Preceded by Jack Houston Preceded by New seat Preceded by New seat Party Australian Labor Party | Succeeded by Tom Burns Succeeded by Seat abolished Succeeded by Max Hooper | |
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Died 20 August 1980, Townsville, Australia | ||
Rhythms of light perc tucker regional gallery
Percy John Robert "Perc" Tucker (5 December 1919 - 20 August 1980) was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. He was the leader of the opposition in 1974.
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Biography
Tucker was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, the son of Percy Clifford Tucker and his wife Beatrice (née Guthrie). He was educated at Rockhampton state and high schools before being employed in Brisbane by the Department of Public Works in 1937. He then worked as a draftsman in Rockhampton before moving to Townsville in 1955 and continuing the trade until 1960.
During World War Two Tucker enlisted with the RAAF in December 1940 but was discharged a month later. Then in March 1943 Tucker once again enlisted, this time with the Australian Army and served with the 42nd Australian Infantry Battalion in New Guinea and Bouganville. From 1948 until 1955 he was a Captain in the reserve army.
On the 20th June 1944 he married Isabel Mary Campbell, a hairdresser, at the Holy Trinity Church in Mackay and together had three sons and a daughter. One son, Rodney, died at a young age in 1956 after breaking his arm and died on the operating table whilst under anaesthetic. Tucker died in Townsville in August 1980 and his funeral was held at the John Knox Presbyterian church and he was later cremated.
Public life
Tucker, representing the Labor Party, won the new seat of Townsville North at the 1960 Queensland state elections. He held the seat until it was abolished for the 1972 Queensland state elections and then he was elected to another new seat, this time Townsville West. He only held the seat for two years and was defeated by Max Hooper in 1974.
From July 1966 until July 1974 Tucker was the deputy opposition leader under Jack Houston. He was then appointed opposition leader upon Houston's retirement but Tucker, along with most of his fellow Labor members, lost his seat at the state election held later in the year.
Tucker wasn't finished with politics however, and in 1976 he was elected the Mayor of Townsville, holding the role until his death in 1980. The Perc Tucker Regional Gallery (opened 1981) in Townsville is named in his honour.