John Leckie | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister for Aircraft Production | |
| In office 26 June 1941 – 7 October 1941 | |
| Prime Minister | Robert Menzies Arthur Fadden |
| Preceded by | (new title) |
| Succeeded by | Don Cameron |
| Senator forVictoria | |
| In office 1 July 1935 – 30 June 1947 | |
| Member of theAustralian Parliament forIndi | |
| In office 5 May 1917 – 13 December 1919 | |
| Preceded by | Parker Moloney |
| Succeeded by | Robert Cook |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1872-10-14)14 October 1872 Alexandra, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | 25 September 1947(1947-09-25) (aged 74) Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia |
| Party | Liberal (1913–17) Nationalist (1917–1931) UAP (1931–45) Liberal (1945–47) |
| Spouse(s) | 1) May Beatrix Johnston 2) Hattie Martha Knight |
| Relations | Roland Leckie (son) Pattie Menzies (daughter) Robert Menzies (son-in-law) Connie Hesketh (daughter) John Hesketh (son-in-law) Gwenyth Leckie (daughter) |
| Occupation | Storekeeper |
John William Leckie (14 October 1872 – 25 September 1947) was an Australian politician. He served as aSenator forVictoria from 1935 to 1947, having previously been a member of theHouse of Representatives from 1917 to 1919 and theVictorian Legislative Assembly from 1913 to 1917.
Leckie was born atAlexandra, Victoria and educated atScotch College, Melbourne. He playedAustralian rules football forFitzroy Football Club (then in theVictorian Football Association) in 1895. He studied medicine at theUniversity of Melbourne for two years, but after falling out with his father he prospected for gold inKalgoorlie, Western Australia and played football inFremantle. In 1897, he returned to Alexandra to run the family store, his father having died. In April 1898, he married May Beatrix Johnston. His wife died in 1910 and he moved toMelbourne in 1912 and co-founded a firm oflithographic printers and canister manufacturers. He married Hattie Martha Knight in April 1917.
In 1920, the eldest of his daughters from his first marriage,Pattie Maie, married futurePrime MinisterRobert Menzies.[1]
Leckie was a member of the Alexandra Shire Council from 1900 to 1911 and was shire president in 1904–05. During his council service, he ran unsuccessfully for theAnti-Socialist Protectionists for theHouse of Representatives seat ofMernda at the1906 election. After leaving local government in 1911, he was elected as member forBenambra in theVictorian Legislative Assembly in 1913 as aCommonwealth Liberal Party candidate.[2]
Leckie won the federal seat ofIndi in the1917 election for theNationalist Party. He lost his seat at the1919 election to aVictorian Farmers' Union candidate. He ran unsuccessfully for the state seat ofUpper Goulburn in 1921 and then concentrated on his business and business groups.[1]
At the1934 election, Leckie was electedSenator forVictoria as a member of theUnited Australia Party. In October 1940, he became Minister without portfolio assisting theMinister for Trade and Customs and Minister without portfolio assisting theMinister for Labour and National Service in hisson-in-law's ministry. In June 1941, he becameMinister for Aircraft Production and held that position until the defeat of theFadden government in October 1941. During the UAP's term in opposition, he was deputy leader of the party in the Senate.[3] He lost his bid to be re-elected at the1946 election and served out his term ending in June 1947.[1]
Three months later, Leckie died ofcancer at his home in the Melbourne suburb ofHawthorn, survived by his wife and their son and by three daughters from his first marriage. His sonRoland Leckie was the member for the state seat ofEvelyn from 1950 to 1952 and later a crown prosecutor and a judge of theCounty Court.[1]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| New title | Minister for Aircraft Production 1941 | Succeeded by |
| Parliament of Australia | ||
| Preceded by | Member forIndi 1917–1919 | Succeeded by |
