Parliamentary activity
Information about members' parliamentary service including their positions held and biography.
Positions
| Position | Start | End | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member for Maroubra | Sat 01 May 1965 | Tue 23 January 1968 | 2 years 8 months 23 days | |
| Member for Maroubra | Sat 03 March 1962 | Wed 31 March 1965 | 3 years 29 days | |
| Acting Treasurer | Wed 22 November 1961 | Tue 02 January 1962 | 1 month 12 days | |
| Acting Treasurer | Thu 10 November 1960 | Sun 08 January 1961 | 1 month 30 days | |
| Minister for Education | Wed 28 October 1959 | Tue 31 May 1960 | 7 months 4 days | |
| Premier | Fri 23 October 1959 | Thu 30 April 1964 | 4 years 6 months 8 days | |
| Treasurer and Minister for Education | Fri 23 October 1959 | Wed 28 October 1959 | 6 days | |
| Deputy Premier and Minister for Education | Wed 01 April 1959 | Fri 23 October 1959 | 6 months 23 days | |
| Member for Maroubra | Sat 21 March 1959 | Mon 05 February 1962 | 2 years 10 months 16 days | |
| Acting Premier and Colonial Treasurer | Sun 06 April 1958 | Tue 22 July 1958 | 3 months 17 days | |
| Member for Maroubra | Sat 03 March 1956 | Mon 16 February 1959 | 2 years 11 months 14 days | |
| Deputy Premier and Minister for Education | Mon 23 February 1953 | Wed 01 April 1959 | 6 years 1 month 10 days | |
| Secretary for Mines | Mon 23 February 1953 | Wed 16 September 1953 | 6 months 25 days | |
| Member for Maroubra | Mon 19 January 1953 | Mon 06 February 1956 | 3 years 19 days | |
| Member for Maroubra | Sat 17 June 1950 | Wed 14 January 1953 | 2 years 6 months 29 days | |
| Member for Botany | Thu 03 April 1947 | Mon 22 May 1950 | 3 years 1 month 20 days | |
| Minister for Education | Thu 08 June 1944 | Wed 02 April 1952 | 7 years 9 months 26 days | |
| Member for Botany | Fri 28 April 1944 | Sat 29 March 1947 | 2 years 11 months 2 days | |
| Minister for National Emergency Services | Fri 16 May 1941 | Thu 08 June 1944 | 3 years 24 days | |
| Member for Botany | Sat 10 May 1941 | Mon 24 April 1944 | 2 years 11 months 15 days | |
| Member for Botany | Sat 26 March 1938 | Fri 18 April 1941 | 3 years 24 days | |
| Member for Botany | Thu 18 April 1935 | Thu 24 February 1938 | 2 years 10 months 7 days | |
| Member for Botany | Sat 11 June 1932 | Fri 12 April 1935 | 2 years 10 months 2 days | |
| Member of the NSW Legislative Assemble | Sat 25 October 1930 | Tue 23 January 1968 | 37 years 2 months 30 days | |
| Member for Botany | Sat 25 October 1930 | Wed 18 May 1932 | 1 year 6 months 24 days |
Biography
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.
Personal information
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.
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.
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)