David O'Keefe (Australian politician)

David O'Keefe
Senator for Tasmania
In office 29 March 1901 – 31 December 1906
In office 1 July 1910 – 30 June 1920
Member of the Australian Parliament for Denison
In office 16 December 1922 – 14 November 1925
Preceded by	William Laird Smith
Succeeded by	Sir John Gellibrand
Personal details
Born	21 August 1864 Longford, Tasmania
Died	21 July 1943 (aged 78)
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Australian Labor Party
Occupation	Journalist

David John O'Keefe (21 August 1864 – 21 July 1943) was an Australian politician.

Born in Longford, Tasmania, he was educated at state schools before becoming a farm worker and miner. He was involved in the labour movement as a journalist ^[1] and an organiser of the Australian Workers' Union.

In 1901, he was elected to the Australian Senate, running with endorsement from the Protectionist Party, as there was no Labour Party in Tasmania at the time; however, he joined the Australian Labor Party caucus in Parliament.^[2]

He was defeated in 1906, but re-elected in 1910, serving until his defeat in 1919 (taking effect in 1920).

In 1922, he was elected to the House of Representatives, defeating Labor-turned-Nationalist MP William Laird Smith for the seat of Denison. He was the first Tasmanian to have served in both houses of federal parliament.

He was defeated in 1925 by Nationalist Sir John Gellibrand and worked in Western Australia for some time before returning to Tasmania in 1931. In 1934 O'Keefe was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly, immediately taking the position of Speaker. He held the Speaker's position until 1942 and died the following year.^[3]

References

1. He lived in Zeehan, Tasmania from 1892, and was editor of the Zeehan and Dundas Herald between 1894 and 1899 - see http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/okeefe-david-john-7896
2. "GOVERNMENT AND PROTECTION". Daily Telegraph. XXVI, (293). Tasmania, Australia. 8 December 1906. p. 3. Retrieved 25 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
3. Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 9 November 2008.