James Dooley (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
James Thomas Dooley served twice, briefly, as Premier of New South Wales during the early 1920s.
, Ireland
, he arrived in Brisbane
, Australia
at the age of 8, where he attended a state school before commencing work as a draper's assistant at twelve and was later apprenticed to a tailor
. He attended evening classes and joined the college's literary and debating society and the Australian Labor Party
. In about 1901, he worked at Cobar
and other outback New South Wales
before settling in Lithgow, New South Wales
and marrying Kate Rodé Trundle in 1905.
in the Legislative Assembly
and was its youngest member at the time. From 1920 to 1927 he represented Bathurst. On the expulsion of Premier William Holman
and others from the Labor Party on the conscription
issue in November 1917, Dooley became deputy party leader
to Ernest Durack
. When Durack resigned in February 1917, John Storey
became party leader and Dooley remained deputy leader. Labor won the 1920 election with a majority of one and he was appointed Colonial Secretary
(including responsibility for state enterprises and the police
) and Minister for Housing from April 1920 to October 1921. Dooley acted as Premier
during Storey's six-month trip to England
(January-July 1921) and when Storey was sick. He became Premier on Storey's death in October 1921. His government was defeated on the floor of the House on 13 December 1921, but new Premier George Fuller
, lost a vote within seven hours of his appointment, and Dooley regained power. He lost a highly sectarian election campaign to Fuller in April 1922.
As the result of a dispute with a party executive, dominated by the Australian Workers' Union
, he was expelled from the party in February 1923, but reinstated by the federal party executive shortly later. In August 1923, he resigned and Jack Lang
became leader. During the 1925-27 Lang Government Dooley served as Speaker. Afterwards he fell out with the Labor leadership, lost Labor preselection for Bathurst, and stood unsuccessfully as an Independent Labor candidate for the Senate
in the 1931 federal election and for Hartley in the 1932 State election, which swept Lang from office. He also ran unsuccessfully against Billy Hughes
in North Sydney
in 1940. His first wife died in 1936, and he married Irene Mary Kenney in 1946. He owned two Lithgow hotels during his later years.
Early years
Born in LongfordLongford
Longford is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 7,622 according to the 2006 census. Approximately one third of the county's population resides in the town. Longford town is also the biggest town in the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, he arrived in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia
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...
at the age of 8, where he attended a state school before commencing work as a draper's assistant at twelve and was later apprenticed to a tailor
Tailor
A tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...
. He attended evening classes and joined the college's literary and debating society and the 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...
. In about 1901, he worked at Cobar
Cobar, New South Wales
-Notable people:*Nik Kosef, former rugby league player for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, 1996 premiership player, NSW & Australia representative*Ernie Toshack, cricketer, member of Bradman's Invincibles* Jemma Heather, state representative 4 times....
and other outback New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
before settling in Lithgow, New South Wales
Lithgow, New South Wales
Lithgow is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia and is the centre of the local political division City of Lithgow. It is located in a mountain valley named Lithgow's Valley by John Oxley in honour of William Lithgow, the first Auditor-General of New South Wales.Lithgow is...
and marrying Kate Rodé Trundle in 1905.
Parliamentary career
In 1907, he was elected to the seat of HartleyElectoral district of Hartley (New South Wales)
Hartley was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, originally created in 1859 in the Lithgow area and named after the town of Hartley, near Lithgow. It replaced part of Cook and Westmoreland. From 1891 to 1894, it elected two members...
in the 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...
and was its youngest member at the time. From 1920 to 1927 he represented Bathurst. On the expulsion of Premier William Holman
William Holman
William Arthur Holman was an Australian Labor Party Premier of New South Wales, Australia, who split with the party on the conscription issue in 1916 during World War I, and immediately became Premier of a conservative Nationalist Party Government.-Early life:Holman was born in St Pancras, London,...
and others from the Labor Party on the conscription
Conscription in Australia
Conscription in Australia, or mandatory military service also known as National Service, has a controversial history dating back to the first years of nationhood...
issue in November 1917, Dooley became deputy party leader
Party leader
In politics, the party leader is the most powerful official within a political party.The party leader is typically responsible for managing the party's relationship with the general public. As such, he or she will take a leading role in developing and communicating party policy, especially election...
to Ernest Durack
Ernest Durack
Ernest Durack was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1913 until 1917 and the leader of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales for 3 months until February 1917.Durack was born near Bathurst. He was the son of a storekeeper and was...
. When Durack resigned in February 1917, John Storey
John Storey (politician)
John Storey was an Australian politician who was Premier of New South Wales from 12 April 1920 until his sudden death in Sydney...
became party leader and Dooley remained deputy leader. Labor won the 1920 election with a majority of one and he was appointed Colonial Secretary
Chief Secretary
The Chief Secretary is the title of a senior civil servant in members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and, historically, in the British Empire. Prior to the dissolution of the colonies, the Chief Secretary was the second most important official in a colony of the British Empire after the...
(including responsibility for state enterprises and the police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
) and Minister for Housing from April 1920 to October 1921. Dooley acted as Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
during Storey's six-month trip to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(January-July 1921) and when Storey was sick. He became Premier on Storey's death in October 1921. His government was defeated on the floor of the House on 13 December 1921, but new Premier George Fuller
George Fuller (Australian politician)
Sir George Warburton Fuller KCMG was Premier of New South Wales, Australia on two occasions during the 1920s. His first term of office lasted less than one day ; his second lasted from 13 April 1922 to 17 June 1925.-Early life:Fuller was born in Kiama, New South Wales and was educated at Kiama...
, lost a vote within seven hours of his appointment, and Dooley regained power. He lost a highly sectarian election campaign to Fuller in April 1922.
As the result of a dispute with a party executive, dominated by the Australian Workers' Union
Australian Workers' Union
The Australian Workers' Union is one of Australia's largest and oldest trade unions. It traces its origins to unions founded in the pastoral and mining industries in the 1880s, and currently has approximately 135,000 members...
, he was expelled from the party in February 1923, but reinstated by the federal party executive shortly later. In August 1923, he resigned and 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...
became leader. During the 1925-27 Lang Government Dooley served as Speaker. Afterwards he fell out with the Labor leadership, lost Labor preselection for Bathurst, and stood unsuccessfully as an Independent Labor candidate for the Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
in the 1931 federal election and for Hartley in the 1932 State election, which swept Lang from office. He also ran unsuccessfully against Billy Hughes
Billy Hughes
William Morris "Billy" Hughes, CH, KC, MHR , Australian politician, was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923....
in North Sydney
Division of North Sydney
The Division of North Sydney is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division is named after the North Sydney area where it is located. It was proclaimed in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election...
in 1940. His first wife died in 1936, and he married Irene Mary Kenney in 1946. He owned two Lithgow hotels during his later years.