Dan Mahoney

Background

Mahoney was born in Bondi, and was educated at Marist Brothers" High School.

Career

He was an Australian Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1959 to 1976. He began working for the Postmaster-General"s Department in 1925, working as a telephone mechanic and later as a divisional engineer He was an alderman on the City of Parramatta council from 1954 until 1959, including a year as mayor in 1958.

He was also a director of Parramatta District Hospital from 1956 until 1959.

He was the Labor candidate at the 1958 Parramatta by-election, at which Sir Garfield Barwick entered politics, losing to the future Attorney-General and Chief Justice of the High Court. He was easily re-elected on five occasions, always winning on the primary vote.

Mahoney retired at the 1976 election, and was succeeded by Labor Modern Language Association Barry Wilde. Mahoney served as a director of the Parramatta Leagues Club after his retirement from politics.

He died at Portuguese Macquarie in 1996.

The Dan Mahoney Reserve in North Parramatta is named for him.

Achievements

• Mahoney entered state politics at the 1959 election, when he won the state seat of Parramatta, which had been vacated by retiring Liberal Modern Language Association Jim Clough.