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Member Details

Mr William Edward DICKSON (1893 - 1966)

Member Photo
Date of Birth: 26/04/1893
Place of Birth: Widnes, Lancashire, England
Date of Death: 22/05/1966
Place of Death: Vaucluse, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 23 Dec 1925 22 Apr 1934 8 years 4 months Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 21 December 1925.
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 23 Apr 1940 22 May 1966 26 years 1 month A Member of the indirectly elected Council 1934 - 1978. Date of Election 1 November 1939, 29 November 1951 and 21 November 1963.
Assistant Minister 16 May 1941 19 May 1947 6 years 4 days
Assistant Minister 16 May 1941 09 Mar 1948 6 years 9 months 23 days
Minister for Building Materials 09 Mar 1948 21 Sep 1949 1 year 6 months 13 days
Minister for Building Materials 09 Mar 1948 21 Sep 1949 1 year 6 months 13 days
Secretary for Mines and Minister for Building Materials 21 Sep 1949 30 Jun 1950 9 months 10 days
Secretary for Mines and Minister for Building Materials 21 Sep 1949 30 Jun 1950 9 months 10 days
Minister for Secondary Industries and Minister for Building Materials 30 Jun 1950 02 Apr 1952 1 year 9 months 4 days
Minister for Secondary Industries and Minister for Building Materials 30 Jun 1950 15 Aug 1952 2 years 1 month 17 days
Minister for Secondary Industries and Minister for Building Materials 03 Apr 1952 15 Aug 1952 4 months 13 days
President of the Legislative Council 18 Aug 1952 22 May 1966 13 years 9 months 5 days
Political Party Activity
Australian Labor Party (ALP). Member of R.J. Heffron's (q.v.) group expelled August 1936 and readmitted; returning officer 1944-1952.
Community Activity
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Accountant and newspaper manager. Educated at Farnworth Church of England Grammar, England; employed in accountancy department of West Gossage and Co., Widnes; arrival at Australia in 1913, joined accountancy department South Mine, Broken Hill; dismissed for activities opposing conscription; worked as labourer underground; employed 1919 as assistant manager, later as general manager Barrier Daily Truth; moved to Sydney, advertising manager Labor Daily, later Daily News, 1938-1940; general secretary Australian Labor Party 1940-1941, campaign director 1940-1952; owned orchard at Lower Portland; director of Stocks and Holdings Ltd 1964-1966, of Associated Rural Industries Ltd 1964-1966 and Australia Rice Pty Ltd 1966; member Amalgamated Miners' Association, later Workers' Industrial Union of Australia, and of Barrier District Assembly; member Chartered Institute of Secretaries; trustee Ku-ring-gai Chase 1947-1963, Chairman 1954-1962.
Military Service
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of Edward, alkali labourer, and Bertha Stancliffe. Married Alice Celia Cogan on 22 Oct 1922 at Broken Hill and had issue, l son and 4 daughters. Church of England. Funeral at Northern Suburbs Crematorium from St James' Church of England, King St.
Additional Information
Text from the book: 'The Presiding Officers of the Parliament of New South Wales', Sydney, 1995