Parker Moloney

Parker John Moloney (12 August 1979 – 8 May 1961) was an Australian politician, teacher and public servant. He was born at Port Fairy, Victoria to Maurice Moloney and Mary, nee Bowe. He became a teacher at John O'Hara's South Melbourne College in 1902 and then at University High School. Around this time he began to be interested in Labor politics and attended the Catholic Young Men's Association. In 1906 he became principal of Beechworth College.

In 1910 Moloney won the Victorian seat of Indi for Labor. He lost it in 1913, but regained it in 1914, in which year, on 15 April, he was married to Margaret Mary Mills. However, it was his opposition to conscription which lost him the seat for good in 1917. He relocated to New South Wales and in 1919 became the first Labor representative for Hume. Despite representing a New South Wales seat, he continued to live in Melbourne, but built up a strong support base in Hume.

Moloney was Minister for Markets and Transport from 1929 to 1931 as part of the Scullin government. He negotiated Australia's first trade treaty with Canada, and was rewarded with a parliamentary ovation. Despite many continuing exploits, including preparing for the Imperial Economic Conference of 1932, to be held at Ottawa, Canada, Moloney lost his seat in the conservative landslide of 1931.

There were no parliamentary pensions, which left Moloney almost destitute. He sold his house and moved in with his aunt. With former colleague Richard Keane, he managed to buy two old mining dumps near Bendigo, which were sold to Collins House for ₤3000. He also became active in the share market. By 1939 he was president of the Australian Labor Party in Victoria, but, despite two unsuccessful Senate campaigns, he withdrew from politics in 1943, when Labor won office. He gradually moved away from the ALP and joined the Democratic Labor Party. Chairman of the Victorian Dried Fruits Board from 1936-1957, he was only able to retire after being provided with a pension by Prime Minister Robert Menzies. He was closely associated with Archbishop Daniel Mannix, and was always interested in horse-racing.

Moloney died on 8 May 1961 and was given a state funeral. He was remembered by Archbishop Guilford Young as "outstanding among a great generation of Catholic men who had a special Catholic ethos".

References

*Australian Dictionary of Biography|last=Lloyd |first=C. J. |authorlink=|year=1986|id=A100532b.htm|title= Moloney, Parker John (1879-1961) |accessdate=2007-08-25

Persondata
NAME = Moloney, Parker John
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Australian politician
DATE OF BIRTH = 12 August 1879
PLACE OF BIRTH = Port Fairy, Victoria
DATE OF DEATH = 8 May 1961
PLACE OF DEATH = Victoria, Australia