Mr Robert James HEFFRON (1890 - 1978)**

Date of Birth: 10/09/1890 Place of Birth: Thames, New Zealand Date of Death: 27/07/1978 Place of Death: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Parliamentary Service

Position Start End Period Notes Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 25 Oct 1930 23 Jan 1968 37yr(s) 2mth(s) 30day(s) Member for Botany 25 Oct 1930 18 May 1932 1yr(s) 6mth(s) 24day(s) 29th (1930 - 1932) Member for Botany 11 Jun 1932 12 Apr 1935 2yr(s) 10mth(s) 2day(s) 30th (1932 - 1935) Member for Botany 18 Apr 1935 24 Feb 1938 2yr(s) 10mth(s) 7day(s) 31st (1935 - 1938) Member for Botany 26 Mar 1938 18 Apr 1941 3yr(s) 24day(s) 32nd (1938 - 1941) Member for Botany 10 May 1941 24 Apr 1944 2yr(s) 11mth(s) 15day(s) 33rd (1941 - 1944) Member for Botany 28 Apr 1944 29 Mar 1947 2yr(s) 11mth(s) 2day(s) 34th (1944 - 1947) Member for Botany 3 Apr 1947 22 May 1950 3yr(s) 1mth(s) 20day(s) 35th (1947 - 1950) Member for Maroubra 17 Jun 1950 14 Jan 1953 2yr(s) 6mth(s) 29day(s) 36th (1950 - 1953) Member for Maroubra 19 Jan 1953 6 Feb 1956 3yr(s) 19day(s) 37th (1953 - 1956) Member for Maroubra 3 Mar 1956 16 Feb 1959 2yr(s) 11mth(s) 14day(s) 38th (1956 - 1959) Member for Maroubra 21 Mar 1959 5 Feb 1962 2yr(s) 10mth(s) 16day(s) 39th (1950 - 1953) Member for Maroubra 3 Mar 1962 31 Mar 1965 3yr(s) 29day(s) 40th (1962 - 1965) Member for Maroubra 1 May 1965 23 Jan 1968 2yr(s) 8mth(s) 23day(s) 41st (1965 - 1968) Minister for National Emergency Services 16 May 1941 8 Jun 1944 3yr(s) 24day(s) Minister for Education 8 Jun 1944 2 Apr 1952 7yr(s) 9mth(s) 26day(s) Secretary for Mines 23 Feb 1953 16 Sep 1953 6mth(s) 25day(s) Deputy Premier and Minister for Education 23 Feb 1953 1 Apr 1959 6yr(s) 1mth(s) 10day(s) Acting Premier and Colonial Treasurer 6 Apr 1958 22 Jul 1958 3mth(s) 17day(s) Deputy Premier and Minister for Education 1 Apr 1959 23 Oct 1959 6mth(s) 23day(s) Treasurer and Minister for Education 23 Oct 1959 28 Oct 1959 6day(s) Premier 23 Oct 1959 30 Apr 1964 4yr(s) 6mth(s) 8day(s) Minister for Education 28 Oct 1959 31 May 1960 7mth(s) 4day(s) Acting Treasurer 10 Nov 1960 8 Jan 1961 1mth(s) 30day(s) Acting Treasurer 22 Nov 1961 2 Jan 1962 1mth(s) 12day(s)

Political Party Activity

Australian Labor Party (ALP). Branch offices, expelled in August 1936 for attending Trades Hall conference critical of Lang machine, re-admitted 1937; led breakaway group 1938; deputy leader 1952 until 1959, leader 1959 until 1964.

Qualifications, occupations and interests

Labourer and union organiser. Educated at Hikotaia, New Zealand; worked in gold treating plant on leaving school, spent evenings studying metallurgy at technical college; at nineteen journeyed to the United States of America, mule driver, scaffold builder and labourer; returned to Waikino, New Zealand 1912, joined the New Zealand Socialist party, prominent in Waihi goldminers' strike; shearer and organiser for General Workers' Union Auckland; did two years' night study at Auckland University; arrival at Melbourne 1919; member Victoria Socialist party; organiser for Federation Clothing Trades' Union; moved to Sydney, secretary of New South Wales branch Marine Stewards' Union 1921-1930; arrested for alleged conspiracy over Port Lyttelton strike 1925 but discharged; hon. D Litt University of Sydney 1952, and University of New England 1956, hon.D Sc University of New South Wales 1955; hon. member Royal Australia Historical Society 1947; reared Roman Catholic, became proselytising rationalist, later self-styled Protestant.

Personal

Son of Michael Heffron, blacksmith, and Ellen Heath, Irish migrants. Married Jessie Bjornstad on 29 December 1917 in New Zealand and had issue, 2 daughters. Funeral at Eastern Suburbs crematorium from St Stephens Uniting Church, Macquarie Street in Sydney.

Additional Information

Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 14 Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: Robert James Heffron - newscuttings, 1941 - 1960 (MLMSS 2306)

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