James Tully
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Barton
In office
17 November 1928 – 19 December 1931
Preceded byThomas Ley
Succeeded byAlbert Lane
Personal details
Born1877
Grafton, New South Wales
Died15 October 1962 (aged 84–85)
NationalityBritish subject (Australian)
Political partyLabor
ProfessionTeacher

James Thomas Tully (1877 – 15 October 1962) was an Australian politician. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1928 to 1931, representing the electorate of Barton.

Tully was born in Grafton and was educated at the Grafton Superior Public School. He became a teacher in 1896, initially in Grafton for approximately three and a half years, and then being in charge of a series of one-teacher rural schools: Cockatoo Flat near Walcha for two and a half years, Yarrowyck for eight years, and Lorne for two years. He resigned from the Education Department in September 1912 and took up farming and sawmilling at Tullamore; he was also the secretary for the Tullamore branch of the Australian Carriers Union during a pay dispute in 1914. He rejoined the Education Department in August 1923 as an assistant teacher at Hurstville Junior Technical School and taught there until his resignation to contest the federal election in 1928. Tully was also a vice-president of the St George Rugby League Club. He was previously an unsuccessful candidate at the 1917 state election, 1919 federal election and 1922 state election.[1][2]

In 1928, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Labor member for Barton, defeating incumbent Nationalist Thomas Ley, and was re-elected in 1929. He retained the seat until 1931, when he was challenged in the wake of the 1931 Labor split by both the United Australia Party's Albert Lane and Lang Labor's John Eldridge, the member for Martin. Lane won the seat, making it the only time in Australian history that two sitting members have been simultaneously defeated for the same seat.[3]

In 1961, he was living with his daughter in the Sydney suburb of Westmead.[4] He died in 1962.[3]

References

  1. ^ "MR. J. T. TULLY". The Propeller. New South Wales, Australia. 16 November 1928. p. 2. Retrieved 31 December 2019 – via Trove.
  2. ^ "LABOR'S CANDIDATES". The Australian Worker. New South Wales, Australia. 4 December 1919. p. 7. Retrieved 2 January 2020 – via Trove.
  3. ^ a b Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Archived from the original on 17 July 2007. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
  4. ^ "Calwell visits veteran of fiery politics". The Cumberland Argus. New South Wales, Australia. 15 March 1961. p. 1. Retrieved 2 January 2020 – via Trove.
Parliament of Australia Preceded byThomas Ley Member for Barton 1928 – 1931 Succeeded byAlbert Lane


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