People Australia

Jack Renshaw, 1968

State Library of New South Wales, 27616

John Brophy (Jack) Renshaw (1909-1987) farmer and State premier

Birth: 8 August 1909 at Wellington, New South Wales, eldest of eight children of native-born parents John Ignatius Renshaw (1883-1921), farmer, and Ann, née Reidy (1883-1982). Marriages: (1) 12 November 1942 to Sydney-born Hilda May Wall (1907-1964). They had one son. (2) 11 April 1966 at Holy Cross Church, Woollahra, Sydney, to Marjorie (Meg), née Nolan, late McKay (1929-2023), a widow with three sons. They had one son. Death: 28 July 1987 in a nursing home at Chatswood, Sydney; usual residence Kameruka Road, Northbridge. Religion: Catholic. 

• After his father died when Jack was 11 years-old young Jack helped with the family property near Binnaway. He was educated at Binnaway public school, the Patrician Brothers school in Orange, and at Holy Cross College, Ryde, Sydney.
• Returning to the family property, he helped run the dairy property Hampden Park and milk-run at Binnaway. With his brothers he opened a butchery business, a stock and station agency and an oil and fuel depot.
• Rejected in 1939 for army service on medical grounds, he was appointed to the Commonwealth Meat Advisory Council in World War II.
• A member and executive member of the Wheat Growers’ Union until 1940, he was a councillor of Coonabarabran shire from 1937 to 1941, and president in 1939-1940.
• Renshaw joined the Australian Labor Party in 1930; he was a member of the central executive in 1945-1950 and president of Gwydir electorate council in 1939-1949.
• Elected a member of the NSW Legislative Assembly for Castlereagh in 1941, he held the seat until 1980. He was minister for lands 1950-1952 and 1960-61; minister for public works 1952-1956; assistant minister for local government 1952-1953; minister for local government 1953-1959; minister for highways 1956-1959; treasurer 1959-1965 and 1976-1980; minister for agriculture 1961-1962 and minister for industrial development and decentralisation 1962-1965.
• Renshaw was deputy premier of NSW in 1959-1964 and premier from 30 April 1964 to May 1965. He was deputy ALP leader in 1959-1964 and leader 1964-1968.
• He was NSW agent-general in London from 1980 until he retired in 1982.
• Trustee Sydney Cricket Ground 1952-1978 and chairman 1972-1977.
• Cause of death: renal failure (days), septicaemia (1 week) and Parkinson’s disease (8 years). 

Sources
Heather Radi, Peter Spearritt and Elizabeth Hinton (eds), Biographical Register of the NSW Parliament 1901-1970 (Canberra, 1979); Labor Year Book, 1973; Sydney Morning Herald, 29 July 1987.