Andrew Lysaght, junior
Encyclopedia
Andrew Augustus Lysaght was an Australia
n politician. He was an Australian Labor Party
member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1925 until 1933, representing the electorate of Bulli
. He served as Attorney-General of New South Wales under Jack Lang
in 1927 and 1930-31.
Lysaght was born at Mt Ousley, near Wollongong
, the son of politician Andrew Lysaght, senior
. He was educated in Wollongong before attending Newington College
(1888–1890) and the University of Sydney
. He undertook articles in 1891, and was admitted as a solicitor in 1896. He established a reputation as a leading industrial lawyer, practicing in both Sydney and Wollongong. He was elected to the North Illawarra Municipal Council from 1900 to 1902, serving as mayor in 1902. It was at this time that his most prominent moment as a lawyer occurred, representing the miners before the Royal Commission into the Mount Kembla mining disaster
. He continued to hold a successful legal career, and in 1923 was called to the bar.
Lysaght entered state politics in 1925, when he defeated incumbent Nationalist Mark Morton for the final seat in multi-member Wollondilly
. He was briefly appointed Attorney-General in 1927, during the last months of the Lang government. In 1927, following the abolition of the multi-member system, he contested and won the recreated seat of Illawarra
, defeating sitting MLA Brian Doe
.
A redistribution of the region in 1930 saw him contest and win the new seat of Bulli
, and Lang's return to power saw him again appointed Attorney-General, despite lacking support within the Labor caucus. He clashed heavily with ideological rivals within Labor, and slowly lost Lang's support; he had also become increasingly irascible, associated with his declining health as a result of a disease of the nervous system. He resigned from the ministry in 1931, and though he was re-elected in 1932, he suffered from continually worsening health. He died at Campbelltown
in 1933 while still in office, and was buried in the small town of Appin
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician. He was an Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
from 1925 until 1933, representing the electorate of Bulli
Electoral district of Bulli
Bulli was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales in the Bulli area. It was originally created in 1930, replacing Wollongong. In 1971 it was abolished and was divided between the new electoral district of Heathcote and Corrimal. In 1991,...
. He served as Attorney-General of New South Wales under Jack Lang
Jack Lang (Australian politician)
John Thomas Lang , usually referred to as J.T. Lang during his career, and familiarly known as "Jack" and nicknamed "The Big Fella" was an Australian politician who was Premier of New South Wales for two terms...
in 1927 and 1930-31.
Lysaght was born at Mt Ousley, near Wollongong
Wollongong, New South Wales
Wollongong is a seaside city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 82 kilometres south of Sydney...
, the son of politician Andrew Lysaght, senior
Andrew Lysaght, senior
Andrew Lysaght was an Australian politician.Born in Fairy Meadow, he spent many years as a publican of the Queens Hotel in Wollongong. An alderman of Northern Illawarra Council who served several terms as mayor, he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1885 as the member for...
. He was educated in Wollongong before attending Newington College
Newington College
Newington College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Stanmore, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
(1888–1890) and the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
. He undertook articles in 1891, and was admitted as a solicitor in 1896. He established a reputation as a leading industrial lawyer, practicing in both Sydney and Wollongong. He was elected to the North Illawarra Municipal Council from 1900 to 1902, serving as mayor in 1902. It was at this time that his most prominent moment as a lawyer occurred, representing the miners before the Royal Commission into the Mount Kembla mining disaster
Mount Kembla
Mount Kembla is a mountain in New South Wales, Australia, as well a semi-rural township of Wollongong, which gets its name from the mountain.Kembla is an Aboriginal word meaning "plenty of game"....
. He continued to hold a successful legal career, and in 1923 was called to the bar.
Lysaght entered state politics in 1925, when he defeated incumbent Nationalist Mark Morton for the final seat in multi-member Wollondilly
Electoral district of Wollondilly
Wollondilly is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is currently held by Jai Rowell of the Liberal Party of Australia....
. He was briefly appointed Attorney-General in 1927, during the last months of the Lang government. In 1927, following the abolition of the multi-member system, he contested and won the recreated seat of Illawarra
Electoral district of Illawarra
Illawarra was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It was originally created in 1859, replacing East Camden. It was replaced by Wollongong in 1904 and recreated in 1927. In 1968, it was abolished and partly replaced by Kembla. In 1971,...
, defeating sitting MLA Brian Doe
Brian Doe
Brian James Doe was an Australian politician.Doe was born in Portland, Victoria, and educated at Warrnambool and moved to Mount Gambier, South Australia when he was eleven. He worked as a blacksmith and a railway porter at Port Broughton from 1888 until 1899. He married Hannah Fairbank in about...
.
A redistribution of the region in 1930 saw him contest and win the new seat of Bulli
Electoral district of Bulli
Bulli was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales in the Bulli area. It was originally created in 1930, replacing Wollongong. In 1971 it was abolished and was divided between the new electoral district of Heathcote and Corrimal. In 1991,...
, and Lang's return to power saw him again appointed Attorney-General, despite lacking support within the Labor caucus. He clashed heavily with ideological rivals within Labor, and slowly lost Lang's support; he had also become increasingly irascible, associated with his declining health as a result of a disease of the nervous system. He resigned from the ministry in 1931, and though he was re-elected in 1932, he suffered from continually worsening health. He died at Campbelltown
Campbelltown, New South Wales
Campbelltown is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Campbelltown is located 51 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Campbelltown.- History :Campbelltown...
in 1933 while still in office, and was buried in the small town of Appin
Appin, New South Wales
Appin is a town in the Macarthur Region of New South Wales, Australia in Wollondilly Shire. It is situated about 16 kilometres south of Campbelltown and 35 kilometres north west of Wollongong.-Early history:...
.