Preceded by James Ormonde Name Jim McClelland Resigned July 21, 1978 Occupation Solicitor, unionist Succeeded by Kerry Sibraa | Party Australian Labor Party Nationality Australian Role Solicitor | |
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Born 3 June 1915
Melbourne, Victoria ( 1915-06-03 ) Alma mater University of Melbourne
University of Sydney Died January 16, 1999, Wentworth Falls, Australia Spouse Gillian Appleton (m. 1978), Freda Watson (m. 1968), Nora Fitzer (m. 1947) Education University of Melbourne, University of Sydney | ||
Political party Australian Labor Party | ||
James Robert "Diamond Jim" McClelland (3 June 1915 – 16 January 1999) was an Australian solicitor, jurist, Senator, Minister in the Third Whitlam Ministry, Royal Commissioner looking at British nuclear tests in Australia, and the first chief judge of the Land and Environment Court of NSW.
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Biography
Born in Melbourne, McClelland was educated at St Patrick's College, Ballarat and Melbourne University (B.A.) and Sydney University (Law). He served in the Royal Australian Air Force between 1943 and 1946. After that he worked as a solicitor in Sydney for years.
The legal practice of McClelland dealt mainly with union workers compensation claims for the Federated Ironworkers' Association of Australia, where he was associated with Laurie Short. He played a large part (with Bob Santamaria) in helping Short take control of the Union from the openly pro-communist Ernie Thornton. By this time, nevertheless, he had turned against his former Catholic upbringing, and unlike many other Santamaria allies he never joined the DLP.
McClelland was elected to represent New South Wales for the ALP in the 1970 Senate election, his term to begin on 1 July 1971. In March 1971 he was appointed to a casual vacancy for the remainder of the term of the late Senator James Ormonde. He was again elected in the double dissolution election of May 1974. In the Third Whitlam Ministry he was Minister for Manufacturing Industry from 10 February to 6 June 1975. From 6 June to 11 November 1975 he was Minister for Labour and Immigration and Minister assisting the Prime Minister in matters relating to the Public Service. He was again elected at the December 1975 double dissolution election. He resigned from the Senate on 21 July 1978.
In 1980 McClelland was appointed the first chief judge of the Land and Environment Court of NSW, holding that office until his 70th birthday in June 1985.
In 1984, as Justice McClelland, he was President of the Royal Commission into British nuclear tests in Australia at Maralinga.
He was reviled by the right as is indicated in Roderick Meagher's portrait in Quadrant, and associated with Edmund Campion, Patrick White, Manning Clark and Donald Horne.
His lovers included writer Betty Roland, who detailed their affair in her autobiography The Devious Being.
After his death, journalist Paddy McGuinness wrote of him that "While he was always a man of considerable charm and elegance, good looking and highly articulate, most of his history was as an opportunist of the NSW Labor machine who acquired wealth and status through exploiting his union connections," and that "Like his former bosom buddy, John Kerr, McClelland was an expert in the Judas kiss." McClelland's widow, Gillian Appleton, later wrote to the paper to label the statements "a vicious and ill-informed attack".
Family
McClelland married three times: