Date of Birth: 21/09/1878
Place of Birth: Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia
Date of Death: 04/05/1943
Place of Death: Haberfield, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
| Member of the NSW Legislative Council |
23 Apr 1934 |
04 May 1943 |
9 years 12 days |
A Member of the indirectly elected Council 1934 - 1978. Date of Election 5 December 1933 and 1 November 1939. A Member before reconstitution
|
| Minister without portfolio and member of Executive Council |
17 Jun 1925 |
26 May 1927 |
1 year 11 months 10 days |
|
| Member of the NSW Legislative Council |
30 Aug 1921 |
22 Apr 1934 |
12 years 7 months 24 days |
Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 30 August 1921 |
Political Party Activity
Australian Labor Party (ALP). Member of central executive from 1921 until 1923; opponent of Lang, elected leader of Legislative Council in 1927, leader of Federal Labor in the Legislative Council from 1931 until 1932. Defeated candidate for the seat of Bathurst, 1910.
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Commercial traveller. Educated at Patrician Brothers School and at St Aloysius College, North Sydney; commercial traveller for Hoffnungs for many years; owned property in Bathurst; director of Amalgamated Wireless (Australia) Limited from 1931; governing director of Universal Publicity Pty Ltd; foundation member of Shop Assistants Union from 1902 until 1943; member of Early Closing Committee and Australian Natives Association; vice president of New South Wales Empire Parliamentary Association; committee member of Food for Babies Fund; undertook several trips to East Asia in 1930s.
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of James Farrar Coates, commercial agent, and his wife Honorah Mahony. Married Mary Teresa Hinchy on 17 March 1899 and had issue, 1 daughter and 3 sons. Roman Catholic. Burial from St Joan of Arc's Roman Catholic Church at Haberfield.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 8
