Reg Coady
Encyclopedia
Reginald John Francis Coady (28 May 1918 – 13 May 1977) was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1954 until 1973. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party
(ALP).
Coady was born in Forest Lodge
and was the son of a carter. He was educated at Patrician Brothers High School, Forest Lodge and qualified as a book-keeper, eventually becoming the chief clerk for Tooheys Brewery. He was an official on the Federated Clerks' Union
and became involved in community organisations in the Glebe
area including the Saint Vincent de Paul Society
and the Australian Red Cross
. Coady was elected to the parliament as the Labor member for Leichhardt at the 1954 by-election caused by the suicide of the incumbent Labor member and ex-minister Claude Matthews
. Coady held the seat for the next 3 elections until the seat was abolished at the 1962
state election. He then contested the seat of Drummoyne
and defeated the sitting Liberal
member Walter Lawrence
. He retained the seat until his retirement at the 1973
election. Coady spent his entire 19-year career as a backbencher, and never held party or parliamentary office.
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
from 1954 until 1973. He 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...
(ALP).
Coady was born in Forest Lodge
Forest Lodge, New South Wales
Forest Lodge is a small, inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Forest Lodge is located 4 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney...
and was the son of a carter. He was educated at Patrician Brothers High School, Forest Lodge and qualified as a book-keeper, eventually becoming the chief clerk for Tooheys Brewery. He was an official on the Federated Clerks' Union
Australian Services Union
The Australian Municipal, Administrative, Clerical and Services Union, which operates under the trading name of the Australian Services Union or ASU, is a trade union that represents members in a variety of industries.-Union history:...
and became involved in community organisations in the 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....
area including the Saint Vincent de Paul Society
Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
The St Vincent de Paul Society is an international Roman Catholic voluntary organization dedicated to tackling poverty and disadvantage by providing direct practical assistance to anyone in need. Active in England & Wales since 1844, today it continues to address social and material need in all...
and the Australian Red Cross
Australian Red Cross
The Australian Red Cross is one of the many national Red Cross societies around the world. The Australian organisation was established in 1914, nine days after the commencement of World War I, by Karen Tenenbaum, when she formed a branch of the British Red Cross.the organisation grew at a rapid rate...
. Coady was elected to the parliament as the Labor member for Leichhardt at the 1954 by-election caused by the suicide of the incumbent Labor member and ex-minister Claude Matthews
Claude Matthews (Australian politician)
The Hon. Claude Hilton Matthews was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1934 until his death in 1954 . He was variously a member of the Australian Labor Party and the Australian Labor Party...
. Coady held the seat for the next 3 elections until the seat was abolished at the 1962
New South Wales state election, 1962
The 1962 New South Wales state election was held on 3 March 1962. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1961 redistribution...
state election. He then contested the seat of Drummoyne
Electoral district of Drummoyne
Drummoyne is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by John Sidoti of the Liberal Party of Australia.-History:...
and defeated the sitting Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
member Walter Lawrence
Walter Lawrence
Walter Richard Lawrence MBE was an Australian politician. He was the Liberal member for Drummoyne in the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1956 to 1962....
. He retained the seat until his retirement at the 1973
New South Wales state election, 1973
Elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly were held in the state of New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday 17 November 1973. The result was a win for the Liberal-Country Party coalition under Sir Robert Askin, which had been in office since 1965....
election. Coady spent his entire 19-year career as a backbencher, and never held party or parliamentary office.