Neil O'Sullivan
Encyclopedia
Sir Michael Neil O'Sullivan KBE
(2 August 1900 – 4 July 1968) was an Australian politician and lawyer.
O'Sullivan was born in the Brisbane suburb of Toowong
and educated at Taringa State School and St. Joseph's Nudgee College
and was admitted as a solicitor in December 1922. In April 1929, he married Jessie Margaret Mary McEncroe. He ran unsuccessfully for the House of Representatives
seat of Brisbane
in 1934
and the Queensland Legislative Assembly
seat of Windsor
in 1941. He was president of the Brisbane Chamber of Commerce from 1936 to 1937 and the Property Owners' Protection Association from 1937 to 1938. He served in the Royal Australian Air Force
from May 1942 to December 1944, performing intelligence and administration in Australia and the South-West Pacific
.
for the Liberal Party of Australia
in the 1946 election
and was one of only three non-Labor
members in the Senate. Following the 1949 election
, he became leader of the government in the Senate and he was appointed Minister for Trade and Customs
in the Menzies government
. He was appointed Minister for the Navy
in January 1956
. In August 1956, he was appointed Attorney-General
following the resignation of John Spicer
and in October 1956, he was appointed Vice-President of the Executive Council
following the resignation of Eric Harrison
, but he retired from the ministry in 1958. He did not stand for re-election at the 1961 election
.
O'Sullivan died unexpectedly of a coronary occlusion while visiting Sydney, survived by his wife and two sons. He was made Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
in 1959.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(2 August 1900 – 4 July 1968) was an Australian politician and lawyer.
O'Sullivan was born in the Brisbane suburb of Toowong
Toowong, Queensland
Toowong is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia which is located 5 km west of the Brisbane CBD. At the centre of Toowong is a commercial precinct including Toowong Village and several office buildings...
and educated at Taringa State School and St. Joseph's Nudgee College
St. Joseph's Nudgee College
St Joseph's Nudgee College is a private, Roman Catholic, day and boarding school for boys, located in Boondall, a northern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
and was admitted as a solicitor in December 1922. In April 1929, he married Jessie Margaret Mary McEncroe. He ran unsuccessfully for the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
seat of Brisbane
Division of Brisbane
The Division of Brisbane is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election...
in 1934
Australian federal election, 1934
Federal elections were held in Australia on 15 September 1934. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives, and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent United Australia Party led by Prime Minister of Australia Joseph Lyons with coalition partner the Country Party led...
and the Queensland Legislative Assembly
Queensland Legislative Assembly
The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
seat of Windsor
Electoral district of Windsor (Queensland)
Windsor was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland from 1912 to 1992.First created for the 1912 state election, the district was based in the northern suburbs of Brisbane, taking in areas north of Breakfast Creek and south of Kedron Brook...
in 1941. He was president of the Brisbane Chamber of Commerce from 1936 to 1937 and the Property Owners' Protection Association from 1937 to 1938. He served in the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
from May 1942 to December 1944, performing intelligence and administration in Australia and the South-West Pacific
South West Pacific theatre of World War II
The South West Pacific Theatre, technically the South West Pacific Area, between 1942 and 1945, was one of two designated area commands and war theatres enumerated by the Combined Chiefs of Staff of World War II in the Pacific region....
.
Political career
O'Sullivan won a seat in the SenateAustralian 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,...
for the Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
in the 1946 election
Australian federal election, 1946
Federal elections were held in Australia on 28 September 1946. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
and was one of only three non-Labor
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...
members in the Senate. Following the 1949 election
Australian federal election, 1949
Federal elections were held in Australia on 10 December 1949. All 121 seats in the House of Representatives, and 42 of the 60 seats in the Senate were up for election, where the single transferable vote was introduced...
, he became leader of the government in the Senate and he was appointed Minister for Trade and Customs
Minister for Trade (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Trade has been Dr. Craig Emerson since 14 September 2010.-Portfolio:Currently the Minister for Trade administers the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade jointly with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, although prior to 1987 there was a separate Department of Trade...
in the Menzies government
Fourth Menzies Ministry
The Fourth Menzies Ministry was the thirty-fifth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 19 December 1949 to 11 May 1951.Liberal Party of Australia–Australian Country Party Coalition*Rt Hon Robert Menzies, KC MP: Prime Minister...
. He was appointed Minister for the Navy
Minister for Defence (Australia)
The Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Stephen Smith is the current Minister.-Ministers for Defence:...
in January 1956
Seventh Menzies Ministry
The Seventh Menzies Ministry was the thirty-eighth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 11 January 1956 to 10 December 1958.Liberal Party of Australia–Australian Country Party Coalition-Cabinet:*Rt Hon Robert Menzies, QC MP: Prime Minister...
. In August 1956, he was appointed Attorney-General
Attorney-General of Australia
The Attorney-General of Australia is the first law officer of the Crown, chief law officer of the Commonwealth of Australia and a minister of the Crown. The Attorney-General is usually a member of the Federal Cabinet, but there is no constitutional requirement that this be the case since the...
following the resignation of John Spicer
John Spicer (Australian politician)
Sir John Armstrong Spicer was an Australian lawyer, politician, cabinet minister and judge.Spicer was born in the Melbourne suburb of Prahran, but was taken to England by his family in 1905 and educated at Chelston School, Torquay. His family returned to Australia in 1911 and he attended Hawksburn...
and in October 1956, he was appointed Vice-President of the Executive Council
Vice-President of the Executive Council
The Vice-President of the Federal Executive Council is a position in Australian federal governments, whose holder acts as presiding officer of the Federal Executive Council in the absence of the Governor-General....
following the resignation of Eric Harrison
Eric Harrison
Sir Eric John Harrison KCMG KCVO was an Australian politician who became the first Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia....
, but he retired from the ministry in 1958. He did not stand for re-election at the 1961 election
Australian federal election, 1961
Federal elections were held in Australia on 9 December 1961. All 122 seats in the House of Representatives, and 31 of the 60 seats in the Senate were up for election...
.
O'Sullivan died unexpectedly of a coronary occlusion while visiting Sydney, survived by his wife and two sons. He was made Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1959.