John Donovan
Encyclopedia
John Rawdon Donovan was an Australia
n politician. He was an Australian Labor Party
member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1930 until 1932, representing the electorate of Murray
.
Donovan was born at Deniliquin, and educated at Deniliquin Intermediate School and by night school. He joined the Postmaster General's Department in 1917 as a messenger boy and later, a telegraphist. He left the postal service in 1926, taking over the license of his family's hotel, the Edward River Hotel at Deniliquin, until his election to parliament. He was involved in local politics, serving as an alderman of the Deniliquin Council
from 1920 until 1930. Donovan was also a prominent member of the local sporting community, and served as secretary of the Deniliquin Athletics Club and the Deniliquin Licensed Victuallers Race Club at the time of his election.
In 1930, Mat Davidson, the popular local Labor MLA, decided to contest the new seat of Cobar
, and Donovan was selected by Labor to run for his old seat of Murray. He won a narrow victory amidst Labor's strong victory at the 1930 election
, defeating Country Party candidate Joe Lawson
. His career was to be short-lived, however; Donovan lost his seat to Lawson in 1932, as Labor suffered a significant defeat across the state. He again contested Murray in 1935, but was soundly defeated by Lawson.
He subsequently worked in the New South Wales Department of Labour and Industry from 1933 until 1935, and was the private secretary to senior federal minister Eddie Ward
from 1941 until 1947. He was the secretary of the Australian delegation to the International Labour Organisation conference in Geneva
in 1947. He was then appointed as a Commonwealth Conciliation Commissioner, serving until his retirement in 1956. He died in Sydney
in 1976, and was buried in the Northern Suburbs Lawn Cemetery.
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 1930 until 1932, representing the electorate of Murray
Electoral district of Murray (New South Wales)
Murray was an electoral district in the Australian state of New South Wales. It was a single-member electorate from 1859 to 1920, but from 1920 to 1927 it was merged with Albury, Corowa and Wagga Wagga to create a three-member electorate, voting by proportional representation. It was recreated as a...
.
Donovan was born at Deniliquin, and educated at Deniliquin Intermediate School and by night school. He joined the Postmaster General's Department in 1917 as a messenger boy and later, a telegraphist. He left the postal service in 1926, taking over the license of his family's hotel, the Edward River Hotel at Deniliquin, until his election to parliament. He was involved in local politics, serving as an alderman of the Deniliquin Council
Deniliquin Council
Deniliquin Shire is a local government area in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia, close to the border with Victoria. It is the only rural local government area in New South Wales left consisting only of a rural town, and is surrounded by two rural local government areas .- Council...
from 1920 until 1930. Donovan was also a prominent member of the local sporting community, and served as secretary of the Deniliquin Athletics Club and the Deniliquin Licensed Victuallers Race Club at the time of his election.
In 1930, Mat Davidson, the popular local Labor MLA, decided to contest the new seat of Cobar
Electoral district of Cobar
Cobar was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1894 to 1920, when it was combined with Willyama and Sturt to create a three-member Sturt. Cobar was recreated in 1932 and abolished in 1968. It included Cobar.-Members for Cobar:...
, and Donovan was selected by Labor to run for his old seat of Murray. He won a narrow victory amidst Labor's strong victory at the 1930 election
New South Wales state election, 1930
The 1930 New South Wales state election was held on 25 October 1930. The election was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting...
, defeating Country Party candidate Joe Lawson
Joe Lawson (politician)
Joseph Alexander Lawson was an Australian politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly....
. His career was to be short-lived, however; Donovan lost his seat to Lawson in 1932, as Labor suffered a significant defeat across the state. He again contested Murray in 1935, but was soundly defeated by Lawson.
He subsequently worked in the New South Wales Department of Labour and Industry from 1933 until 1935, and was the private secretary to senior federal minister Eddie Ward
Eddie Ward
Edward John "Eddie" Ward , Australian politician, was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives for 32 years from 1931 until his death....
from 1941 until 1947. He was the secretary of the Australian delegation to the International Labour Organisation conference in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
in 1947. He was then appointed as a Commonwealth Conciliation Commissioner, serving until his retirement in 1956. He died in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in 1976, and was buried in the Northern Suburbs Lawn Cemetery.