Robert O'Halloran
Encyclopedia
Robert "Bob" Emmet O'Halloran (6 June 1888 – 1 December 1974) was an Australia
n politician
. He was an Labor Party
Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
spanning 27 years, representing Eastern Suburbs between 1920 to 1927 and Orange
between 1941 and 1947.
and educated at Christian Brothers' College, Waverley
, Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview; and studied law at The University of Sydney from 1908 - 1909. He entered the New South Wales public service; eventually rising to become head of the Deceased Soldiers' Estate Department, Public Trustee's office on election to Parliament. He was a director of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
in 1931, Dental Hospital; president of Government employees' section clerks' Union; trustee of Sydney Cricket Ground
.
faction against Premier Jack Lang
. O'Halloran subsequently lost endorsement for this move and was not pre-selected for the newly formed seats of Bondi
, Coogee
, Randwick
, Vaucluse
, Waverley
and Woollahra
. He remained on the outer until Lang's power wained.. McKell, President of the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust, kept O'Halloran in his fold by appointing him as a fellow Trustee.
In 1944, it was reported that O'Halloran, a resident of Chandos Street in Ashfield, was fined £10 in the Central Police Court of Sydney for having driven a motor car while under the influence of liquor. In his defence, O'Halloran claimed he was under severe mental stress at the time, because of family bereavements. He admitted that his condition might have been aggravated by his distraught state. O'Halloran, who pleaded guilty, submitted that there were extenuating circumstances. O'Halloran's younger sister had been buried that day and a few weeks earlier he had lost his eldest daughter. His son had contracted meningitis whilst returning from New Guinea. He submitted that loss of his driver's licence would be a great hardship because he used his car as an agent and as a Member of Parliament. The Magistrate, in fining O'Halloran, said he was not prepared to extend the benefit of hardship, meaning that the licence is automatically cancelled for twelve months.
O'Halloran died at Glenbrook
, survived by his wife, two daughters and two sons.
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
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He was an 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...
spanning 27 years, representing Eastern Suburbs between 1920 to 1927 and Orange
Electoral district of Orange
Orange is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Andrew Gee of the National Party of Australia....
between 1941 and 1947.
Early years
O'Halloran was born in Euchareena, New South WalesEuchareena, New South Wales
Euchareena is a town in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is in the Wellington Council Local Government area, north west of the state capital, Sydney. At the 2006 census, Euchareena and the surrounding area had a population of 314....
and educated at Christian Brothers' College, Waverley
Waverley College
Waverley College is a Roman Catholic, secondary, day school for boys, located at Waverley, in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview; and studied law at The University of Sydney from 1908 - 1909. He entered the New South Wales public service; eventually rising to become head of the Deceased Soldiers' Estate Department, Public Trustee's office on election to Parliament. He was a director of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital is a major public teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Missenden Road in Camperdown...
in 1931, Dental Hospital; president of Government employees' section clerks' Union; trustee of Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
.
New South Wales state political career
In the 1927 split that divided the Labor Party, O'Halloran (Caucus Secretary at the time), sided with the 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....
faction against Premier Jack Lang
Jack Lang (Australian politician)
John Thomas Lang , usually referred to as J.T. Lang during his career, and familiarly known as "Jack" and nicknamed "The Big Fella" was an Australian politician who was Premier of New South Wales for two terms...
. O'Halloran subsequently lost endorsement for this move and was not pre-selected for the newly formed seats of Bondi
Electoral district of Bondi
Bondi was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, originally created in 1913 and named after and including the Sydney suburb of Bondi. In 1920, with the introduction of proportional representation, it was absorbed into Eastern Suburbs...
, Coogee
Electoral district of Coogee
Coogee is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Bruce Notley-Smith of the Liberal Party.-Members for Coogee:-Election results:...
, Randwick
Electoral district of Randwick
Randwick was an Australian 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 Woollahra. It was named after and including the Sydney...
, Vaucluse
Electoral district of Vaucluse
Vaucluse is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, based on the suburb of Vaucluse. Vaucluse is one of two original electorates to have never been held by the opposing Labor party and always by the Liberal Party or its predecessors, the other...
, Waverley
Electoral district of Waverley
Waverley was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, originally created in 1894, with the abolition of multi-member constituencies, out of part of Paddington, and named after and including the Sydney suburb of Waverley. In 1920, with the...
and 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...
. He remained on the outer until Lang's power wained.. McKell, President of the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust, kept O'Halloran in his fold by appointing him as a fellow Trustee.
In 1944, it was reported that O'Halloran, a resident of Chandos Street in Ashfield, was fined £10 in the Central Police Court of Sydney for having driven a motor car while under the influence of liquor. In his defence, O'Halloran claimed he was under severe mental stress at the time, because of family bereavements. He admitted that his condition might have been aggravated by his distraught state. O'Halloran, who pleaded guilty, submitted that there were extenuating circumstances. O'Halloran's younger sister had been buried that day and a few weeks earlier he had lost his eldest daughter. His son had contracted meningitis whilst returning from New Guinea. He submitted that loss of his driver's licence would be a great hardship because he used his car as an agent and as a Member of Parliament. The Magistrate, in fining O'Halloran, said he was not prepared to extend the benefit of hardship, meaning that the licence is automatically cancelled for twelve months.
O'Halloran died at Glenbrook
Glenbrook, New South Wales
Glenbrook is a suburb of the Lower Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 70 kilometres west of Sydney in the local government area of the City of Blue Mountains. At the 2006 census, Glenbrook had a population of 5,138 people....
, survived by his wife, two daughters and two sons.