Date of Birth: 09/11/1930
Place of Birth: Coraki, New South Wales, Australia
Date of Death: 19/01/2002
Place of Death: Avoca Beach, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
| Member of the NSW Legislative Council |
30 Apr 1984 |
30 Oct 1984 |
6 months 1 day |
A Member of the directly elected Legislative Council. Date of Election 24 March 1984. |
| Member for Northcott |
19 Sep 1981 |
05 Mar 1984 |
2 years 5 months 16 days |
|
| Deputy Leader of the Opposition |
01 Jun 1981 |
20 Oct 1981 |
4 months 20 days |
|
| Member for Northcott |
07 Oct 1978 |
28 Aug 1981 |
2 years 10 months 22 days |
|
| Member for Northcott |
01 May 1976 |
12 Sep 1978 |
2 years 4 months 13 days |
|
| Speaker of the Legislative Assembly |
04 Dec 1973 |
24 May 1976 |
2 years 5 months 21 days |
|
| Member for Northcott |
17 Nov 1973 |
02 Apr 1976 |
2 years 4 months 17 days |
|
| Member for Northcott |
13 Feb 1971 |
19 Oct 1973 |
2 years 8 months 7 days |
|
| Member for Northcott |
24 Feb 1968 |
13 Jan 1971 |
2 years 10 months 21 days |
|
| Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly |
24 Feb 1968 |
05 Mar 1984 |
16 years 11 days |
|
Political Party Activity
Liberal Party. Staff member of New South Wales Liberal Party 1948 - 1959; press secretary to P. H. Morton and R. Askin 1955 -1959. Joined in 1948, City of Sydney branch, member of the executive from 1967 and 1968 and of state and federal councils. Independent.
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Lawyer (barrister). Party employee and barrister. Educated in public schools, Canterbury Boys' High School, University of Sydney., LLB (1961), LLM (1970). called to the Bar in 1961; part time lecturer in jurisprudence and public international law, University of Sydney from 1970 until 1972; transferred to solicitors roll in 1972; represented New South Wales debating from 1952 until 1954, 1961; member of United Nations Association of Australia; elder of St Stephen's Presbyterian Church in Macquarie Street; Chairman call to the Nation committee Festival of Light in 1976. Recreational interests include gardening.
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of Donald Cameron, blacksmith, and Joyce Betheras. Married Helen Bicket on 16 March 1963 and had issue, 2 daughters and 4 sons.
Additional Information
Text from the book: 'The Presiding Officers of the Parliament of New South
Wales', Sydney, 1995
Jim Cameron was born on 9 November 1930 at Coraki in New South Wales. He joined
the City of Sydney branch of the Liberal party in 1948 and was employed as a
speech writer and a research officer to party leaders. He was press secretary
to Deputy-Leader of the Liberal Party, Robin (later Sir Robert) Askin. Cameron
represented New South Wales as an interstate debater from 1952 until 1954 and
again in 1961. He was articled as a law clerk and in 1961, after completing his
Bachelor of Laws at the University of Sydney, was admitted to the New South
Wales Bar. In 1967 and 1968 Cameron was a Member of the Liberal Party's State
Executive and in 1967 he also became a Member of the Party's Federal Council.
He married Helen Bicket on 16 March 1963 and they had four sons and two
daughters.
He was elected to the Legislative Assembly as the Member for Northcott in 1968
and was re-elected on four occasions until 1981. In 1973 he was elected
Speaker, holding this office until May 1976. Cameron was the New South Wales
Opposition's Leader in the Lower House during 1980 and 1981 and from June until
October 1981 he was the Deputy Leader. Although Cameron was elected to the
Legislative Council as an Independent for a twelve year term in February 1984,
he was forced to resign in October following a near-fatal heart attack. During
his term in the Upper House he was the only Member to vote against the Human
Tissues Bill which provided for heart transplants. However after his heart
attack he was forced to revise his position and accept a heart transplant.
