Jim Simpson (Australian politician)

For other people named James Simpson, see James Simpson (disambiguation).

James Brunton Simpson (22 January 1905 – 10 December 1968) was a Scottish-Australian trade unionist, coal miner and politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Lake Macquarie for the NSW Branch of the Labor Party.

The Honourable Jim Simpson
Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Lake Macquarie
In office 17 June 1950 – 10 December 1968
Preceded by	New district
Succeeded by	Merv Hunter
Personal details
Born	(1905-01-22)22 January 1905 Shotts, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Died	10 December 1968(1968-12-10) (aged 63) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Political party	Socialist Labor Party Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch)

Early life

Simpson was born at Shotts, Lanarkshire, Scotland and educated at Dykehead Public School. He started work at the age of fourteen as a coal miner. He arrived in New South Wales with his parents in 1921 and worked in Stockton Borehole Colliery at Cockle Creek until was seriously injured in a mining accident in 1924 and had to be hospitalised for seven months.^[1]

He studied commercial subjects and was employed by the Northern Districts Miners' Federation as its assistant secretary in 1927. He was secretary of the federation from 1940 to 1950. He married Grace Ellen Gallimore in May 1941 and they had one daughter and two sons.^[2][3]

Political career

Simpson was elected as the Labor member for Lake Macquarie in 1950 and was re-elected in the seat until his death. He was Minister without portfolio from March 1956 to November 1957 and then Secretary for Mines (renamed Minister for Mines from 1 April 1959) until May 1965 when the Renshaw government was defeated.^[4]

He died in Sydney on 10 December 1968(1968-12-10) (aged 63).^[1] In 1963 the City of Lake Macquarie named the "J. B. Simpson Pool" in Speers Point in his honour.^[5]

Notes

1. "Mr James Brunton Simpson (1905–1968)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
2. "TO-DAY'S TOPICS". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. No. 23, 031. New South Wales, Australia. 26 July 1950. p. 2. Retrieved 13 April 2018 – via Trove.
3. "Northern secretary resigns". Lithgow Mercury. New South Wales, Australia. 27 June 1950. p. 1 (Edition 1). Retrieved 13 April 2018 – via Trove.
4. "Government Gazette Appointments and Employment". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 151. New South Wales, Australia. 22 November 1957. p. 3777. Retrieved 13 April 2018 – via Trove.
5. "J. B. Simpson Pool, Speers Point". Lake Macquarie City Library. City of Lake Macquarie. Retrieved 13 April 2018.

 

New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New district	Member for Lake Macquarie 1950–1968	Succeeded by Merv Hunter
Political offices
Preceded by Roger Nott	Secretary for Mines 1957–1959	Renamed Minister for Mines
New title	Minister for Mines 1959–1965	Succeeded by Tom Lewis