Joe Kelly (politician)
Encyclopedia
Robert Joseph Kelly was an Australia
n politician. He was an Australian Labor Party
member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1956 to 1973, representing the electorate of East Hills
.
Kelly was born at Rix Creek, near Singleton
. His miner father was seriously injured in an industrial accident when he was five, leading Kelly and his sister to live with their grandmother; he returned to live with his father when he was fifteen. He attended Chatswood Intermediate High School, but went to Queensland at the age of 17 to cut cane. He returned to Lithgow at the age of 20; over the next thirty years he worked alternately as a steelworker, metallurgist, and brickworks engine-driver. He was actively involved in the local Labor Party, serving as the president and secretary of the local branch, and was elected an alderman of the City of Bankstown
from 1953 to 1954.
Kelly was elected to the safe Labor seat of East Hills
at the 1956 state election
upon the retirement of Arthur Williams
. He was re-elected without difficulty at five state elections, before retiring in 1973. He was credited upon his death with having played a crucial role in the creation of the Georges River National Park
, thus saving the area from development. Kelly was succeeded in the seat by Pat Rogan
.
Kelly moved out of the East Hills seat after his retirement, living in the Ingleburn
area. He died in 1995 at Macquarie Fields
.
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 1956 to 1973, representing the electorate of East Hills
Electoral district of East Hills
East Hills is a state electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is represented by Glenn Brookes of the Liberal Party of Australia.-Members for East Hills:-Election results:...
.
Kelly was born at Rix Creek, near Singleton
Singleton, New South Wales
-Industry & Commerce:Major industries near Singleton include coal mining, energy generation, light industry, vineyards, horse breeding and cattle production. Dairying was once a mainstay in the area, but has declined....
. His miner father was seriously injured in an industrial accident when he was five, leading Kelly and his sister to live with their grandmother; he returned to live with his father when he was fifteen. He attended Chatswood Intermediate High School, but went to Queensland at the age of 17 to cut cane. He returned to Lithgow at the age of 20; over the next thirty years he worked alternately as a steelworker, metallurgist, and brickworks engine-driver. He was actively involved in the local Labor Party, serving as the president and secretary of the local branch, and was elected an alderman of the City of Bankstown
City of Bankstown
The City of Bankstown is a city and Local Government Area in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, centred on the suburb of Bankstown....
from 1953 to 1954.
Kelly was elected to the safe Labor seat of East Hills
Electoral district of East Hills
East Hills is a state electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is represented by Glenn Brookes of the Liberal Party of Australia.-Members for East Hills:-Election results:...
at the 1956 state election
New South Wales state election, 1956
The 1956 New South Wales state election was held on 3 March 1956. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1952 redistribution...
upon the retirement of Arthur Williams
Arthur Williams (Australian politician)
Arthur John Leonard Williams was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1940 until 1956. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party ....
. He was re-elected without difficulty at five state elections, before retiring in 1973. He was credited upon his death with having played a crucial role in the creation of the Georges River National Park
Georges River National Park
Georges River is a national park in New South Wales , 18 km southwest of Sydney. It is set along the Georges River, and is run by the National Parks and Wildlife Service....
, thus saving the area from development. Kelly was succeeded in the seat by Pat Rogan
Pat Rogan
Patrick Allan "Pat" Rogan is a former Australian politician. He was the Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for East Hills from 1973 to 1999....
.
Kelly moved out of the East Hills seat after his retirement, living in the Ingleburn
Ingleburn, New South Wales
Ingleburn is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Ingleburn is located 44 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of City of Campbelltown and is part of the Macarthur region...
area. He died in 1995 at Macquarie Fields
Macquarie Fields, New South Wales
Macquarie Fields is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Macquarie Fields is located 42 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Campbelltown and is part of the Macarthur region.Macquarie Fields has a mix...
.