John Armstrong (Australian politician)
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John Ignatius Armstrong AC (10 July 1908 – 10 March 1977) was an Australian politician and federal minister.
Armstrong was born in the Sydney suburb of Ultimo, New South Wales and ducated at St Bede's School, Pyrmont, and Marist Brothers' High School, Darlinghurst. In 1934, he was elected as an alderman of Sydney Municipal Council, representing the Australian Labor Party until 1948.[1]
Armstrong was selected for Labor's slate of candidates for the Australian Senate for the 1937 election partly because his name would appear high on the alphabetic ballot and he was duly elected, effective from July 1938. He married Joan Therese Josephine Curran in October 1945. He was appointed Minister for Munitions in Ben Chifley's November 1946 ministry. In April 1948, his portfolio was merged the Supply functions of William Ashley porfolio to create the portfolio of Supply and Development and he was attacked by the opposition for the breadth of his powers. Following Labor's defeat at the 1949 election, he became deputy-leader of the Opposition in the Senate. He was not a member of the Industrial Groups, but as a catholic with strong business interests in picture theatres, he was under constant attack from the left of the party. He was relegated to an unwinnable fourth position on Labour's ticket for the 1961 election and left parliament in July 1962.[1]
Armstrong was elected Lord Mayor of Sydney in 1966, but the position was abolished by the Askin government in 1967. The Whitlam government appointed him High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in 1973 and 1974. In 1977, he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia.[2] He died of a myocardial infarction in Batemans Bay, survived by his wife, a son and four daughters.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Campion, Edmund (1993). Armstrong, John Ignatius (1908 - 1977). Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved on 2008-02-02.
- ^ Armstrong, John Ignatius, AC. It's an Honour. Government of Australia. Retrieved on 2008-02-02.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Dedman |
Minister for Munitions 1946 – 1948 |
Succeeded by Richard Casey |
| Preceded by William Ashley |
Minister for Supply and Development 1948 – 1949 |
|
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by Alexander Downer |
Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom 1973 – 1974 |
Succeeded by ? |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Armstrong, John Ignatius |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Australian politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 10, 1908 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Ultimo, New South Wales |
| DATE OF DEATH | 10 March 1977 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Batemans Bay, New South Wales |
