Michael O'Keefe (Tasmanian politician)
Michael Ignatius O'Keefe (28 September 1864 – 2 October 1926) was an Australian politician who served in the Tasmanian House of Assembly from 1912 until his death, representing the Labor Party.
Michael O'Keefe | |
|---|---|
| Speaker of the Tasmanian House of Assembly | |
| In office 28 July 1925 – 2 October 1926 | |
| Preceded by | John Evans |
| Succeeded by | Walter Woods |
| Member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly for Wilmot | |
| In office 30 April 1912 – 2 October 1926 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 September 1864 Selbourne, Tasmania, Australia |
| Died | 2 October 1926 (aged 62) Beaconsfield, Tasmania, Australia |
| Political party | Labor |
| Occupation | Miner, politician, trade unionist |
O'Keefe was born in Selbourne, near Westbury, Tasmania. He married Beatrice Dutton in 1896, and had four children. Before entering politics, he worked as a miner at Beaconsfield and Gormanston. He was a branch secretary of the Amalgamated Miners' Association.[1]
O'Keefe was elected to parliament at the 1912 state election, as one of the members for Wilmot. When Labor won the 1925 election, he was elected Speaker of the House.[2] On 15 July 1926, O'Keefe suffered severe injuries when the car in which he was travelling collided with a goods train near Perth. He lingered for several months before dying in Beaconsfield on 2 October. Future prime minister Joseph Lyons was also injured in the crash.[3]
References
- "OBITUARY: Hon. M. I. O'Keefe". The Hobart Mercury. 4 October 1926.
- Parliament of Tasmania (2005). "O'Keefe, Michael Ignatius". The Parliament of Tasmania from 1856. Parliament of Tasmania. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
- Anne Henderson (2011). Joseph Lyons: The People's Prime Minister. NewSouth. p. 177.