Horace Foley
Encyclopedia
Horace John Foley was an Australian medical practiotioner and mayor of Glebe
.
Foley was born at Mudgee
to schoolteacher James Foley and Margaret Mary, née English. He attended Mudgee High School before studying medicine at the University of Sydney
, from which he graduated in 1926. He practised first at Strathfield
before moving to Glebe
, where he worked for the rest of his career. He married Sarah Agnes May Farmer at St Joseph's Catholic Church in Rockdale
on 23 November 1932.
Foley was a member of the Australian Labor Party
, and supported Premier Jack Lang
in the 1930s split. He ran unsuccessfully for the state seat of Burwood
in 1932 before winning election to Glebe Council in December 1934, serving as mayor in 1937 and 1938. He clashed with Lang and in December 1937 led his own group, the "Foley Labor Party", which defeated Lang's forces at the municipal elections. In 1938 he ran for the state seat of Glebe
for the Industrial Labor Party
, which opposed Lang.
Foley was convicted in 1938 of misusing council vehicles; he was fined and disqualified from sitting on the council. Lang's second splinter party, the Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
(after 1941 simply Lang Labor
), appealed to Foley's anti-communist leanings and he ran federally for West Sydney
in 1943 and 1949 and for the state seat of King
in 1944, 1947 and 1950. He was elected to Sydney Municipal Council
in 1945 for Phillip ward and Glebe Council in 1947; when the two amalgamated, Foley's Lang Labor ticket defeated the official Labor group for the Glebe seats. He resigned from the council in 1950 but served again 1953–56.
Foley rejoined the ALP in 1957 and soon gained control of the branch of Glebe North, analogous to the branch he had controlled in the 1930s. He was a councillor on Hornsby Shire Council
from 1962 to 1965 and served for the Glebe ward on Leichhardt Municipal Council
from 1968 to 1971. Remembered as a socially conservative Catholic
in a working-class community, Foley has a park named after him in Glebe. He died at Croydon
in 1989 and was buried in Rookwood Cemetery
.
Glebe, New South Wales
Glebe is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Glebe is located 3 km south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney, in the Inner West region....
.
Foley was born at Mudgee
Mudgee, New South Wales
Mudgee is a town in the central west of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in the broad fertile Cudgegong River valley 261 kilometres north west of Sydney. Mudgee is the centre of the Mid-Western Regional Council Local Government Area...
to schoolteacher James Foley and Margaret Mary, née English. He attended Mudgee High School before studying medicine at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, from which he graduated in 1926. He practised first at Strathfield
Strathfield, New South Wales
Strathfield is an Inner West suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Strathfield is located 14 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield...
before moving to Glebe
Glebe, New South Wales
Glebe is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Glebe is located 3 km south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney, in the Inner West region....
, where he worked for the rest of his career. He married Sarah Agnes May Farmer at St Joseph's Catholic Church in Rockdale
Rockdale, New South Wales
Rockdale is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Rockdale is located 13 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area...
on 23 November 1932.
Foley was a member of the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
, and supported Premier Jack Lang
Jack Lang (Australian politician)
John Thomas Lang , usually referred to as J.T. Lang during his career, and familiarly known as "Jack" and nicknamed "The Big Fella" was an Australian politician who was Premier of New South Wales for two terms...
in the 1930s split. He ran unsuccessfully for the state seat of Burwood
Electoral district of Burwood (New South Wales)
Burwood was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, first created in 1894 with the abolition of multi-member electoral districts from part of Canterbury, and named after and including the Sydney suburb of Burwood. With the introduction of...
in 1932 before winning election to Glebe Council in December 1934, serving as mayor in 1937 and 1938. He clashed with Lang and in December 1937 led his own group, the "Foley Labor Party", which defeated Lang's forces at the municipal elections. In 1938 he ran for the state seat of Glebe
Electoral district of Glebe
Glebe was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, originally created in 1859, partly replacing Sydney Hamlets, and named after and including the Sydney suburb of Glebe. It elected one member from 1859 to 1885 and two members from 1885 to 1894....
for the Industrial Labor Party
Industrial Labor Party
The Industrial Labor Party or Heffron Labor Party was a political party active in New South Wales, Australia, between 1938 and 1939. It was a splinter group of the Australian Labor Party and was formed by Bob Heffron after he and Carlo Lazzarini attempted to depose the party leader Jack Lang...
, which opposed Lang.
Foley was convicted in 1938 of misusing council vehicles; he was fined and disqualified from sitting on the council. Lang's second splinter party, the Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
The Australian Labor Party was the second Lang Labor breakaway party, associated with New South Wales Premier Jack Lang. It operated from 1940 to 1941....
(after 1941 simply Lang Labor
Lang Labor
Lang Labor was the name commonly used to describe three successive break-away sections of the Australian Labor Party, all led by the New South Wales Labor leader Jack Lang premier of NSW .-Initial opposition to Lang's leadership:...
), appealed to Foley's anti-communist leanings and he ran federally for West Sydney
Division of West Sydney
The Division of West Sydney was an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It was located in the inner western suburbs of Sydney, and at various times included the suburbs of Pyrmont, Darling Harbour, Surry Hills, Balmain and Glebe....
in 1943 and 1949 and for the state seat of King
Electoral district of King
King was an electoral district in the Australian state of New South Wales. It was created in 1904, replacing Sydney-King, and in 1920, with the introduction of proportional representation, it was absorbed into the multi-member electorate of Sydney. It was recreated in 1927, but it was abolished in...
in 1944, 1947 and 1950. He was elected to Sydney Municipal Council
City of Sydney
The City of Sydney is the Local Government Area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia...
in 1945 for Phillip ward and Glebe Council in 1947; when the two amalgamated, Foley's Lang Labor ticket defeated the official Labor group for the Glebe seats. He resigned from the council in 1950 but served again 1953–56.
Foley rejoined the ALP in 1957 and soon gained control of the branch of Glebe North, analogous to the branch he had controlled in the 1930s. He was a councillor on Hornsby Shire Council
Hornsby Shire
Hornsby Shire is a Local Government Area in the Northern region of Sydney, Australia. The Shire stretches from the suburb of Eastwood in the south to the Hawkesbury River town of Wisemans Ferry, some to the north...
from 1962 to 1965 and served for the Glebe ward on Leichhardt Municipal Council
Municipality of Leichhardt
The Municipality of Leichhardt is a Local Government Area in the inner-west of Sydney, in state of New South Wales, Australia.-History:The Municipality of Leichhardt stands on land that traditionally belonged to the Gadigal and Wangal people, of the Eora nation...
from 1968 to 1971. Remembered as a socially conservative Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
in a working-class community, Foley has a park named after him in Glebe. He died at Croydon
Croydon, New South Wales
Croydon is an affluent suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Croydon is located 11 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district. Croydon is split between the two local government areas of Burwood Council and the Municipality of Ashfield.The...
in 1989 and was buried in Rookwood Cemetery
Rookwood Cemetery
Rookwood Cemetery is the largest multicultural necropolis in the Southern Hemisphere, located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.