Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 9 Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales: Simon Hickey - correspondence received from Henry Lawson and Thomas Davies Mutch, 1914 - 1922 (MLMSS 6789); photographs in the PICMAN Database. Text from the book: 'The Presiding Officers of the Parliament of New South Wales', Sydney, 1995 Simon Hickey was born on 6 June 1878 at Mudgee in New South Wales. He joined the Labor Party at about the turn of the century, becoming president of the party's South Sydney branch in 1906. He married Hilda Darcey in 1911 and they had two sons and one daughter. He entered the Legislative Assembly in May 1912, succeeding his late father-in-law, J.R. Darcey as the Member for Alexandria. He held that seat until 1920 when he became the Member for Botany. Between 1920 and 1921 he was Chairman of the Public Works Committee and in December 1921 he held the office of Speaker of the Legislative Assembly for a record eight days. His term as Speaker was cut short by the election crisis involving the Dooley and Fuller governments. Subsequently, he took a seat in the Legislative Council from 1925 until 1934 when the Council was reconstituted. Hickey was considered to possess an independent streak with a tendency for forthright and candid opinions. His individualism was the cause of controversy with in his own party as he voted across party lines on several occasions. He died on 18 May 1958 at Bellevue Hill in Sydney.