Date of Birth: 10/09/1890
Place of Birth: Thames, New Zealand
Date of Death: 27/07/1978
Place of Death: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Parliamentary Service
| Member for Maroubra |
01 May 1965 |
23 Jan 1968 |
2 years 8 months 24 days |
|
| Member for Maroubra |
03 Mar 1962 |
31 Mar 1965 |
3 years 29 days |
|
| Acting Treasurer |
22 Nov 1961 |
02 Jan 1962 |
1 month 12 days |
|
| Acting Treasurer |
10 Nov 1960 |
08 Jan 1961 |
1 month 30 days |
|
| Minister for Education |
28 Oct 1959 |
31 May 1960 |
7 months 4 days |
|
| Premier |
23 Oct 1959 |
30 Apr 1964 |
4 years 6 months 8 days |
|
| Treasurer and Minister for Education |
23 Oct 1959 |
28 Oct 1959 |
6 days |
|
| Deputy Premier and Minister for Education |
01 Apr 1959 |
23 Oct 1959 |
6 months 23 days |
|
| Member for Maroubra |
21 Mar 1959 |
05 Feb 1962 |
2 years 10 months 16 days |
|
| Acting Premier and Colonial Treasurer |
06 Apr 1958 |
22 Jul 1958 |
3 months 17 days |
|
| Member for Maroubra |
03 Mar 1956 |
16 Feb 1959 |
2 years 11 months 14 days |
|
| Deputy Premier and Minister for Education |
23 Feb 1953 |
01 Apr 1959 |
6 years 1 month 10 days |
|
| Secretary for Mines |
23 Feb 1953 |
16 Sep 1953 |
6 months 25 days |
|
| Member for Maroubra |
19 Jan 1953 |
06 Feb 1956 |
3 years 19 days |
|
| Member for Maroubra |
17 Jun 1950 |
14 Jan 1953 |
2 years 6 months 29 days |
|
| Member for Botany |
03 Apr 1947 |
22 May 1950 |
3 years 1 month 20 days |
|
| Minister for Education |
08 Jun 1944 |
02 Apr 1952 |
7 years 9 months 26 days |
|
| Member for Botany |
28 Apr 1944 |
29 Mar 1947 |
2 years 11 months 2 days |
|
| Minister for National Emergency Services |
16 May 1941 |
08 Jun 1944 |
3 years 24 days |
|
| Member for Botany |
10 May 1941 |
24 Apr 1944 |
2 years 11 months 15 days |
|
| Member for Botany |
26 Mar 1938 |
18 Apr 1941 |
3 years 24 days |
|
| Member for Botany |
18 Apr 1935 |
24 Feb 1938 |
2 years 10 months 7 days |
|
| Member for Botany |
11 Jun 1932 |
12 Apr 1935 |
2 years 10 months 2 days |
|
| Member for Botany |
25 Oct 1930 |
18 May 1932 |
1 year 6 months 24 days |
|
| Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly |
25 Oct 1930 |
23 Jan 1968 |
37 years 2 months 30 days |
|
Political Party Activity
Australian Labor Party (ALP). Branch offices, expelled in August 1936 for attending Trades Hall conference critical of Lang machine, re-admitted 1937; led breakaway group 1938; deputy leader 1952 until 1959, leader 1959 until 1964.
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Labourer and union organiser. Educated at Hikotaia, New Zealand; worked in gold treating plant on leaving school, spent evenings studying metallurgy at technical college; at nineteen journeyed to the United States of America, mule driver, scaffold builder and labourer; returned to Waikino, New Zealand 1912, joined the New Zealand Socialist party, prominent in Waihi goldminers' strike; shearer and organiser for General Workers' Union Auckland; did two years' night study at Auckland University; arrival at Melbourne 1919; member Victoria Socialist party; organiser for Federation Clothing Trades' Union; moved to Sydney, secretary of New South Wales branch Marine Stewards' Union 1921-1930; arrested for alleged conspiracy over Port Lyttelton strike 1925 but discharged; hon. D Litt University of Sydney 1952, and University of New England 1956, hon.D Sc University of New South Wales 1955; hon. member Royal Australia Historical Society 1947; reared Roman Catholic, became proselytising rationalist, later self-styled Protestant.
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Son of Michael Heffron, blacksmith, and Ellen Heath, Irish migrants. Married Jessie Bjornstad on 29 December 1917 in New Zealand and had issue, 2 daughters. Funeral at Eastern Suburbs crematorium from St Stephens Uniting Church, Macquarie Street in Sydney.
Additional Information
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 14
Personal papers in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales:
Robert James Heffron - newscuttings, 1941 - 1960 (MLMSS 2306)
