Jim McClelland
Jim McClelland | |
|---|---|
| Chief Judge of the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales | |
| In office 14 April 1980 – 2 June 1985 | |
| Preceded by | New office |
| Succeeded by | Jerrold Cripps |
| Minister for Labor and Immigration | |
| In office 6 June 1975 – 11 November 1975 | |
| Prime Minister | Gough Whitlam |
| Preceded by | Clyde Cameron |
| Succeeded by | Tony Street |
| Minister for Manufacturing Industry | |
| In office 10 February 1975 – 6 June 1975 | |
| Prime Minister | Gough Whitlam |
| Preceded by | Kep Enderby |
| Succeeded by | Lionel Bowen |
| Senator for New South Wales | |
| In office 16 March 1971 – 21 July 1978 | |
| Preceded by | James Ormonde |
| Succeeded by | Kerry Sibraa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 June 1915 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | 16 January 1999 (aged 83) Wentworth Falls, New South Wales, Australia |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
| Spouse(s) | 1) Nora Fitzer 2) Freda Watson 3) Gillian Appleton |
| Alma mater | University of Melbourne University of Sydney |
| Occupation | Solicitor, unionist |
James Robert McClelland[a] (3 June 1915 – 16 January 1999) was an Australian lawyer, politician, and judge. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and served as a Senator for New South Wales from 1971 to 1978. He briefly held ministerial office in the Whitlam Government in 1975 as Minister for Manufacturing Industry and Minister for Labor and Immigration. He later served as the inaugural Chief Judge of the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales from 1980 to 1985, as well as presiding over the 1984 McClelland Royal Commission into British nuclear tests in Australia.
Early life
Born in Melbourne, McClelland was educated at St Patrick's College, Ballarat and Melbourne University (B.A.) and Sydney University (Law). He served in the Royal Australian Air Force between 1943 and 1946. After that he worked as a solicitor in Sydney.
The legal practice of McClelland dealt mainly with union workers compensation claims for the Federated Ironworkers' Association of Australia, where he was associated with Laurie Short. He played a large part (with Bob Santamaria) in helping Short take control of the Union from the openly pro-communist Ernie Thornton. By this time, nevertheless, he had turned against his former Catholic upbringing, and unlike many other Santamaria allies he never joined the DLP.
Senate
McClelland was elected to represent New South Wales for the ALP in the 1970 Senate election, his term to begin on 1 July 1971. In March 1971 he was appointed to a casual vacancy for the remainder of the term of the late senator James Ormonde. He was again elected in the double dissolution election of May 1974. In the Third Whitlam Ministry he was Minister for Manufacturing Industry from 10 February to 6 June 1975. From 6 June to 11 November 1975 he was Minister for Labor and Immigration and Minister assisting the Prime Minister in matters relating to the Public Service. He was again elected at the December 1975 double dissolution election. He resigned from the Senate on 21 July 1978.
Later life
In 1980 McClelland was appointed the first chief judge of the Land and Environment Court of NSW, holding that office until his 70th birthday in June 1985.
In 1984, as Justice McClelland, he was President of the Royal Commission into British nuclear tests in Australia at Maralinga.
He was reviled by the right as is indicated in Roderick Meagher's portrait in Quadrant, and associated with Edmund Campion, Patrick White, Manning Clark and Donald Horne.[citation needed]
Family
McClelland married three times:
- in 1947 to Nora Fitzer with whom he adopted two children but divorced in 1968
- in 1968 to Freda Watson who brought three step children. She died in 1976
- in 1978 to Gillian Appleton.
Notes
- ^ Although he was nicknamed "Diamond Jim" by the Australian media, at McClelland's funeral, Gough Whitlam indicated that McClelland disliked this Americanism.
References
Bibliography
- Portraits: Jim McClelland, Quadrant, June 2005 – 49:6 [Accessed 4 March 2006]
- James McClelland, (1988), Stirring the Possum: A Political Autobiography, Penguin, Sydney ISBN 0-14-009764-3
- James McClelland, (1989), An Angel Bit The Bride Penguin ISBN 0-14-012831-X
- Gillian Appleton, (2000), Diamond Cuts: An Affectionate Memoir of Jim McClelland Macmillan ISBN 0-7329-1051-X
External links
- 1915 births
- 1999 deaths
- Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Australia
- 1975 Australian constitutional crisis
- Australian royal commissioners
- Members of the Australian Senate
- Members of the Australian Senate for New South Wales
- Members of the Cabinet of Australia
- People educated at St Kevin's College, Melbourne
- 20th-century Australian lawyers
- 20th-century Australian politicians
- People educated at St Patrick's College, Ballarat