16 Facts About Carlo Lazzarini

Carlo Lazzarini was elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, where he served for 35 years.

The son of Italian immigrant Piedro Carlo Lazzarini and his wife Hannah Stubbs, Carlo Lazzarini was born at Wombat, near Young, New South Wales.

Carlo Lazzarini was educated at the Young convent school and Young Superior Public School, before becoming a tailor's apprentice.

Carlo Lazzarini became active in the union movement and the Labor Party, joining the Young Labor League in 1899.

Carlo Lazzarini became secretary and president of the league and was campaign secretary for Chris Watson in the 1898 New South Wales election and the first federal election in 1901.

Carlo Lazzarini was strongly involved in the predominantly Irish Catholic community, acting as district secretary of the Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society and attending the founding meeting of the Irish National Association.

At the 1917 state election, Carlo Lazzarini was elected as member for Marrickville, defeating Thomas Crawford, who had left the Labor Party.

Carlo Lazzarini was the first member of the New South Wales parliament with an Italian name, and two years later his brother Bert Lazzarini became the first member of the federal parliament with an Italian name when he won the seat of Werriwa.

In 1920, the Legislative Assembly was elected from multi-member districts, and Carlo Lazzarini was elected as one of the members for Western Suburbs.

Carlo Lazzarini was dropped from the cabinet in May 1927, after serving two months as acting secretary for mines.

The Lang government lost power at the 1927 election, however Carlo Lazzarini was re-elected by the reinstated seat of Marrickville.

Carlo Lazzarini maintained his opposition to Lang and his dictatorial style, one of the few in the New South Wales caucus to openly do so.

Carlo Lazzarini joined the Industrial Labor Party in 1938, and continued to apply pressure to Lang, who was finally ousted in August 1939.

Carlo Lazzarini served as an assistant minister in the next Labor government from 1941 until 1944.

Carlo Lazzarini was still member for Marrickville, in his 13th term as a member of parliament, when he died of heart disease in Lewisham in 1952.

Carlo Lazzarini's great-great-grandniece is Courtney Houssos who is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.