Robert James Heffron (1890 - 1978)

Born 10 Sep 1890 in Thames, Waikato, New Zealand

Ancestors

Died 27 Jul 1978 at age 87 in Kirribilli, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Bob Heffron is Notable.

Robert was born in 1890 at or about Thames in New Zealand. He is the son of Irish immigrants Michael Heffron and Ellen Heath. ^[1]

In 1917 he married Jessie Bjornstad. ^[2] and they had two daughters.

He moved to Australia to evade compulsory military service and became a prominent Union leader and later politician. Serving as Premier of New South Wales between 1959 and 1964. Being first elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the Sydney seat of Botany in the the Labor Party's landslide victory of 25 October 1930. He retained this seat until 1950 when he was elected for the seat of Maroubra. Serving for many years as Deputy Premier until the 28th of October 1959, six days after Premier John Joseph Cahill's sudden death, the Honorable Robert Heffron was elected New South Wales Labor leader and therefore Premier himself; unopposed. He served the state of New South Wales as Premier until April 1964, and the seat of Maroubra until his retirement from Parliament in January 1968.

His wife Jessie died aged 84 on 7 July 1977 at Kirribilli Private Hospital while Heffron was also admitted there as a patient. He died aged 87 at the same hospital on 27 July 1978, survived by his two daughters. Heffron was granted a State Funeral with a service at St Stephen's Uniting Church, Sydney that was attended by over 200 people. ^[3]

Research Notes

Information from the military file:

• DOB: 10 Sep 1890, Thames. Parents Michael Heffron (decd, Ireland), Ellen Heffron (Ireland), both in NZ 40 years.
• Trade Union organizer, 24 Grosvenor St, Grey Lynn. Employed by Auckland General Labourers Union.
• 5' 5.5", dark complexion, light blue eyes, black hair, RC. Scars on left patella.
• He appealed military conscription on medical grounds by smoking a pack of cigarettes before his physical examination and claiming shortness of breath due to a heart condition . The appeal was denied; however he did not see overseas service anyway.

Sources

1. ↑ NZ BDM Birth search: 1890/13412 Heffron James || Ellen ||Michael
2. ↑ NZ BDM Marriage search: 1917/6235 Jessie Bjornstad || James Heath Heffron
3. ↑ Bob Heffron From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

• Heffron, Robert James (1890–1978) by Robert Carr; Australian Dictionary of Biography. Accessed 1 Sep 2021, citing the Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 14 , 1996.

• New South Wales Births, Deaths & Marriages: DEATH: HEFFRON, ROBERT JAMES - registration no. 17489/1978 - father: MICHAEL - mother: ELLEN

Further Reading

• Wikipedia:Bob_Heffron

• DESERTERS FROM HIS MAJESTY’S SERVICE. from the NEW ZEALAND POLICE GAZETTE, VOLUME XLII, ISSUE 41, of the 17th of OCTOBER 1917, PAGE 602. first accessed online on the 11th of September, 2021 at: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZPG19171017.2.8 (Note: The New Zealand Police Gazette from 1877-1944 is out of copyright.)

• INDUSTRIAL WORLD from the OTAGO DAILY TIMES, ISSUE 23441, of the 4th of MARCH 1938, PAGE 3. first accessed online on the 11th of September, 2021 at: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19380304.2.11 (Allied Press Ltd is the copyright owner for the Otago Daily Times. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons New Zealand BY-NC-SA licence.)

• STATE PREMIER from the OTAGO DAILY TIMES, ISSUE 26376, of the 3rd of FEBRUARY 1947, PAGE 4. first accessed online on the 11th of September, 2021 at: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19470203.2.46 (Allied Press Ltd is the copyright owner for the Otago Daily Times. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons New Zealand BY-NC-SA licence.)

• Government Gazette Appointments and Employment from the Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales (Sydney, NSW : 1901 - 2001) of Friday 23 October 1959 [Issue No.124 (SUPPLEMENT)] Page 3271. first accessed online on the 11th of September, 2021 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/220308746?

• Mr. Heffron's Long Road from The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) of Wednesday 29 April 1964, Page 2. first accessed online on the 11th of September, 2021 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/104290749?

• The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) of Friday 8 July 1977, Page 3. first accessed online on the 11th of September, 2021 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110853752?searchTerm=%22Robert%20Heffron%22

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/172502532/robert-james-heffron : accessed 10 September 2021), memorial page for Robert James Heffron (unknown–27 Jul 1978), Find a Grave Memorial ID Find A Grave: Memorial #172502532, citing Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park, Matraville, Randwick City, New South Wales, Australia ; Maintained by jlong (contributor 48741020) . (note: no gravestone photograph)

• Government Gazette Notices from the Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales (Sydney, NSW : 1901 - 2001) of Friday 28 July 1978, Issue No.88 (EXTRAORDINARY)], Page 3235. first accessed online on the 10th of September, 2021 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/219956905?

• 200 at service for former Premier from The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) of Tuesday 1 August 1978, Page 11. first accessed online on the 10th of September, 2021 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110900320?

• IN the Supreme Court of New South Wales.— Notice of intended distribution of estate from the Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales (Sydney, NSW : 1901 - 2001) of Friday 6 October 1978 [Issue No.127], Page 4170. first accessed online on the 10th of September, 2021 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/220219392?

• Mr Robert James HEFFRON (1890 - 1978) from the PARLIAMENT OF NEW SOUTH WALES website. first accessed online on the 10th of September, 2021 at: https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/Pages/member-details.aspx?pk=1506

• ROBERT J. HEFFRON from The Australian Worker (Sydney, NSW : 1913 - 1950) of Wednesday 2 March 1938, Page 14. first accessed online on the 11th of September, 2021 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/146227899?

• Arnold, J. & Morris, D. (editors) 1994, Monash Biographical Dictionary of 20th century Australia, pp 242 & 243, Reed Reference Publishing, Port Melbourne, Victoria.

• Heffron, Robert James (1890-1978) Via TROVE