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Bob Heffron Prime minister

Robert James "Bob" Heffron (10 September 1890 – 27 July 1978), also known as R. J. Heffron, was a long-serving New South Wales politician, union organiser and Australian Labor Party Premier of New South Wales from 1959 to 1964. Born in New Zealand, Heffron became involved in various Socialist and Labor movements in New Zealand and later Australia before joining the Australian Labor Party. Being a prominent unionist organiser, having been gaoled at one stage for "conspiracy to strike action", he was eventually elected to the Parliament of New South Wales for Botany in 1930. However his disputes with party leader Jack Lang led to his expulsion from the ALP in 1936 and Heffron formed his own party from disgruntled Labor MPs known as the Industrial Labor Party. The success of his party enabled his readmission to the party and his prominence in a post-Lang NSW Branch which won office in 1941.Heffron served as Minister of the Crown in the cabinets of William McKell, James McGirr and Joseph Cahill, most notably as Minister for Education from 1944 to 1960 and as Deputy Premier. In his significant tenure as minister for education Heffron oversaw massive expansion of the state's public schools and the development of higher education services including the establishment of the New South Wales University of Technology (now the University of New South Wales). Rising to become Premier in 1959, he spearheaded a final attempt to abolish the New South Wales Legislative Council via referendum in 1961, which ended in failure. Serving as Premier until 1964, Heffron was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for 37 years until his retirement on 23 January 1968.

Personal facts

Alias (AKA)	Heffron James
Birth date	September 10, 1890
Birth place	Thames New Zealand , Colony of New Zealand
Date of death	July 27, 1978
Place of death	New South Wales , Kirribilli New South Wales , Australia

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