Bill Sheahan (politician)
{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = The Honourable
|name = Bill Sheahan
|honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=80%|sep=,|QC}}
|image=
|order = 37th Attorney General of New South Wales
|term_start = 23 February 1953
|term_end = 15 March 1956
|premier = Joseph Cahill
|predecessor = Clarrie Martin
|successor = Reg Downing
|spouse = Ellen Imelda Byrne (m.1932)
|alma_mater = University of Sydney
(LL.B. 1930)
|birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1895|09|03}}
|birth_place = Tumut, Colony of New South Wales
|death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1975|12|27|1895|09|03}}
|death_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
|party = Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch)
|allegiance = Australia
|branch = Australian Army
|serviceyears = 1916–1919
| rank = Private
|commands =
|unit = 17th Battalion
5th Infantry Brigade Headquarters
| battles = First World War
| mawards =
}}
William Francis Sheahan {{post-nominals|country=AUS|QC}} (3 September 1895 – 27 December 1975) also known as Bill Sheahan or Billy Sheahan, was an Australian politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.
Early life
Born in Tumut, New South Wales, the son of the publicans of the hotel at Jugiong, Sheahan attended schools in Tumut and St Patrick's College, Goulburn.{{cite NSW Parliament |id=1571 |name=The Hon. William Francis Sheahan, MP |former=Yes |accessdate=2 April 2019}}
Sheahan gained work as a clerk in the Crown Law Department in 1914 before enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force in 1916, serving in France and Flanders. Following World War I, Sheahan returned to the Crown Law Department, working there until 1930, when he received a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Sydney and established a large criminal law practice. Called to the bar in 1930, Sheahan was made a Queen's Counsel in 1953.
Political career
Elected as the Labor Party member for the New South Wales Electoral district of Yass in 1941, Sheahan served in parliament until 1973 (from 1950 as the member for Burrinjuck), holding the portfolios of Attorney-General of New South Wales, Minister for Transport and Minister for Health between 1950 and 1965. His son Terry Sheahan succeeded him as Member for Burrinjuck.
Later life and legacy
Sheahan died in Sydney and was buried at Jugiong Cemetery.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article220294496 |title=Government Gazette Appointments and Employment |newspaper=Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales |issue=92 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=16 July 1965 |accessdate=7 April 2018 |page=2239 |via=Trove}}
In 1977, the {{Convert|1143|m|ft}} long "Sheahan Bridge", replaced the Prince Alfred Bridge near Gundagai as the Hume Highway crossing of the Murrumbidgee River.{{Citation | author1=New South Wales. Dept. of Main Roads | title=Sheahan Bridge over the Murrumbidgee River on the Hume Highway at Gundagai : official opening by The Hon. N.K. Wran, Q.C., M.L.A., Premier of New South Wales, at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, 25th March, 1977 | publication-date=1977 | publisher=N.S.W. Dept. of Main Roads | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/94296869}} This bridge was duplicated in 2010.{{cite web|title=Sheahan Bridge |work=Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government |publisher=Nation Building program |url=http://www.nationbuildingprogram.gov.au/projects/natnet/NSW/NSWUA002.aspx |accessdate=29 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091024083233/http://www.nationbuildingprogram.gov.au/projects/natnet/NSW/NSWUA002.aspx |archivedate=24 October 2009}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{S-start}}
{{s-par|au-nsw-la}}
{{S-bef |before= George Ardill }}
{{S-ttl |title= Member for Yass |years=1941–1950 }}
{{S-non|reason= District abolished |reason2=replaced by Burrinjuck}}
{{S-new|district |reason=replacing Yass}}
{{S-ttl |title= Member for Burrinjuck|years = 1950–1973 }}
{{S-aft|after= Terry Sheahan}}
{{S-off}}
{{S-bef |before= Bill Dunn }}
{{S-ttl |title= Secretary for Lands| years = 1947–1950}}
{{S-aft|after= Jack Renshaw}}
{{S-bef |before= Maurice O'Sullivan }}
{{S-ttl |title= Minister for Transport| years = 1950–1953}}
{{S-aft|after= Clarrie Martin}}
{{S-bef |before= Clarrie Martin }}
{{S-ttl |title= Attorney General of New South Wales|years = 1953–1956 }}
{{S-aft|after= Reg Downing}}
{{S-bef |before= Maurice O'Sullivan }}
{{S-ttl |title= Minister for Health|years = 1956–1965 }}
{{S-aft|after= Harry Jago }}
{{S-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheahan, William}}
Category:Australian people of Irish descent
Category:Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of New South Wales
Category:20th-century Australian politicians
Category:Attorneys-general of New South Wales
Category:Australian barristers
Category:Public servants of New South Wales
Category:Australian King's Counsel
Category:20th-century King's Counsel
Category:Australian military personnel of World War I
Category:Australian Army soldiers