Cahill ministry (1952–53)

The Cahill ministry (1952–1953) or First Cahill ministry was the 55th ministry of the New South Wales Government, and was led by the 29th Premier, Joe Cahill, of the Labor Party. The ministry was the first of four consecutive occasions when the Government was led by Cahill, as Premier.

Cahill ministry
55th Cabinet of the State of New South Wales
Premier Joe Cahill
Date formed	3 April 1952
Date dissolved	23 February 1953
People and organisations
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor	Sir John Northcott
Premier	Joe Cahill
Deputy Premier	Bob Heffron
No. of ministers	15
Member party	Labor
Status in legislature	Minority government
Opposition party	Liberal/Country coalition
Opposition leader	Vernon Treatt
History
Election	1950 New South Wales election
Predecessor	Third McGirr ministry
Successor	Second Cahill ministry

Cahill was first elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1925 and served until 1932, representing the seats of St George and Arncliffe before being defeated. He was re-elected in 1935, again representing Arncliffe, and then represented Cook's River between 1941 and 1959. Having served continuously as Secretary for Public Works in the first, second, and third ministries of Jim McGirr, when Deputy Premier Jack Baddeley resigned, Cahill was appointed as McGirr's deputy on 21 September 1949. McGirr resigned as Premier several years later, on 2 April 1952, and Cahill was elected as Labor Leader and became Premier.^[1]

This ministry covers the period from 2 April 1952 until 23 February 1953^[2][3] when Cahill led Labor to victory at the 1953 state election and the Second Cahill ministry was formed.

Composition of ministry

The composition of the ministry was announced by Premier Cahill following his election as Labor Leader and his appointment as Premier on 2 April 1952, and covers the period until 23 February 1953. Ministers are listed in order of seniority and in most cases, serve the full term of this ministry.

Portfolio	Minister	Party		Term commence	Term end	Term of office
Premier	Joe Cahill		Labor	2 April 1952	23 February 1953	327 days
Treasurer Minister for Local Government				3 April 1952		326 days
Deputy Premier Minister of Education	Bob Heffron[a]
Minister for Housing Minister for Co-operative Societies Assistant Treasurer	Clive Evatt [b]
Attorney General	Clarrie Martin, KC [c]
Minister for Justice Vice-president of the Executive Council Representative of the Government in Legislative Council	Reg Downing, MLC [c]
Chief Secretary	Gus Kelly
Minister for Health	Maurice O'Sullivan [c]
Minister for Secondary Industries and Minister for Building Materials	William Dickson, MLC [c][d]				15 August 1952	135 days
Minister for Agriculture	Eddie Graham [c]				23 February 1953	326 days
Minister for Conservation	George Weir [c][e]				3 November 1952	214 days
	George Enticknap [Acting] [f]			28 August 1952	3 November 1952	179 days
	George Enticknap [f]			3 November 1952	23 February 1953
Minister for Transport	Bill Sheahan [c]			3 April 1952		326 days
	George Weir [Acting] [e]			3 November 1952	29 December 1952	56 days
Minister for Labour and Industry Minister for Social Welfare	Frank Finnan [c]			3 April 1952	23 February 1953	326 days
Secretary for Mines Minister for Immigration	Joshua Arthur [c][g]				12 February 1953	|315 days
Secretary for Lands	Frank Hawkins				23 February 1953	326 days
Secretary for Public Works Assistant Minister for Local Government	Jack Renshaw
Minister without portfolio	George Enticknap [f]				3 November 1952	214 days
	George Weir [e]			3 November 1952	23 February 1953	112 days
Assistant Minister in the Legislative Council	Francis Buckley, MLC			19 November 1952		96 days

1. Retained portfolio of Education from third McGirr ministry.
2. Retained portfolios of Co-operative societies and Assistant Treasurer from third McGirr ministry.
3. Retained portfolios from third McGirr ministry.
4. Dickson resigned from the ministry in August 1952 and was appointed as President of the New South Wales Legislative Council.^[4] The portfolios of Secondary Industries and Building Materials were abolished.
5. George Weir, who was Minister for Conservation, was appointed as a Minister without Portfolio, acting briefly in the Transport portfolio, before his resignation from Parliament in 1953 and taking up an appointment as a Judge on the Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales.^[5]
6. George Enticknap, who was without portfolio, acted as Minister for Conservation before being appointed to the role in November 1952.
7. On 12 February 1953 Joshua Arthur voluntarily stood down as a minister pending a Royal Commission concerning his relationship with Reginald Doyle in the lead-up to the state election on 14 February 1953.^[6]

See also

• New South Wales portal
• Politics portal

• Cahill ministries
• Second
• Third
• Fourth

• Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
• 1950–1953

• Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council
• 1949–1952
• 1952–1955

References

1. Clune, David. "Cahill, John Joseph (Joe) (1891-1959)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
2. "Part 6 Ministries since 1856" (PDF). NSW Parliamentary Record. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
3. "Former members of the New South Wales Parliament, 1856–2006". New South Wales Parliament. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
4. "Mr William Edward Dickson (1893-1966)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
5. "Mr George Weir (1903-1956)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
6. "Commission into Minister's link with Doyle". Illawarra Daily Mercury. 12 February 1953. p. 2. Retrieved 2 December 2021 – via Trove.

New South Wales government ministries
Preceded by McGirr ministry (1950–1952)	Cahill ministry (1952–1953) 1952–1953	Succeeded by Cahill ministry (1953–1956)