Joseph Cahill

The Honourable Joseph Cahill
29th Premier of New South Wales Elections: 1953, 1956, 1959
In office 2 April 1952 – 22 October 1959
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor	Sir John Northcott Sir Eric Woodward
Deputy	Bob Heffron
Preceded by	James McGirr
Succeeded by	Bob Heffron
3rd Deputy Premier of New South Wales
In office 21 September 1949 – 2 April 1952
Premier	James McGirr
Preceded by	Jack Baddeley
Succeeded by	Robert Heffron
Secretary for Public Works
In office 16 May 1941 – 2 April 1952
Premier	William McKell James McGirr
Preceded by	Lewis Martin
Succeeded by	Jack Renshaw
Minister for Local Government
In office 8 June 1944 – 2 April 1952
Premier	William McKell James McGirr
Preceded by	James McGirr
Succeeded by	Jack Renshaw
Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Cook's River
In office 10 May 1941 – 22 October 1959
Preceded by	New district
Succeeded by	Tom Cahill
Personal details
Born	(1891-01-21)21 January 1891 Redfern, Colony of New South Wales
Died	22 October 1959(1959-10-22) (aged 68) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Resting place	Rookwood Cemetery
Political party	New South Wales Labor Party
Spouse(s)	Esmey Mary Kelly (b.1891–m.1922–d.1971)
Children	Thomas James Cahill (1924–1983) John Joseph Cahill (1926–2006) Brian Francis Cahill (1930–2013) Mary (Gemma) Cahill Margaret Cahill[1]

John Joseph Cahill (21 January 1891 – 22 October 1959), also known as Joe Cahill or J. J. Cahill, was a long-serving New South Wales politician, railway worker, trade unionist and Labor Party Premier of New South Wales from 1952 to his death in 1959. Born the son of Irish migrants in Redfern, New South Wales, Cahill worked for the New South Wales Government Railways from the age of 16 before joining the Australian Labor Party. Being a prominent unionist organiser, including being dismissed for his role in the 1917 general strike, Cahill was eventually elected to the Parliament of New South Wales for St George in 1925.

After many years of backbench service, including a term outside of parliament, Cahill was eventually appointed Secretary for Public Works in 1941 and Minister for Local Government in the government of William McKell in 1944, where he led significant reforms of local government in the state, including establishing a Royal commission in 1945, and passing the landmark Local Government (Areas) Act of 1948. Promoted to Deputy Premier in 1949, Cahill became Premier of New South Wales from April 1952 to his death in October 1959. His term as premier is primarily remembered for his government's role in post-war infrastructure development, which included the commissioning of the Sydney Opera House and construction of the expressway which now bears his name.