People Australia

William Mahony, by David Low, 1919

National Library of Australia, 6456759

William George Mahony (1877-1962) labor politician

Birth: 5 October 1877 at Kinsale, Cork, Ireland, son of William Mahony, shipbuilder, and Bridget nee Manning. Marriage: 1909 at Balmain North, Sydney, New South Wales, to Annie Amy Shaughnessy. They had one son and one daughter. Death: 28 August 1962 Randwick NSW. Religion: Catholic. Brother of Robert MLC (NSW).

• Arrived in Sydney with parents and siblings aboard the Northern Monarch on 14 September 1882.
• Educated to primary school.
• Grocery assistant; Organised Grocers Assistants’ Union and became first secretary; Associated with its development into Shop Assistants’ Union.
• In charge of Stores Branch, Sydney City Council.
• Member House of Representative, Dalley, (Federal), 1914-1927, succeeded Robert Howe on death; Had been Secretary for Howe in every campaign; Pres. Dalley Fed. Council; Member, PLL Balmain branch, c.1897; Pres. and Treasurer Balmain branch ALP and delegate to conferences; Member of Standing Committee on Public Works and on Sea Carriage; Member of Royal Commissions to investigate allegation of the administration of Cockatoo Island Dock, 1922; Member of Royal Commission on National Insurance, 1923; Stayed opponent of Bruce’s government’s referendum proposals, 1926.
• Interested in naval matters and shipbuilding.
• Resigned the seat of Dalley in January 1927 to allow E. G. Theodore to contest it. A Royal Commission found that Mahony had received a sum of up to £5000 as incentive to resign.
• Organiser for Red Cross in WWII, and until death.

Rydon; Australian Worker, 26 Apr. 1917 p.5, 6 Nov. 1919 p.7, 25 Mar. 1925; Labor News 15 Nov. 1919 p.7; Labor Daily, 14 Nov. 1925 (Supplement); Westralian Worker, Mar. 19 1926 p.11, 21 Jan. 1927 p.2