Joseph Cahill

Joseph Cahill
29th Premier of New South Wales
Elections: 1953, 1956, 1959
In office
2 April 1952 – 22 October 1959
MonarchElizabeth II
GovernorSir John Northcott
Sir Eric Woodward
DeputyBob Heffron
Preceded byJames McGirr
Succeeded byBob Heffron
3rd Deputy Premier of New South Wales
In office
21 September 1949 – 2 April 1952
PremierJames McGirr
Preceded byJack Baddeley
Succeeded byRobert Heffron
Secretary for Public Works
In office
16 May 1941 – 2 April 1952
PremierWilliam McKell
James McGirr
Preceded byLewis Martin
Succeeded byJack Renshaw
Minister for Local Government
In office
8 June 1944 – 2 April 1952
PremierWilliam McKell
James McGirr
Preceded byJames McGirr
Succeeded byJack Renshaw
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for Cook's River
In office
10 May 1941 – 22 October 1959
Preceded byNew district
Succeeded byTom Cahill
Personal details
Born(1891-01-21)21 January 1891
Redfern, New South Wales
Died22 October 1959(1959-10-22) (aged 68)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Resting placeRookwood Cemetery
Political partyNew South Wales Labor Party
Spouse(s)Esmey Mary Kelly
(b.1891–m.1922–d.1971)
ChildrenThomas James Cahill (1924–1983)
John Joseph Cahill (1926–2006)
Brian Francis Cahill (1930–2013)
Mary (Gemma) Cahill
Margaret Cahill[1]

John Joseph Cahill (21 January 1891 – 22 October 1959), also known as Joe Cahill or J. J. Cahill, was a long-serving New South Wales politician, railway worker, trade unionist and Labor Party Premier of New South Wales from 1952 to his death in 1959. Born the son of Irish migrants in Redfern, Cahill worked for the New South Wales Government Railways from the age of 16 before joining the Australian Labor Party. Being a prominent unionist organiser, including being dismissed for his role in the 1917 general strike, Cahill was elected to the Parliament of New South Wales for St George in 1925.

After many years of backbench service, including a term outside of parliament, Cahill was appointed Secretary for Public Works in 1941 and Minister for Local Government in the government of William McKell in 1944, where he led significant reforms of local government in the state, including establishing a Royal commission in 1945, and passing the landmark Local Government (Areas) Act of 1948. Promoted to Deputy Premier in 1949, Cahill became Premier of New South Wales from April 1952 to his death in October 1959. His term as premier is primarily remembered for his government's role in post-war infrastructure development, which included the commissioning of the Sydney Opera House and construction of the expressway which now bears his name.

  1. ^ "MRS. CAHILL WILL HAVE A BUSY WEEK". The Sydney Morning Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 2 February 1954. p. 13. Retrieved 17 April 2021 – via National Library of Australia.