Greg McGirr

Who was Greg McGirr?

John Joseph Gregory "Greg" McGirr was an Australian politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.

The second son of John Patrick McGirr, a farmer, and Mary McGirr, both Irish emigrants, Greg McGirr was born in Parkes, New South Wales, and educated at St Joseph's Convent, Parkes, and St Stanislaus' College, Bathurst. He graduated in pharmacy from the University of Sydney in 1904. James McGirr, Premier of that state from 1947 to 1952, was one of his younger brothers. Another brother, Patrick, was also a New South Wales politician.

He opened chemist shops at Parkes, Peak Hill, Orange, Narromine, and eventually Sydney. He was heavily involved in land and stock trading. He joined the Australian Labor Party. In 1910 McGirr ran unsuccessfully for the seat of Orange, but won Yass at a by-election in 1913. In 1914 he married Rachel Rittenburg Miller, a schoolteacher. The couple had nine children.

He was ALP whip from 1916 until 1917. At the 1920 election proportional representation was introduced to most of the State and the Yass electorate was absorbed into an expanded multi-member electoral district of Cootamundra, and he won a seat in it. Labour won the election he became Minister for Public Health and Motherhood until the defeat of the Government in the 1922 election.