Jim Chalmers
Encyclopedia
Jim Chalmers was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1947 until 1956 . He was a member of the Australian Labor Party
(ALP) until he resigned from the party in 1952 and then sat as an independent Labor member.
Chalmers was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was the son of a coal miner and migrated to Australia with his family at the age of seven. He was educated to elementary level and began work as a coal miner in the Hunter Valley
when he was 14. He moved to Lithgow
in 1916. Chalmers supported Ben Chifley
in the 1920s and 1930s and remained loyal to the Federal Executive of the ALP during the party divisions in those years (see Lang Labor
). He left the mining industry in 1943 and worked as an employment officer with the Federal Department of Labour and Industry. In 1947, Chalmers was elected to the New South Wales Parliament as the Labor member for Hartley
at the by-election caused by the resignation of the sitting member Hamilton Knight
who accepted a position with the Commonwealth Industrial Commission. Prior to the 1953
state election he resigned from the Labor Party claiming that there was a conspiracy within the party to deny him pre-selection. He subsequently won the election as an independent Labor candidate. He retained the seat until 1956 when he unsuccessfully contested the seat of Nepean
at that year's election
. He did not hold ministerial or party office.
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 1947 until 1956 . He was a member of 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...
(ALP) until he resigned from the party in 1952 and then sat as an independent Labor member.
Chalmers was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was the son of a coal miner and migrated to Australia with his family at the age of seven. He was educated to elementary level and began work as a coal miner in the Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
when he was 14. He moved to Lithgow
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...
in 1916. Chalmers supported Ben Chifley
Ben Chifley
Joseph Benedict Chifley , Australian politician, was the 16th Prime Minister of Australia. He took over the Australian Labor Party leadership and Prime Ministership after the death of John Curtin in 1945, and went on to retain government at the 1946 election, before being defeated at the 1949...
in the 1920s and 1930s and remained loyal to the Federal Executive of the ALP during the party divisions in those years (see Lang Labor
Lang Labor
Lang Labor was the name commonly used to describe three successive break-away sections of the Australian Labor Party, all led by the New South Wales Labor leader Jack Lang premier of NSW .-Initial opposition to Lang's leadership:...
). He left the mining industry in 1943 and worked as an employment officer with the Federal Department of Labour and Industry. In 1947, Chalmers was elected to the New South Wales Parliament as the Labor member for Hartley
Electoral 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...
at the by-election caused by the resignation of the sitting member Hamilton Knight
Hamilton Knight
The Hon. Hamilton Knight was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1927 until 1947 . During his parliamentary career he was, at various times, a member of the Australian Labor Party , the Australian Labor Party and the Australian Labor Party...
who accepted a position with the Commonwealth Industrial Commission. Prior to the 1953
New South Wales state election, 1953
The 1953 New South Wales state election was held on 14 February 1953. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1952 redistribution...
state election he resigned from the Labor Party claiming that there was a conspiracy within the party to deny him pre-selection. He subsequently won the election as an independent Labor candidate. He retained the seat until 1956 when he unsuccessfully contested the seat of Nepean
Electoral district of Nepean (New South Wales)
Nepean was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, originally created in 1859, and named after the Nepean River. It was abolished in 1904 with the downsizing of the Assembly after Federation. Nepean was recreated in 1927 and abolished again in...
at that year's election
New South Wales state election, 1953
The 1953 New South Wales state election was held on 14 February 1953. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1952 redistribution...
. He did not hold ministerial or party office.