Mr (James) James Thomas Dooley (1877 - 1950)

Date of birth:

Thu 26 April 1877

Place of birth:

Carrick Crean, Longford, Ireland

Date of death:

Mon 02 January 1950

Place of death:

Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia

Parliamentary activity

Information about members' parliamentary service including their positions held and biography.

Positions
PositionStartEndPeriodNotes
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Wed 24 June 1925Wed 02 November 19272 years 4 months 10 days
Member for Bathurst Sat 30 May 1925Wed 07 September 19272 years 3 months 9 days
Member for Bathurst Sat 25 March 1922Sat 18 April 19253 years 25 days
Premier Tue 20 December 1921Thu 13 April 19223 months 25 days
Colonial Secretary Mon 10 October 1921Thu 13 April 19226 months 4 days
Premier Wed 05 October 1921Tue 20 December 19212 months 16 days
Acting Premier Sat 22 January 1921Wed 20 July 19215 months 29 days
Colonial Secretary and Minister for Housing Tue 13 April 1920Mon 10 October 19211 year 5 months 28 days
Member for Bathurst Sat 20 March 1920Fri 17 February 19221 year 10 months 29 days
Member for Hartley Sat 24 March 1917Wed 18 February 19202 years 10 months 26 days
Printing Committee No. 3 Fri 28 July 1916Thu 21 December 19164 months 24 days
Case of Denis Maguire Committee No. 13 Tue 17 August 1915Thu 13 April 19167 months 28 days
Printing Committee No. 5 Fri 02 July 1915Thu 13 April 19169 months 12 days
Member for Hartley Sat 06 December 1913Wed 21 February 19173 years 2 months 16 days
Claims of Samuel Alfred Hutchinson Committee No.10 Tue 08 October 1912Wed 06 November 191230 days
Case of William John Ellis, employed in the Railway Service Committee No.18 Thu 19 October 1911Thu 02 November 191115 days
Claims of Samuel Alfred Hutchinson Committee No.12 Tue 10 October 1911Wed 18 October 19119 days
Claims of Madame Bell against the Education Department Commitment No.8 Wed 04 October 1911Wed 27 March 19125 months 24 days
Claims of Samuel Alfred Hutchinson Committee No.14 Wed 05 July 1911Tue 01 August 191128 days
Claims of Madame Bell against the Education Department Commitment No.10 Tue 27 June 1911Tue 01 August 19111 month 6 days
Member for Hartley Fri 14 October 1910Thu 06 November 19133 years 24 days
Claims of Andrew Rodgers against the Sydney Harbour Trust Commissioners Committee No.8 Tue 29 September 1908Fri 18 December 19082 months 20 days
The Coupon System Committee No.9 Tue 29 September 1908Thu 17 December 19082 months 19 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly Tue 10 September 1907Wed 07 September 192719 years 11 months 29 days
Member for Hartley Tue 10 September 1907Wed 14 September 19103 years 5 days
Biography

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

Personal information

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.

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.

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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