1. John Rowland Dacey was an Irish-born Australian politician.
20 Facts About John Dacey
1. 2.
John Dacey moved to Victoria, Australia, with his mother after his father died.
3.
John Dacey began his involvement in politics with an election to local council then moved to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 24 June 1895 to his death on 11 April 1912, serving as Treasurer in his final two years.
4.
John Dacey was born on 1 June 1854 in Cork, Ireland, to Thomas Dacey, a barrister, and Margaret.
5.
John Dacey was adopted by one Dr Smith in 1859 after his mother died.
6.
John Dacey served on the council for ten years from 1886 to 1896 and as the mayor in 1888 and 1889.
7.
John Dacey began his involvement in state politics as the Returning Officer for the district of Redfern from 1889 to 1891.
8.
John Dacey joined the Redfern Labor Electoral League, the local branch of the Labor Electoral League of New South Wales, in 1891, but was defeated for pre-selection by James McGowen, who would later serve as Premier and appoint Dacey to the cabinet.
9.
John Dacey combined these beliefs with his experience with the Wool and Basil Workers Union and the Labor platform.
10.
John Dacey was an anti-billite, meaning that he was against Federation, and spoke against it, for example at Coraki, New South Wales on 15 June 1899, based on his opposition to free trade.
11.
John Dacey campaigned for the district of Botany in 1894 and lost to the free trade supporter William Stephen.
12.
John Dacey was successful in the 1895 election, defeating Stephen for the seat.
13.
John Dacey was succeeded in the district of Botany by Rowland Anderson from the Liberal Reform Party.
14.
John Dacey became a senior party figure in the late 1890s and began to work on political strategy to win support in suburban seats and from white-collar voters.
15.
John Dacey stood in opposition to his party's support for the Premiership of Sir George Reid and instead threatened to resign if the party did not switch its support to William Lyne's Protectionist Party.
16.
John Dacey's standing in the Labor Party continued to grow: he was the party's treasurer from 1901 to 1910 and on the Party Central Executive in 1912.
17.
Labor won the 1910 state election and, while John Dacey was not given a cabinet position in Labor's first cabinet, he did gain positions in the second and third arrangement of McGowen's ministry; firstly, on 10 November 1911, as a minister without portfolio following two resignations and then, shortly after, on 27 November, as the Treasurer of New South Wales.
18.
John Dacey had campaigned for the government to provide low-cost housing to the working class from the 1890s to his death; he stated that "the time has come when we should create a Garden City and provide houses of an up-to-date character at the lowest possible rental".
19.
John Dacey's plans were based on the garden city movement, in particular to be modelled on the garden city of Letchworth in Hertfordshire, England.
20.
Daceyville, named in honour of John Dacey, was Australia's first public housing estate and included Australia's first cul-de-sac.