Maurice O'Sullivan (politician)
Encyclopedia
The Hon. Maurice O'Sullivan (5 October 1892 – 25 August 1972) was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1927 until 1959. He was variously a member of the Australian Labor Party (NSW)
and the Australian Labor Party
(ALP). He held numerous ministerial positions between 1941 and 1956 including Minister for Health
and Minister for Transport .
and was the son of a publican. He was educated at the Christian Brother's School, Paddington and initially worked as an apprentice coach painter with the New South Wales Government Railways
. He became active in the Federated Coachmakers' Employees Union but took over the licence of his father's hotel, The Lord Dudley, and then continued in a career as a publican. He was active in community organizations in the Paddington area and was elected as an alderman on Paddington Municipal Council
between 1923 and 1934. He was the mayor in 1927
election for the newly re-established seat of Woollahra
. Due to a redistribution the seat became untenable for Labor at the 1930
election and he transferred to the seat of Paddington. The sitting Nationalist
member for Paddington, Daniel Levy, successfully contested Woolahra. O'Sullivan retained Paddington at the next 9 elections and retired from parliament at the 1959
election . He was a member of the Australian Labor Party (NSW)
while that party was separated from the Federal executive of the Australian Labor Party
between 1931 and 1936 and was the party whip from 1932 till 1941.
at the 1941
election, O'Sullivan was appointed Minister for Transport, a position he retained until 1956. He was then commissioned as the Minister for Health
and he stayed in this post until his retirement.
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 1927 until 1959. He was variously a member of the Australian Labor Party (NSW)
Australian Labor Party (NSW)
The Australian Labor Party , commonly known as Lang Labor, was the name given to a major breakaway of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales that operated from 1931 to 1936....
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...
(ALP). He held numerous ministerial positions between 1941 and 1956 including Minister for Health
New South Wales Department of Health
The New South Wales Department of Health, a department of the New South Wales Government, is responsibile for monitoring the performance of the public health system in New South Wales, particularly through public hospitals...
and Minister for Transport .
Early life
O'Sullivan was born in Paddington, New South WalesPaddington, New South Wales
Paddington is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Paddington is located 3 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of the City of Sydney and the Municipality of Woollahra...
and was the son of a publican. He was educated at the Christian Brother's School, Paddington and initially worked as an apprentice coach painter with the New South Wales Government Railways
New South Wales Government Railways
The New South Wales Government Railways was the government department that operated the New South Wales Government's railways until the establishment of the Public Transport Commission in 1972. Although later known officially as the Department of Railways, New South Wales, it was still generally...
. He became active in the Federated Coachmakers' Employees Union but took over the licence of his father's hotel, The Lord Dudley, and then continued in a career as a publican. He was active in community organizations in the Paddington area and was elected as an alderman on Paddington Municipal Council
Municipality of Woollahra
The Municipality of Woollahra is a Local Government Area in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The administrative centre of the Municipality of Woollahra is located on New South Head Road at Double Bay....
between 1923 and 1934. He was the mayor in 1927
State Parliament
O'Sullivan was elected to parliament at the 1927New South Wales state election, 1927
The 1927 New South Wales state election to elect the 90 members of the 28th Legislative Assembly was held on 8 October 1927. During the previous parliament the voting system, which had been a form of proportional representation with multi-member seats and a single transferable vote , was changed...
election for the newly re-established seat of Woollahra
Electoral district of Woollahra
Woollahra was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, originally created with the abolition of multi-member constituencies in 1894 from part of Paddington, along with Waverley and Randwick. It was named after and including the Sydney suburb of...
. Due to a redistribution the seat became untenable for Labor at the 1930
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...
election and he transferred to the seat of Paddington. The sitting Nationalist
Nationalist Party of Australia
The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
member for Paddington, Daniel Levy, successfully contested Woolahra. O'Sullivan retained Paddington at the next 9 elections and retired from parliament at the 1959
New South Wales state election, 1959
The 1959 New South Wales state election was held on 21 March 1959. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1957 redistribution...
election . He was a member of the Australian Labor Party (NSW)
Australian Labor Party (NSW)
The Australian Labor Party , commonly known as Lang Labor, was the name given to a major breakaway of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales that operated from 1931 to 1936....
while that party was separated from the Federal executive 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...
between 1931 and 1936 and was the party whip from 1932 till 1941.
Government
With the election of the Labor government of William McKellWilliam McKell
Sir William John McKell GCMG , Australian politician, was Premier of New South Wales from 1941 to 1947, and was the 12th Governor-General of Australia. He was also the oldest Governor General of Australia, at 93 when he died....
at the 1941
New South Wales state election, 1941
The 1941 New South Wales state election was held on 10 May 1941. This election was for all of the 90 seats in the 33nd New South Wales Legislative Assembly and was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting....
election, O'Sullivan was appointed Minister for Transport, a position he retained until 1956. He was then commissioned as the Minister for Health
New South Wales Department of Health
The New South Wales Department of Health, a department of the New South Wales Government, is responsibile for monitoring the performance of the public health system in New South Wales, particularly through public hospitals...
and he stayed in this post until his retirement.