Jack Renshaw | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 31st Premier of New South Wales | |
| In office 30 April 1964 – 13 May 1965 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor | Sir Eric Woodward |
| Deputy | Pat Hills |
| Preceded by | Bob Heffron |
| Succeeded by | Robert Askin |
| Shire President of Coonabarabran | |
| In office 14 December 1939 – 15 May 1941 | |
| Preceded by | William Thomas Neilson |
| Succeeded by | S. H. Regan |
| Councillor of theCoonabarabran Shire Council for C Riding | |
| In office 4 December 1937 – 2 December 1944 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 August 1909 Wellington, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 28 July 1987 (aged 77) Northbridge, New South Wales, Australia |
| Political party | Labor Party |
John Brophy RenshawAC (8 August 1909 – 28 July 1987) was an Australian politician. He wasLaborPremier of New South Wales from 30 April 1964 to 13 May 1965. He was the first New South Wales Premier born in the 20th century.
Jack Renshaw was born on 8 August 1909 nearWellington in central New South Wales. His parents were John Ignatius Renshaw and Ann Renshaw (née Reidy). When he was six his parents took up aselection near the town ofBinnaway. Five years later his father died in a farm accident, leaving his widow to raise eight children. Following Ann Renshaw's remarriage the family prospered and came to own a fuel depot, stock and station agency and butchery in the town.[1]
Renshaw was educated at Binnaway Central School, Patrician Brothers atOrange (where he lived with his grandmother), and thenHoly Cross College atRyde in north-western Sydney. After leaving school at the age of 14 he helped to run the family dairy property at Hampden Park, and also helped operate a milk run out of Binnaway.[2]
Renshaw joined the Binnaway branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in 1930, and soon held office in the branch. He also served on the state and federal electorate councils in the area, including as President of theGwydir Electorate Council from 1939 to 1949. He was active in local government, serving as an councillor (C Riding) in theCoonabarabran Shire Council from 1937 to 1944.[3] From 1939 to 1941 he was Shire President, becoming the youngest shire president in Australia at the time.[4][5] He resigned as Shire President in May 1941 following his election to state Parliament.[6] During the late 1930s he also held a position on the Northern Executive of the Wheat Growers' Union.[1] In 1939 he volunteered for service inWorld War II but was rejected due to a defect in his eyesight.[1]
Renshaw was encouraged to run for state parliament in the local seat ofCastlereagh byWilliam Scully, the federal member forGwydir, after Renshaw had worked as campaign director for him. He was supported by the Premier,William McKell, who realised that Renshaw's strong local identity and links to the farming community would help him in an election. Renshaw stood in the1941 election, winning the seat from theCountry Party member,Alfred Yeo, who had held Castlereagh for the previous nine years.[1] From 1945 to 1950 Renshaw was a member of the central executive of the NSW ALP.
Renshaw was appointed Secretary for Lands in 1950 under PremierJames McGirr. Relying upon his strong knowledge of agricultural and rural issues, he aggressively prosecuted the case for Labor's policy ofcompulsory resumption of large properties so that they could besubdivided. At the time it was believed the land was being under-utilised by land speculators and large agricultural companies and that closer settlement would promote the development of rural districts and solve post-war food shortages. The policy was opposed by the wealthiergraziers, represented in part by theCountry Party and theUnited Farmers' Association.
Impressed by his handling of the closer settlement debate, the new PremierJoe Cahill promoted Renshaw toSecretary for Public Works in 1952. He also becameMinister for Local Government in 1953, later transferring from Public Works to Minister for Highways in 1956. Renshaw went on to serve as Deputy Premier from 1959 to 1964 (whenBob Heffron was Premier), and Treasurer from 1959 to 1965. He also served as Minister for Lands from 1960 to 1961,Minister for Agriculture from 1961 to 1962 and Minister for Industrial Development and Decentralisation from 1962 to 1965.[2]
When Heffron retired in April 1964, Renshaw became Premier. This tenure proved to be no more than a stopgap for a party increasingly seen as tired and unfocused after being in office since 1941. Of the 16 members in Renshaw's cabinet, six were aged 65 years or more, and most had been in cabinet during Labor's entire quarter-century run in government.
Renshaw waited as long as he could before calling an election for1 May 1965. TheLiberal leader,Bob Askin, often used the slogan "Twenty-four years of Labor misrule."[7] Renshaw found it difficult to connect with urban voters, and his problems in adjusting to the new pressures of television only exacerbated his electoral failings. By contrast, Askin showed substantial skill with the TV medium.
At the election, Labor suffered a nine-seat swing against it. The Coalition garnered the support of two conservative independents, allowing Askin to become Premier. For the first time in 24 years, the ALP was out of office in New South Wales.
With his federal party colleagues having been in opposition since 1949, Renshaw is to date the last Labor Premier who did not encounter a Labor Prime Minister during his time in office.
Renshaw suffered a second and still more severe electoral defeat at the hands of Askin in 1968. He resigned soon after this election, and was succeeded by former Deputy PremierPat Hills. Nevertheless, Renshaw remained an important figure both in the state parliament and in Labor's ruling circles; he served as Treasurer during the first four years (1976–80) ofNeville Wran's administration. After that he was the state's Agent-General in London, holding that office till 1983.
On 12 November 1942 Renshaw married Hilda May Wall, at St Canice's Catholic Church, Elizabeth Bay; by her he had a son. Wall died in April 1964, just weeks before Renshaw was sworn in as Premier. His second wife, whom he married on 11 April 1966 at Holy Cross Catholic Church, Woollahra, was Marjorie (Meg) Mackay née Nolan (who had four children in total: one by Renshaw, three by a previous marriage). He died at the age of 77 in 1987 in the northern Sydney suburb ofNorthbridge.[2]
In 2022, Catherine Renshaw, who is married to Jack Renshaw's son John, was the unsuccessful ALP candidate for the federal seat of North Sydney.[8]
| New South Wales Legislative Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member for Castlereagh 1941 – 1980 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Secretary for Lands 1950 – 1952 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Secretary for Public Works 1952 – 1956 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Local Government 1953 – 1959 | Succeeded by |
| New title | Minister for Highways 1956 – 1959 | |
| Preceded by | Deputy Premier of New South Wales 1959 – 1964 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Treasurer of New South Wales 1959 – 1965 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Lands 1960 – 1961 | Succeeded by |
| New title | Minister for Industrial Development and Decentralisation 1962 – 1965 | Succeeded byas Minister for Decentralisation and Development |
| Preceded by | Premier of New South Wales 1964 – 1965 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Treasurer of New South Wales 1976 – 1980 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Deputy Leader of the Australian Labor Party (NSW Branch) 1959 – 1964 | Succeeded by |
| Leader of the Australian Labor Party (NSW Branch) 1964 – 1968 | ||
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by | Agent-General for New South Wales 1980 – 1983 | Succeeded by Reginald Watson |
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