Denis Murphy (Australian politician)

Dr. Denis Joseph Murphy (6 August 1936 – 21 June 1984), was an Australian Labor Party politician, historian and biographer.[1]

Dr. Denis Murphy
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Stafford
In office 22 October 1983 – 21 June 1984
Preceded by	Terry Gygar
Succeeded by	Terry Gygar
Personal details
Born	Denis Joseph Murphy 6 August 1936 Nambour, Queensland, Australia
Died	21 June 1984 (aged 47) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Resting place	Mooloolah Cemetery
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Labor
Spouse(s)	Gwendoline May Butcher (m.1959)
Alma mater	University of Queensland, Duke University
Occupation	Academic, Historian, School teacher

Murphy was born in Nambour, Queensland. He taught as an academic at the University of Queensland, writing extensively on the history of Labor in that state. Along with Peter Beattie, Manfred Cross and other colleagues in the Labor Party, he was the leading figure in the push during the late 1970s to have the Queensland branch of the party reformed. After the success of the reform movement, and intervention from the party's federal headquarters in March 1980, he became State Branch President.

Murphy was elected to the Parliament of Queensland for the electorate of Stafford at the 1983 state election.[2]

Murphy completed biographies on a number of Queensland ALP figures, notably Thomas J. Ryan and Bill Hayden. He was working on a biography of Andrew Fisher before his death.

Murphy was diagnosed with cancer in 1983 and died in 1984, aged 47. He died before having the opportunity to make a speech as a Member of Parliament.

Memorial lecture series

A lecture series in honour of Murphy was established. Lectures in the series have included the following:

1991: John Kerin MP, Treasurer. 30 August.
1992: Peter Beattie, MLA, Member for Brisbane Central. A reformist party in government: the courage needed for reform. 14 November.
1993: Barry Jones, former Labor MP. The agenda for the 1990s. 31 July.

2014: 24th Lecture. Anthony Albanese, M.P., former cabinet minister. Denis Murphy and the power of communities, 8 November.
2015: 25th Lecture. Douglas Cameron, Senator for NSW, 22 August.
2016: 26th Lecture. Sam Dastyari, Senator for NSW.
2017: Linda Burney, MP. 21 October.

See also

• D.J. Murphy, 1975, T.J. Ryan: a political biography, St Lucia, Brisbane: University of Queensland Press.
• Denis Murphy, 1980, Hayden: a political biography, Sydney: Angus and Robertson.
• Bradley Bowden, 2016, "Denis Murphy, the University of Queensland and Labour History, 1966-83, A Reassessment," Labour History, No 110 (May 2016), pp. 125–142.

References

1. B.J. Costar and Kay Saunders, Murphy, Denis Joseph (1936–1984) — Australian Dictionary of Biography, Vol 18, 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
2. "Former Members". Parliament of Queensland. 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015.

External links

• Denis Murphy display at the University of Queensland Library