18 Facts About Jim McGirr

Jim McGirr served as premier of New South Wales from 1947 to 1952, holding office as leader of the Australian Labor Party.

Jim McGirr led the party to victory at the 1947 and 1950 New South Wales state elections.

Jim McGirr was a pharmacist by profession and the younger brother of Patrick and Greg McGirr, who were members of parliament; Greg led the ALP briefly but was never premier.

Jim McGirr soon forfeited his apprenticeship to work in stockyards for a while, but had to give up that work when he was thrown from a horse and seriously injured.

Jim McGirr followed his brothers Greg and Patrick into ALP politics and joined the Parkes branch of the party in 1906.

Jim McGirr managed to get Jim endorsement on the party ticket for Cootamundra and he was duly elected.

Jim McGirr then stood for Bankstown, which he held until 1950.

Jim McGirr was Minister for Local Government from June 1931 to May 1932 and became Minister for Transport in March 1932.

Jim McGirr continued to be a loyal supporter of Lang throughout the 1930s, even though Lang Labor did not win any elections.

Jim McGirr became Minister for Local Government and Housing in the new Government, the only one of the ex-Langite faction appointed to Cabinet.

Jim McGirr failed to make significant progress on local government amalgamation; but he did establish the Housing Commission of New South Wales, which became an important state body dealing with the post-World War II and post-Depression housing shortage.

Decent, humane, well-liked, and personally free from corruption, Jim McGirr as Premier was a great procrastinator, and delayed many proposals.

An ambitious public works program, which Jim McGirr had promised in the 1947 campaign, was disrupted by post-war shortages and strikes.

Jim McGirr publicly threatened to resign because the party organisation had disendorsed four members of the Legislative Assembly for failing to follow the party's dictates in a vote for the Upper House.

Consequently, Jim McGirr had to deal with the independents as well as a cabinet full of factional opponents.

Jim McGirr afterwards took up a controversial appointment as Chairman of the Maritime Services Board.

Jim McGirr died of a coronary occlusion on 27 October 1957, at Homebush, inner-western Sydney.

Jim McGirr was survived by his wife Valerie Cecilia, daughter Margaret, and two sons, Patrick and James.