	14 Oct 1910	6 Nov 1913	3yr(s) 24day(s)	22nd (1910 - 1913)
Member for Hartley	6 Dec 1913	21 Feb 1917	3yr(s) 2mth(s) 16day(s)	23rd (1913 - 1917)
Member for Hartley	24 Mar 1917	18 Feb 1920	2yr(s) 10mth(s) 26day(s)	24th (1917 - 1920)
Member for Bathurst	20 Mar 1920	17 Feb 1922	1yr(s) 10mth(s) 29day(s)	25th (1920 - 1922)
Member for Bathurst	25 Mar 1922	18 Apr 1925	3yr(s) 25day(s)	26th (1922 - 1925)
Member for Bathurst	30 May 1925	7 Sep 1927	2yr(s) 3mth(s) 9day(s)	27th (1925 - 1927)
Colonial Secretary and Minister for Housing	13 Apr 1920	10 Oct 1921	1yr(s) 5mth(s) 28day(s)
Acting Premier	22 Jan 1921	20 Jul 1921	5mth(s) 29day(s)
Colonial Secretary	10 Oct 1921	13 Apr 1922	6mth(s) 4day(s)
Premier	10 Oct 1921	13 Apr 1922	6mth(s) 4day(s)
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly	24 Jun 1925	2 Nov 1927	2yr(s) 4mth(s) 10day(s)
The Coupon System Committee No.9	29 Sep 1908	17 Dec 1908	2mths 19days	21st (1907 - 1910)
Claims of Andrew Rodgers against the Sydney Harbour Trust Commissioners Committee No.8	29 Sep 1908	18 Dec 1908	2mths 20days	21st (1907 - 1910)
Claims of Madame Bell against the Education Department Commitment No.10	27 Jun 1911	1 Aug 1911	1mth 6days	22nd (1910 - 1913)
Claims of Samuel Alfred Hutchinson Committee No.14	5 Jul 1911	1 Aug 1911	28days	22nd (1910 - 1913)
Claims of Madame Bell against the Education Department Commitment No.8	4 Oct 1911	27 Mar 1912	5mths 24days	22nd (1910 - 1913)
Claims of Samuel Alfred Hutchinson Committee No.12	10 Oct 1911	18 Oct 1911	9days	22nd (1910 - 1913)
Case of William John Ellis, employed in the Railway Service Committee No.18	19 Oct 1911	2 Nov 1911	15days	22nd (1910 - 1913)
Claims of Samuel Alfred Hutchinson Committee No.10	8 Oct 1912	6 Nov 1912	30days	22nd (1910 - 1913)
Printing Committee No. 5	2 Jul 1915	13 Apr 1916	9mths 12days	23rd (1913 - 1917)
Case of Denis Maguire Committee No. 13	17 Aug 1915	13 Apr 1916	7mths 28days	23rd (1913 - 1917)

Political Party Activity

Australian Labor Party (ALP). Joined movement in Brisbane, branch president of Lithgow; deputy leader 1916-1921, leader 1921-1923; expelled by the executive in March 1923, readmitted later in 1923; lost party endorsement 1927, stood as an industry labor in 1932.

Community Activity

Commissioned as a Justice of the Peace in 1911

Qualifications, occupations and interests

Tailor. Arrival at Brisbane 1887; began work at twelve years as draper's assistant; attended night classes at technical college and debating societies; apprenticed to tailoring; moved to New South Wales in c1901, spent some time in outback including Cobar, settled in Lithgow in c1905, established tailoring business; investigated industrial situation in United States of America in 1919; after defeat, licensee of Hotel Alexandra, Leura, and for a short period from 1930 of Lithgow Hotel, Lithgow; bedridden at Liverpool District Hospital 1949 until 1950; noted amateur actor in youth, active in Lithgow Debating Society.

Personal

Son of Christopher Thomas, farmer, and Elizabeth O'Connor. Married (1) Kate Rodd Trundle on 21 February 1905 and had issue, one son and one daughter. Married (2) Irene Mary Kenny on 16 March 1946. Botany cemetery from St Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral.

Additional Information

Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 8 Text from the book: 'The Presiding Officers of the Parliament of New South Wales', Sydney, 1995

James Dooley was born on 26 April 1877 in Ireland and emigrated with his parents to Brisbane in 1887 He married Kate Trundle in 1905 and they had one son and one daughter. He married for a second time in 1946 to Irene Kenny. He settled with his first wife in Lithgow where he established a successful tailoring business. President of the Lithgow branch of the Labor Party, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly as the Member for Hartley in 1907. At only thirty years of age he was the youngest Member of Parliament at the time. He represented Hartley until 1920 when he became the Member for Bathurst. Dooley served as the Deputy Leader of the Labor Party under Ernest Durack and continued in this role under the Leadership of John Storey. When Labor won office in April 1920, Dooley became Chief Secretary and Minister for Housing. He took over as Premier following the sudden death of John Storey in October 1921, but his Government was defeated two months later. When the Fuller Ministry resigned after only seven hours, Dooley was recommissioned by Governor Davidson to set up a new Government and remained the Premier until his Government lost the 1922 election. Dooley held ministerial and leadership responsibilities in the years immediately following World War I and subsequently he played an important role in the administration of the State's public affairs during a difficult era. When Labor returned to power in 1925, Dooley was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. He had the political experience to deal effectively with official matters which he did through his understanding and interpretation of the Standing Orders. In 1925 he attempted, with Mr President Flowers, to gain some autonomy over the Parliamentary estimates, but received a cold reception from Premier Lang. He held the office of Speaker until 1927 when he lost the preselection for Hartley and consequently did not contest the election. Although he stood as an Independent Labor candidate in the 1932 elections he failed to be re-elected. He died after a long illness on 2 January 1950 at Liverpool.

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