# Tony Luchetti > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tony_Luchetti > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tony_Luchetti.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Luchetti > Source revision: 1347290974 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Australian politician (1904–1984)}} {{more footnotes needed|date=June 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Tony Luchetti | honorific_suffix = [AM](/source/Order_of_Australia) | image = Tony Luchetti 1973.jpg | caption = Luchetti in 1973 | constituency_MP = [Macquarie](/source/Division_of_Macquarie) | parliament = Australian | majority = | predecessor = [Ben Chifley](/source/Ben_Chifley) | successor = [Reg Gillard](/source/Reg_Gillard) | term_start = 28 July 1951 | term_end = 11 November 1975 | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1904|5|27}} | birth_place = [Lowther, New South Wales](/source/Lowther%2C_New_South_Wales), Australia | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1984|7|11|1904|5|27}} | death_place = [Lithgow, New South Wales](/source/Lithgow%2C_New_South_Wales), Australia | spouse = {{marriage|Beatrice Titus|1939}} | party = [Labor](/source/Australian_Labor_Party) | other_party = [Lang Labor](/source/Lang_Labor) (1930s) | relations = | children = | alma_mater = | occupation = Miner, journalist | profession = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Anthony Sylvester Luchetti''' (27 May 1904 – 11 July 1984) was a long serving Australian federal member of parliament. Born of [Italian](/source/Italians)/[Irish](/source/Irish_people) parentage in [Lowther, New South Wales](/source/Lowther%2C_New_South_Wales), Luchetti was educated in the Catholic school system before working in jobs as varied as miner and journalist. Involved in the [Australian Labor Party](/source/Australian_Labor_Party) (ALP) from an early age, Luchetti was elected to the [Lithgow City Council](/source/Lithgow_City_Council) and served on the New South Wales ALP Executive from 1929 to 1931. Luchetti developed a close friendship with the local federal Member of Parliament and future prime minister [Ben Chifley](/source/Ben_Chifley), and also served as Chifley's campaign manager for the electoral [Division of Macquarie](/source/Division_of_Macquarie) for two elections. However, following a split in the New South Wales Labor ranks led by New South Wales premier [Jack Lang](/source/Jack_Lang_(Australia)), Luchetti, a Lang supporter, stood against Chifley. The Labor [vote split](/source/Vote_splitting) between the two candidates, enabling the opposition [United Australia Party](/source/United_Australia_Party) candidate, [John Lawson](/source/John_Lawson_(Australian_politician)), to win the seat. The two would remain on less than cordial terms for the rest of Chifley's life. Luchetti remained active in the Labor movement, however, and following the death of Chifley in 1951, Luchetti won Labor pre-selection for the Macquarie electorate and the subsequent by-election and served as the member for Macquarie until his retirement in 1975. ==Early life== Luchetti was born on 27 May 1904 in [Lowther, New South Wales](/source/Lowther%2C_New_South_Wales). He was the son of Edith Maud {{nee|Hutchison}} and Alexander Luchetti; his father was a coal miner.{{cite news|url=https://labouraustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/luchetti-anthony-sylvester-tony-32432|title=Anthony Sylvester (Tony) Luchetti (1904–1984)|work=Biographical Register of the Australian Labour Movement, 1788-1975|via=Labour Australia|year=2022}} His paternal grandfather Alessandro Luchetti was born in [Ancona](/source/Ancona), Italy, and his paternal grandmother Sarah Jennings was born in [County Mayo](/source/County_Mayo), Ireland.{{cite news|url=https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/luchetti-alexander-32324|title=Alexander Luchetti (c. 1823–1902)|publisher=People Australia|access-date=6 November 2024}} Luchetti was educated at public and Catholic schools in [Newnes](/source/Newnes%2C_New_South_Wales) and [Lithgow](/source/Lithgow%2C_New_South_Wales). He left school at the age of 15 and worked various jobs, including tinning petrol, as a [boilermaker](/source/boilermaker)'s mate, and as a [blacksmith's striker](/source/blacksmith's_striker). He was also a well-known local boxer and rugby league player. After his father's death in 1922, Luchetti became his family's primary breadwinner. He worked at a brickworks at [Vale of Clwydd](/source/Vale_of_Clwydd%2C_New_South_Wales) and also at the State Coal Mine at Lithgow.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/221850300|title=Mr A. S. Luchetti|newspaper=Lithgow Mercury|date=3 December 1931}} ==Labour movement and early political involvement== Luchetti followed his father into the labour movement and was elected president of the Lithgow branch of the Brick, Tile and Pottery Industrial Union in 1923. He joined the Australian Labor Party in the same year. Luchetti served on the [Lithgow City Council](/source/City_of_Lithgow) from 1941 to 1952, including as mayor in 1942 and 1950. ==Federal parliament== thumb|upright|Luchetti in 1962 Luchetti was elected to the House of Representatives at the [1951 Macquarie by-election](/source/1951_Macquarie_by-election), caused by the death of former ALP prime minister [Ben Chifley](/source/Ben_Chifley). He was re-elected on nine occasions and retired prior to the [1975 federal election](/source/1975_Australian_federal_election).{{cite news|url=https://handbook.aph.gov.au/Parliamentarian/KID|title=Luchetti, Anthony Sylvester, AM|work=Parliamentary Handbook|publisher=Parliament of Australia|access-date=6 November 2024}} ==Personal life== In 1939, Luchetti married Beatrice Titus, with whom he had three children. Outside of politics he owned a cattle run near [Wallerawang, New South Wales](/source/Wallerawang%2C_New_South_Wales). Luchetti died in Lithgow on 11 July 1984, aged 80. ==References== {{reflist}} * Day, D. (2001) ''Chifley'', HarperCollins, {{ISBN|0-7322-6702-1}}. {{s-start}} {{s-par|au}} {{succession box | title=Member for [Macquarie](/source/Division_of_Macquarie) | before=[Ben Chifley](/source/Ben_Chifley) | after=[Reg Gillard](/source/Reg_Gillard) | years=1951–1975}} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Luchetti, Tony}} Category:1904 births Category:1984 deaths Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Australia Category:Lang Labor politicians Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Macquarie Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives Category:Members of the Order of Australia Category:Australian miners Category:Australian people of Italian descent Category:Australian people of Irish descent Category:Australian MPs 1951–1954 Category:Australian MPs 1954–1955 Category:Australian MPs 1955–1958 Category:Australian MPs 1958–1961 Category:Australian MPs 1961–1963 Category:Australian MPs 1963–1966 Category:Australian MPs 1966–1969 Category:Australian MPs 1969–1972 Category:Australian MPs 1972–1974 Category:Australian MPs 1974–1975 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tony Luchetti](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Luchetti) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Luchetti?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.