Cahill ministry (1953–1956)

The Cahill ministry (1953–1956) or Second Cahill ministry was the 56th ministry of the New South Wales Government, and was led by the 29th Premier, Joe Cahill, of the Labor Party. The ministry was the second of four consecutive occasions when the Government was led by Cahill as Premier.

Cahill ministry
56th Cabinet of the State of New South Wales
Premier Joe Cahill
Date formed	23 February 1953
Date dissolved	15 March 1956
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	Majority government
Opposition party	Liberal/Country coalition
Opposition leader	Vernon Treatt Murray Robson Pat Morton
History
Election	1953 New South Wales election
Predecessor	First Cahill ministry
Successor	Third 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. Labor had lost its majority at the 1950 state election and McGirr resigned as Premier on 2 April 1952, with Cahill elected as Labor Leader and became Premier.^[1] Cahill led Labor to victory at the 1953 state election, gaining 11 seats and regaining its majority.^[2] The main changes from the first Cahill ministry were that Frank Finnan, the Minister for Labour, Industry and Social Welfare whose electorate of Darlinghurst was abolished,^[3] he lost a preselection contest for Concord,^[4] and failed to win Albury and 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.^[5]

This ministry covers the period from 23 February 1953 until 15 March 1956,^[6] when Cahill led Labor to victory at the 1956 state election and the Third Cahill ministry was formed.

Composition of ministry

The composition of the ministry was announced by Premier Cahill following the 1953 state election on 23 February 1953. There was a minor rearrangement of the ministry in September 1953, triggered by the death of the Minister for Transport, Clarrie Martin, on 5 September 1953.^[7] Cahill briefly held the Transport portfolio for nine days before he took the opportunity to make a minor rearrangement of the ministry. The second rearrangement of the ministry was triggered by Cahill forcing the resignation of the Minister for Housing and Minister for Co-operative Societies.Clive Evatt.^[8][9]

Portfolio	Minister	Party		Term commence	Term end	Term of office
Premier Treasurer	Joe Cahill [a]		Labor	23 February 1953	15 March 1956	3 years, 21 days
Deputy Premier Minister for Education	Bob Heffron [b]
Secretary for Mines					16 September 1953	205 days
	Francis Buckley, MLC [d][f]			16 September 1953	30 June 1954	287 days
	William Gollan [f]			1 July 1954	15 March 1956	1 year, 258 days
Minister for Transport	Clarrie Martin [d]			23 February 1953	5 September 1953	194 days
	Joe Cahill			7 September 1953	16 September 1953	9 days
	Ernest Wetherell [d]			16 September 1953	15 March 1956	2 years, 181 days
Minister for Justice Vice-president of the Executive Council Representative of the Government in Legislative Council	Reg Downing, MLC [a]			23 February 1953		3 years, 21 days
Minister for Housing	Clive Evatt [a][e]				1 April 1954	1 year, 37 days
	Gus Kelly [e]			1 April 1954	2 September 1954	154 days
	John McGrath [e]			2 September 1954	15 March 1956	1 year, 195 days
Minister for Co-operative Societies	Clive Evatt [a][e]			23 February 1953	1 April 1954	1 year, 37 days
	Gus Kelly [e]			1 April 1954	15 March 1956	1 year, 349 days
Chief Secretary Minister for Immigration	Gus Kelly [c]			23 February 1953		3 years, 21 days
Minister for Health	Maurice O'Sullivan [a]
Minister for Agriculture Minister for Food Production	Eddie Graham [a]
Attorney General	Bill Sheahan, QC
Secretary for Lands	Frank Hawkins [a]
Secretary for Public Works Minister for Local Government	Jack Renshaw [a]
Minister for Conservation	George Enticknap [a]
Minister for Labour and Industry Minister for Social Welfare	Abe Landa
Minister without portfolio	John McGrath				2 September 1954	1 year, 191 days
	William Gollan [d]			16 September 1953	1 July 1954	288 days
	Roger Nott			10 May 1954	15 March 1956	1 year, 310 days
	Jim Maloney, MLC			1 July 1954		1 year, 258 days
Assistant Minister in the Legislative Council	Francis Buckley, MLC [a][d]			23 February 1953	16 September 1953	205 days

  Ministers are members of the Legislative Assembly unless otherwise noted.

See also

• New South Wales portal
• Politics portal

• Cahill ministries
• First
• Third
• Fourth

• Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
• 1953–1956

• Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council
• 1952–1955
• 1955–1958

Notes

1. Retained portfolios from first Cahill ministry.
2. Retained portfolios of Deputy Premier and Education from first Cahill ministry.
3. Retained portfolio of Chief Secretary from first Cahill ministry.
4. Clarrie Martin died while in office, serving as Minister for Transport.^[7] Joe Cahill served briefly as Minister for Transport in addition to other portfolios before rearranging the ministry, with Ernest Wetherell appointed Minister for Transport. Francis Buckley, who was without portfolio, was appointed as Secretary for Mines, replacing Deputy Premier, Bob Heffron. William Gollan replaced Buckley as minister without portfolio.
5. In 1954 Clive Evatt was forced to resign from the ministry.^[8][9] Evatt's portfolios of Housing and Co-operatives were both initially assumed by Gus Kelly, before John McGrath was appointed to Housing in September 1954.
6. Francis Buckley's term in the Legislative Council expired on 30 June 1954.^[10] William Gollan was appointed as Secretary for Mines.
7. Portfolios retained from first Cahill ministry.^[a][b][c] The rearrangements to the ministry, in chronological order, were triggered by: Martin died,^[d] Evatt resigned^[e] and Buckley's term expired.^[f]

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. Green, Antony. "1953 election totals". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
3. "1952 Redistribution". Atlas of New South Wales. NSW Land & Property Information. Archived from the original on 23 June 2015.
4. "Finnan, Greenup in A.L.P sensation". Truth. 21 December 1952. p. 1. Retrieved 11 December 2021 – via Trove.
5. "Commission into Minister's link with Doyle". Illawarra Daily Mercury. 12 February 1953. p. 2. Retrieved 2 December 2021 – via Trove.
6. "Part 6 Ministries since 1856" (PDF). NSW Parliamentary Record. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 12 April 2020.^[g]
7. "Major (Clarrie) Clarence Edward Martin, QC, (1900-1953)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
8. Cunneen, Chris; McLaughlin, John Kennedy (2007). "Evatt, Clive Raleigh (1900–1984)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
9. "Clive Evatt resigns from Cabinet: Premier forces a showdown". The Newcastle Sun. 31 March 1954. p. 1. Retrieved 7 April 2018 – via Trove.
10. "Mr Francis Patrick Buckley (1894-1971)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 30 April 2019.

 

New South Wales government ministries
Preceded by Cahill ministry (1952–1953)	Cahill ministry (1953–1956) 1953–1956	Succeeded by Cahill ministry (1956–1959)