Harry Gardiner (politician)

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John Henry Gardiner (25 May 1907 – 8 April 1974) was an Australian politician, who served as a Member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales, Mayor of Redfern and Chairman of the Sydney County Council.

Harry Gardiner
Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
In office
15 September 1960 – 8 April 1974
Preceded byGerald Rygate
Succeeded byBob Scott
Chairman of the Sydney County Council
In office
24 January 1938 – January 1939
Preceded byArthur McElhone
Succeeded byStanley Parry
Mayor of Redfern
In office
31 December 1934 – 10 January 1936
Preceded byJohn Joseph Castle
Succeeded byJoseph Malachi Gilmore
Alderman on the Redfern Municipal Council
In office
2 January 1932 – 6 December 1941
ConstituencyRedfern Ward
Personal details
Born(1907-05-25)25 May 1907
Redfern, New South Wales, Australia
Died8 April 1974(1974-04-08) (aged 66)
Sydney, Australia

Early life and career

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He was born in Redfern to businessman Edward Felix Gardiner. He was educated at Haberfield Public School and Fort Street High School before becoming a motor parts manufacturer. Around 1928 he married Dora Elizabeth Saunders, with whom he had three children.

Political career

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In January 1932, Gardiner was first elected as a Labor Party candidate to a seat on Redfern Ward of the Redfern Municipal Council and soon rose to be mayor of the council in December 1934.[1] Gardiner was appointed mayor by the Minister for Local Government, Eric Spooner, which was due to the deadlocked nature of the council, which was split equally between Labor and independents, and the council up until then had been unable to settle on a candidate for mayor.[2][3] Taking office as mayor at age 26, Gardiner was the youngest mayor in Sydney and served until January 1936.[4] Gardiner continued to serve on Redfern council until his defeat at the December 1941 elections.

In August 1935, Gardiner was elected to the No.2 Constituency of the Sydney County Council and faced an unsuccessful legal challenge from his main conservative opponent, who disputed the results.[5][6] In January 1938, he was elected chairman of the county council and served for a single term.[7] Defeated as a county councillor in 1945, Gardiner was elected in September 1947 to fill a vacancy in the council caused by the retirement of Stanley Parry.[8] He served on the county council until the election in February 1949 when he was defeated, along with many other Labor councillors.[9][10]

From 1960 to 1974 he was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council, during which time he was associated with the Independent Labor Group. Gardiner died in office in 1974.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "MUNICIPALITY OF REDFERN – ELECTION OF ALDERMEN – DECLARATION OF POLL". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 29, 329. New South Wales, Australia. 5 January 1932. p. 3. Retrieved 8 July 2016 – via Trove.
  2. ^ "APPOINTMENT OF MAYOR OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF REDFERN". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 234. New South Wales, Australia. 31 December 1934. p. 4888. Retrieved 8 July 2016 – via Trove.
  3. ^ "LORD MAYOR". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 January 1935. p. 7. Retrieved 27 March 2015 – via Trove.
  4. ^ "THE YOUNGEST MAYOR". The Mirror. Vol. 13, no. 646. Western Australia. 15 September 1934. p. 11. Retrieved 8 July 2016 – via Trove.
  5. ^ "SYDNEY COUNCIL ELECTION". The Newcastle Sun. No. 5623. New South Wales, Australia. 20 December 1935. p. 7. Retrieved 8 July 2016 – via Trove.
  6. ^ "FOR COUNTY COUNCIL". Truth. No. 2380. New South Wales, Australia. 18 August 1935. p. 16. Retrieved 8 July 2016 – via Trove.
  7. ^ "COUNCILLOR GARDINER ELECTED". The Newcastle Sun. No. 6274. New South Wales, Australia. 24 January 1938. p. 1. Retrieved 8 July 2016 – via Trove.
  8. ^ "NEW SYDNEY COUNTY COUNCILLOR". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 34, 234. New South Wales, Australia. 11 September 1947. p. 15. Retrieved 8 July 2016 – via Trove.
  9. ^ "Labour Fails at County Council Vote". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 34, 676. New South Wales, Australia. 10 February 1949. p. 1. Retrieved 8 July 2016 – via Trove.
  10. ^ "Labour Hopes in County Council". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 34, 651. New South Wales, Australia. 12 January 1949. p. 5. Retrieved 8 July 2016 – via Trove.
  11. ^ "Mr John Henry Gardiner (1907–1974)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 6 May 2019.

 

Civic offices
Preceded by
John Joseph Castle
Mayor of Redfern
1934–1936
Succeeded by
Joseph Malachi Gilmore
Government offices
Preceded by Chairman of the Sydney County Council
1938–1939
Succeeded by
Parliament of New South Wales
Preceded by Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
1960 – 1974
Succeeded by