Tom Sheehan

Who was Tom Sheehan?

Thomas "Tom" Sheehan was an Australian politician. Born in Sydney, he attended Catholic schools before becoming an engine-driver and official of the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen. He was involved in local politics as a member of Newtown City Council. In 1937, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Labor member for Cook. In 1940, when the New South Wales Caucus of the Labor Party split, Sheehan joined the Australian Labor Party under the leadership of Jack Lang. However, in 1941 John Curtin reunited the party, and Sheehan and the other Lang Labor members rejoined the federal ALP. He held the seat until his death on 26 March 1955. Thomas married Annie O'Mara and had four children, Stanley, Thomas, May and Kenneth.

On Tuesday 19 April 1955, the Prime Minister Mr. Robert Menzies, in his House of Representative's speech, described Mr Sheehan as a man who "possessed the most remarkable charm and generosity." Menzies went further to illustrate that Mr Sheehan who had sat in the House for eighteen years "has no enemies."

The leader of the opposition at the time, Dr Evatt, described Mr Sheehan as "kindness itself to new members."