Date of Birth: 26/02/1890
Place of Birth: Inverness, Scotland
Date of Death: 09/06/1970
Place of Death: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
| Member of the NSW Legislative Council |
23 Apr 1934 |
22 Apr 1940 |
6 years |
A Member of the indirectly elected Council 1934 - 1978. Date of Election 5 December 1933. A Member before reconstitution. |
| Member of the NSW Legislative Council |
25 Nov 1931 |
22 Apr 1934 |
2 years 4 months 29 days |
Life Appointment under the Constitution Act. Date of Writ of Summons 23 November 1931. |
Political Party Activity
Australian Labor Party (ALP). Joined the party in 1923. Member of Socialisation committee from 1930 until 1933
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Dental mechanic. Educated at Inverness High School, Scotland; dental apprenticeship with J.Kyle Mackintosh, Inverness; arrived in New South Wales in 1911; worked in paper mills, dismissed as an agitator in 1916; joined Australian Freedom League in 1912, joint treasurer with P.J Minahan; member of no-conscription campaign committee in 1916; member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), convicted in 1916 of 'arson and conspiracy to prevent justice and incitement to sedition', sentenced to fifteen years; released following 1920 inquiry; gaoled for part in unauthorised procession protesting Sacco-Vanzetti sentences; Australian representative at Paris Peace conference in 1946; delegate to International Labour Organisation conference in Montreal, and to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference in Nairobi in 1954.
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Member of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia. Senator 1944 until 1959.
Local Government Activity
Alderman of the Sydney City Council for Phillip Ward, 14 September 1931 until 2 December 1934; for Flinders Ward from 3 December 1934 to 1 December 1944. Member of the Finance Committee 1931 until 1934; the Electricity Committee 1931 and 1933 until 1934; the Works Committee 1932 until 1934; and the Health and By-Laws Committee 1932.
Personal
Son of Donald Grant, insurance agent, and Mary MacLennan. Married (1) Elizabeth Jane Deuse in 1920. Married (2) Marjorie Templeton. Protestant.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography (ADB), Volume 9
