John Dooley

Dooley was born at Tumbarumba, New South Wales and educated at Wagga Wagga Superior Public School and at Courabyra, but left school early to become a shearer and miner. From 1901 to 1904 he was as an organizer of the Rural Workers' Union. In 1910 when he was a labourer on railways in Sydney, he helped establish the Railway Workers' and General Labourers' Association, which he helped merge into the Australian Workers' Union in 1916. He later worked as a foreman in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and on Burrinjuck Dam.

Dooley ran for Labor unsuccessfully for Senate at the 1925 election, but succeeded in 1928 election. He was deputy leader of the Senate from August to October 1929 and from February to August 1932. He was apointed Assistant Minister assisting the Minister for Works and Railways in March 1931 in the Scullin Ministry. He remained a supporter of James Scullin rather than Jack Lang during the Labor split over the fiscal policy required by the Great Depression. As a result he lost his seat in the Senate at the September 1934 election, when he did not have the Australian Workers' Union endorsement.

Dooley returned to work as a works supervisor and died at St George Hospital, Kogarah, survived by his wife, six daughters and two of his three sons.

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Category: Australian Labor Party politicians Category: Members of the Australian Senate Category: Members of the Australian Senate for New South Wales Category: Members of the Cabinet of Australia Category: 1883 births Category: 1961 deaths