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Member Details

Mr John Rowland DACEY (1854 - 1912)

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Date of Birth: 01/06/1854
Place of Birth: Cork, Ireland
Date of Death: 11/04/1912
Place of Death: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
Position Start End Period Notes
Colonial Treasurer 27 Nov 1911 11 Apr 1912 4 months 16 days
Honorary Minister 10 Nov 1911 26 Nov 1911 17 days
Case of William John Ellis, employed in the Railway Service Committee No.18 19 Oct 1911 27 Mar 1912 5 months 9 days
Claims of Harry K.Carpenter Committee No.14 10 Oct 1911 22 Nov 1911 1 month 13 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 30 Aug 1911 03 Oct 1911 1 month 4 days Chairman
Claims of Harry K.Carpenter Committee No.16 18 Jul 1911 01 Aug 1911 15 days
Standing Orders Committee No.3 30 May 1911 01 Aug 1911 2 months 3 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 16 May 1911 01 Aug 1911 2 months 17 days
The Governor’s Opening Speech Committee No.1 16 May 1911 16 May 1911 1 day
Standing Orders Committee No.3 30 Nov 1910 23 Dec 1910 24 days
Canterbury Park Racecourse Company Limited Enabling Bill Committee No.7 24 Nov 1910 08 Dec 1910 15 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 24 Nov 1910 23 Dec 1910 1 month
Member for Alexandria 14 Oct 1910 11 Apr 1912 1 year 5 months 29 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 21 Jun 1910 20 Aug 1910 2 months
Lease Conversion and Law Amendment Bill Committee No.7 10 Aug 1909 09 Dec 1909 4 months
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 13 Jul 1909 17 Dec 1909 5 months 5 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 23 Jul 1908 19 Dec 1908 4 months 27 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.6 12 Mar 1908 11 Apr 1908 1 month
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.6 22 Oct 1907 15 Nov 1907 25 days
Member for Alexandria 10 Sep 1907 14 Sep 1910 3 years 5 days
Refreshment Committee No.5 09 Jul 1907 12 Jul 1907 4 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 04 Jul 1907 12 Jul 1907 9 days
Occupation of Land at la Perouse by the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company Committee No.13 22 Nov 1906 13 Dec 1906 22 days Chairman
Claim of Electric Tram-driver Arthur Simpson for improvements fitted to Steam Motors Committee No.8 13 Sep 1906 13 Nov 1906 2 months 1 day
Refreshment Committee No.4 10 Jul 1906 18 Dec 1906 5 months 9 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.6 05 Jul 1906 18 Dec 1906 5 months 14 days
Drummoyne Municipal Lands Sale Bill Committee No.21 03 Nov 1905 04 Dec 1905 1 month 2 days
Moss Vale Cattle Sale-yards Bill Committee No.12 10 Aug 1905 24 Aug 1905 15 days
Landlord and Tenant (Amendment) Bill Committee No.11 08 Aug 1905 26 Sep 1905 1 month 19 days
Refreshment Committee No.5 28 Jun 1905 09 Dec 1905 5 months 12 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 14 Jun 1905 09 Dec 1905 5 months 26 days
Refreshment Committee No.5 21 Sep 1904 24 Dec 1904 3 months 4 days
Elections and Qualifications Committee No.2 24 Aug 1904 01 Dec 1904 3 months 8 days
Member for Alexandria 06 Aug 1904 19 Aug 1907 3 years 14 days
Alleged Evasion of the Arbitration Act Committee No.13 04 Sep 1903 23 Sep 1903 20 days
Refreshment Committee No.6 01 Jul 1903 01 Dec 1903 5 months 1 day
Carriage of Newspapers on Government Railways Committee No.10 20 Jun 1902 19 Dec 1902 6 months
System of Municipal Government for Greater Sydney Committee No.9 20 Jun 1902 20 Dec 1902 6 months 1 day Chairman
Refreshment Committee No.5 17 Jun 1902 20 Dec 1902 6 months 4 days
Refreshment Committee No.6 08 Aug 1901 20 Dec 1901 4 months 13 days
Removal from the Public Service of Mr Frederick Glynn Committee No.3 06 Aug 1901 19 Dec 1901 4 months 14 days
Member for Botany 03 Jul 1901 16 Jul 1904 3 years 14 days
Case of Quartermaster Sergeant Troy Committee No.21 06 Sep 1900 29 Nov 1900 2 months 24 days
Case of William Creswell Committee No.18 07 Nov 1899 21 Dec 1899 1 month 15 days
Claim of Mr Sherlock Barron, North Botany Committee No.10 15 Aug 1899 23 Nov 1899 3 months 9 days
Member for Botany 27 Jul 1898 11 Jun 1901 2 years 10 months 16 days
Borough of Lithgow Validating Bill Committee No.31 07 Oct 1896 21 Oct 1896 15 days
Member for Botany 24 Jul 1895 08 Jul 1898 2 years 11 months 15 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly 24 Jul 1895 11 Apr 1912 16 years 8 months 19 days
Political Party Activity
Australian Labor Party (ALP). Foundation Member; Treasurer of the Parliamentary Party 1901- 1910 and was a member of the central executive 1912
Community Activity
Commissioned as a Justice of the Peace in 1892. Foundation Secretary of the Wool and Basil Workers' Union 1901 - 1912. Trustee of Cook's Landing Place, Kurnell. Associated with model suburb, Daceyville, Sydney
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Blacksmith and coachbuilder. Educated in Kyneton and left school at the age of twelve on Smith's Death. After leaving school at age 12 he became a butcher's assistant, and a successful agricultural blacksmith managing branch for May and Miller. Set up his own coachmaking business in Sydney. Helped to found the Wool and Basil Workers Union in 1901 and was its secretary until 1912. Became and honorary Minister and Colonial Treasurer. Died of chronic nephritis and after a state funeral was buried in the catholic section of Botany cemetery. From the 1890's Dacey had campaigned for the building by the government of low cost housing for working class people. The model suburb of Daceyville in South Sydney is a memorial to his sympathetic social insight
Military Service
Honours Received
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Alderman at Alexandria from 1886-1896, Mayor 1888-1889.
Personal
Son of Thomas Dacey, barrister, and Margaret Dacey. His father died early. He moved to Victoria with his mother in 1858 and settled in Kyneton where she died in 1859. He was adopted by Dr Smith. Married Martha Ellen Douglass on 27 July 1878 in Horsham, Victoria and had issue, 4 sons and 6 daughters. Roman Catholic.
Additional Information
References Australian Dictionary of Biography, 8; Radi, H., Spearritt, P. and Hinton, E., Biographical Register of the New South Wales Parliament 1901-1970, Canberra 1979; Martin, A.W. and Wardle, P., Member of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales 1856-1901, Canberra 1959.

The Parliament of New South Wales acknowledges and respects the traditional lands of all Aboriginal people, and pays respects to all Elders past and present. We acknowledge the Gadigal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which the Parliament of New South Wales stands.