Terry Sheahan

Who is Terry Sheahan?

Terence William "Terry" Sheahan, AO is an Australian judge and former politician. He was the Labor member for Burrinjuck in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1973 to 1988, and held various ministerial portfolios between 1980 and 1988, and currently sits as a judge on the New South Wales Land and Environment Court.

Terry Sheahan was the only son of Bill Sheahan, who was also a member of the Legislative Assembly. He attended school in Lewisham before studying at the University of Sydney, receiving a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Law in 1969. He worked as a solicitor from 1967 and was called to the bar in 1982. He had joined the Willoughby branch of the Australian Labor Party in January 1964 and went on to be a member of the Yass, Cootamundra and Gladesville branches. On 26 May 1973, he married Mary Christine Ridley, with whom he had eight children.

In 1973, Bill Sheahan retired and Terry was elected to his seat of Burrinjuck. He was secretary of the Parliamentary Labor Party from 1976 until his elevation to the ministry in 1980 as Housing and Cooperative Services Minister. In 1983 he became Energy and Finance Minister, moving to Planning and Environment in 1984. Later in 1984 he became Attorney-General, a post he held until 1987, when he became Transport Minister. Sheahan was defeated in Burrinjuck by Liberal candidate Alby Schultz when Labor lost office in 1988.