Jim Sheehan

{{Short description|Australian politician}} {{About|the politician|the historian|James J. Sheehan}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}} {{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Jim Sheehan | honorific_suffix = | image = James Michael Sheehan.jpg | title = Senator for Victoria | term_start = 12 July 1938 | term_end = 20 September 1940 | predecessor = John Barnes (died between election and beginning of term) | successor = John Spicer | term_start1 = 1 July 1944 | term_end1 = 30 June 1962 | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1885|7|24}} | birth_place = Castlemaine, Victoria | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1967|4|10|1885|7|24}} | death_place = Castlemaine, Victoria | spouse = | party = Australian Labor Party | relations = | children = | alma_mater = | occupation = Railway worker, unionist | profession = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} '''James Michael Sheehan''' (24 July 1885 – 10 April 1967) was an Australian trade unionist and politician.

Born in Castlemaine, Victoria, he received a primary education before becoming a railway worker.<ref name="senatebio">{{Cite Au Senate |Sen id=sheehan-james-michael |name=SHEEHAN, James Michael (1885–1967) Senator for Victoria, 1938–40, 1944–62 (Australian Labor Party) |first=Helen |last=Doyle |year=2004 |access-date=2023-01-17}}</ref> He was an organiser with the Australian Workers' Union and President of the Victorian Trades Hall Council, as well as being an active member of the Victorian Labor Party.<ref name=":0">{{Australian Dictionary of Biography|last=Strangio|first=Paul|year=2002|volume=16|id2=sheehan-james-michael-11672|title=Sheehan, James Michael (1885–1967)|access-date=2023-01-18}}</ref> On 12 July 1938, he was appointed to the Australian Senate for Victoria to fill a casual vacancy caused by the death of Labor Senator John Barnes. The Australian Constitution dictated that an appointment to a casual vacancy was required to be re-contested at the next election and while Sheehan was number one on the Labor ticket, he was defeated in 1940 with the UAP-Country coalition winning all four seats.<ref name="Psephos2">{{cite web |last=Carr |first=Adam |title=1940 Senate election: Victoria |url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/1940/1940senatevic.txt |accessdate=2023-01-18 |work=Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive}}</ref> He was third on Labor's ticket at the {{If|exist|Results of the 1943 Australian federal election (Senate)|1943 election|1943 election}}, with Labor winning all three seats,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carr |first=Adam |title=1943 Senate election: Victoria |url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/1943/1943senatevic.txt |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=Psephos Adam Carr's Election Archive}}</ref> taking his place at the in 1944. He remained in the Senate until his retirement in 1961, taking effect in 1962.<ref name="senatebio" /><ref name="Psephos">{{cite web|last=Carr |first=Adam |title=Australian Election Archive |work=Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive |url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia |year=2008 |access-date=2008-11-12 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070717093439/http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/ |archive-date=17 July 2007 }}</ref>

Sheehan died on April 10, 1967, at the age of 81.<ref name=":0" />

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheehan, Jim}} Category:1885 births Category:1967 deaths Category:People from Castlemaine, Victoria Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Australia Category:Members of the Australian Senate for Victoria Category:Members of the Australian Senate Category:20th-century Australian politicians