Patrick Leahy (Australian politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Patrick Leahy JP
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Warrego
In office 11 March 1902 – 18 May 1907
Preceded by	David Bowman
Succeeded by	George Barber
In office 24 September 1907 – 5 February 1908
Preceded by	George Barber
Succeeded by	Harry Coyne
Member of the Queensland Legislative Council
In office 1 July 1912 – 23 March 1922
Personal details
Born	Patrick James Leahy June 1860 Schull, County Cork, Ireland
Died	13 October 1927 (aged 67) Clayfield, Queensland, Australia
Resting place	Toowong Cemetery
Nationality	Irish Australian
Political party	Ministerialist
Other political affiliations	Opposition
Spouse	Julia Alice Costello (m. 1897)
Relations	John Leahy
Occupation	Journalist

Patrick James Leahy (June 1860 – 13 October 1927) was an important Australian politician and journalist. He was born in Ireland and later moved to Australia. He served in two different parts of the Queensland government.

Early Life and Career

Patrick Leahy was born in June 1860 in a place called Schull, in County Cork, Ireland. His parents were Patrick and Mary Leahy. After finishing school in Ireland, he moved to the Colony of Queensland in Australia in 1887. He joined his brother, John Leahy, who was also a politician.

Patrick Leahy started his career as a journalist. He worked for a newspaper called the Brisbane Courier. Later, he moved to Western Queensland and started his own newspaper, The Herald, in a town called Thargomindah. He also became the secretary for the Bulloo Divisional Board, which was a local government group. In 1900, he started another newspaper in Innisfail.

Patrick Leahy's Political Journey

Before becoming a state politician, Patrick Leahy was a member of the Bulloo Shire Council for several years. This was a local government group.

First Time in Parliament

In 1902, Leahy ran for a seat in the Queensland Parliament for the area called Warrego. He was a "Ministerialist" candidate, which meant he supported the government at the time. He won the election, beating the person who held the seat before him, David Bowman. Leahy kept this seat until the 1907 election.

A Disputed Election

In the 1907 election, Leahy lost his seat to George Barber. However, Leahy believed the election result was unfair. He appealed the decision because Barber was an "uncertified insolvent." This meant Barber had financial problems that were not officially sorted out, which could stop him from holding office. In September, a special group called the Elections Tribunal looked into the case. They agreed with Leahy and changed the result, declaring Leahy as the winner instead.

Serving in Government

In November 1907, Patrick Leahy was given an important job in the government. He became the Secretary for Public Works and Mines. This meant he was in charge of things like building roads and managing mining. However, in the 1908 election, he lost his seat again, this time to Harry Coyne.

Joining the Legislative Council

On July 1, 1912, Leahy was asked to join the Queensland Legislative Council. This was a different part of the Queensland Parliament, similar to an upper house. Members of the Legislative Council were appointed, not elected by the public.

Fighting for the Council

Patrick Leahy played a big role in trying to stop the Legislative Council from being removed. He gave many thoughtful speeches against getting rid of it. He strongly believed that the council was important for the government. He was also against any laws that seemed to be too much like "socialist" or "communist" ideas, which meant he didn't like ideas that gave the government too much control over people's lives or businesses. He was also a Justice of the Peace, which meant he had some legal authority, like being able to witness documents.

Family Life

Patrick Leahy married Julia Alice Costello on December 13, 1885, in Thargomindah. They had five children together. Patrick Leahy passed away in October 1927 at the age of 67. He was buried in the Toowong Cemetery in Queensland.