Date of Birth: 26/04/1877
Place of Birth: Carrick Crean, Longford, Ireland
Date of Death: 02/01/1950
Place of Death: Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
| Speaker of the Legislative Assembly |
24 Jun 1925 |
02 Nov 1927 |
2 years 4 months 10 days |
|
| Member for Bathurst |
30 May 1925 |
07 Sep 1927 |
2 years 3 months 9 days |
|
| Member for Bathurst |
25 Mar 1922 |
18 Apr 1925 |
3 years 25 days |
|
| Premier |
20 Dec 1921 |
13 Apr 1922 |
3 months 25 days |
|
| Colonial Secretary |
10 Oct 1921 |
13 Apr 1922 |
6 months 4 days |
|
| Premier |
05 Oct 1921 |
20 Dec 1921 |
2 months 16 days |
|
| Acting Premier |
22 Jan 1921 |
20 Jul 1921 |
5 months 29 days |
|
| Colonial Secretary and Minister for Housing |
13 Apr 1920 |
10 Oct 1921 |
1 year 5 months 28 days |
|
| Member for Bathurst |
20 Mar 1920 |
17 Feb 1922 |
1 year 10 months 29 days |
|
| Member for Hartley |
24 Mar 1917 |
18 Feb 1920 |
2 years 10 months 26 days |
|
| Printing Committee No. 3 |
28 Jul 1916 |
21 Dec 1916 |
4 months 24 days |
|
| Case of Denis Maguire Committee No. 13 |
17 Aug 1915 |
13 Apr 1916 |
7 months 28 days |
|
| Printing Committee No. 5 |
02 Jul 1915 |
13 Apr 1916 |
9 months 12 days |
|
| Member for Hartley |
06 Dec 1913 |
21 Feb 1917 |
3 years 2 months 16 days |
|
| Claims of Samuel Alfred Hutchinson Committee No.10 |
08 Oct 1912 |
06 Nov 1912 |
30 days |
|
| Case of William John Ellis, employed in the Railway Service Committee No.18 |
19 Oct 1911 |
02 Nov 1911 |
15 days |
|
| Claims of Samuel Alfred Hutchinson Committee No.12 |
10 Oct 1911 |
18 Oct 1911 |
9 days |
|
| Claims of Madame Bell against the Education Department Commitment No.8 |
04 Oct 1911 |
27 Mar 1912 |
5 months 24 days |
|
| Claims of Samuel Alfred Hutchinson Committee No.14 |
05 Jul 1911 |
01 Aug 1911 |
28 days |
|
| Claims of Madame Bell against the Education Department Commitment No.10 |
27 Jun 1911 |
01 Aug 1911 |
1 month 6 days |
|
| Member for Hartley |
14 Oct 1910 |
06 Nov 1913 |
3 years 24 days |
|
| Claims of Andrew Rodgers against the Sydney Harbour Trust Commissioners Committee No.8 |
29 Sep 1908 |
18 Dec 1908 |
2 months 20 days |
|
| The Coupon System Committee No.9 |
29 Sep 1908 |
17 Dec 1908 |
2 months 19 days |
|
| Member for Hartley |
10 Sep 1907 |
14 Sep 1910 |
3 years 5 days |
|
| Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly |
10 Sep 1907 |
07 Sep 1927 |
19 years 11 months 29 days |
|
Political Party Activity
Australian Labor Party (ALP). Joined movement in Brisbane, branch president of Lithgow; deputy leader 1916-1921, leader 1921-1923; expelled by the executive in March 1923, readmitted later in 1923; lost party endorsement 1927, stood as an industry labor in 1932.
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Tailor. Arrival at Brisbane 1887; began work at twelve years as draper's assistant; attended night classes at technical college and debating societies; apprenticed to tailoring; moved to New South Wales in c1901, spent some time in outback including Cobar, settled in Lithgow in c1905, established tailoring business; investigated industrial situation in United States of America in 1919; after defeat, licensee of Hotel Alexandra, Leura, and for a short period from 1930 of Lithgow Hotel, Lithgow; bedridden at Liverpool District Hospital 1949 until 1950; noted amateur actor in youth, active in Lithgow Debating Society.
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of Christopher Thomas, farmer, and Elizabeth O'Connor. Married (1) Kate Rodd Trundle on 21 February 1905 and had issue, one son and one daughter. Married (2) Irene Mary Kenny on 16 March 1946. Botany cemetery from St Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 8
Text from the book: 'The Presiding Officers of the Parliament of New South
Wales', Sydney, 1995
James Dooley was born on 26 April 1877 in Ireland and emigrated with his
parents to Brisbane in 1887 He married Kate Trundle in 1905 and they had one
son and one daughter. He married for a second time in 1946 to Irene Kenny. He
settled with his first wife in Lithgow where he established a successful
tailoring business. President of the Lithgow branch of the Labor Party, he was
elected to the Legislative Assembly as the Member for Hartley in 1907. At only
thirty years of age he was the youngest Member of Parliament at the time. He
represented Hartley until 1920 when he became the Member for Bathurst. Dooley
served as the Deputy Leader of the Labor Party under Ernest Durack and
continued in this role under the Leadership of John Storey. When Labor won
office in April 1920, Dooley became Chief Secretary and Minister for Housing.
He took over as Premier following the sudden death of John Storey in October
1921, but his Government was defeated two months later. When the Fuller
Ministry resigned after only seven hours, Dooley was recommissioned by Governor
Davidson to set up a new Government and remained the Premier until his
Government lost the 1922 election. Dooley held ministerial and leadership
responsibilities in the years immediately following World War I and
subsequently he played an important role in the administration of the State's
public affairs during a difficult era. When Labor returned to power in 1925,
Dooley was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. He had the political
experience to deal effectively with official matters which he did through his
understanding and interpretation of the Standing Orders. In 1925 he attempted,
with Mr President Flowers, to gain some autonomy over the Parliamentary
estimates, but received a cold reception from Premier Lang. He held the office
of Speaker until 1927 when he lost the preselection for Hartley and
consequently did not contest the election. Although he stood as an Independent
Labor candidate in the 1932 elections he failed to be re-elected. He died after
a long illness on 2 January 1950 at Liverpool.
