Jim Keeffe

"James Keeffe" redirects here. For the Irish bishop, see James Keefe.

James Bernard Keeffe (20 August 1919 – 15 May 1988) was an Australian politician who served in the Australian Senate as a Labor Senator for Queensland.

Jim Keeffe
Keeffe in 1974
National President of the Labor Party
In office July 1962 – August 1970
Preceded by	James Stout
Succeeded by	Tom Burns
Senator for Queensland
In office 1 July 1965 – 4 February 1983
Personal details
Born	(1919-08-20)20 August 1919 Atherton, Queensland, Australia
Died	15 May 1988(1988-05-15) (aged 68) Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Political party	Australian Labor Party
Occupation	Insurance salesman

Early life

Born in Atherton, Queensland, he was educated at state schools before becoming a farm labourer and forestry worker. After serving in the military 1942–1945, he became an insurance and real-estate salesman.^[1]

He became state secretary of the Coopers' Union, before serving as secretary of the Queensland Labor Party between 1960 and 1965, and as federal president from 1962 to 1970.^[1]

Senator

In 1964, he was elected to the Australian Senate as a Labor Senator for Queensland, taking his seat in 1965. He remained a Senator until his retirement in 1983.^[1]

In 1978, Keeffe ran a petition supporting the wishes of the Aboriginal people on Palm Island to retain their Aboriginal council. However the council was sacked by Joh Bjelke-Petersen's government in July 1978. This followed moves by the Queensland Government to hand over control of Palm Island to Townsville Council. The government ran a counter-petition, which, it was reported, carried forgeries and duplication of names; both petitions contained many of the same people's signatures.^[2]

Later life and death

In May 1988, Keeffe visited Canberra for the opening of the New Parliament House.^[3] On 15 May, he was found dead by his son when his returning train pulled into the station in Townsville.^[4]