Denis Murphy (Australian politician)

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Denis Murphy was an Australian Labor Party politician, historian and biographer.

Denis Murphy was born in Nambour on 6 August 1936. Murphy taught as an academic at the University of Queensland, writing extensively on the history of Labor in that state. Along with Peter Beattie, he was the leading figure in the push during the late 1970's to have the Queensland branch of the party reformed. After the success of the reform movement, and intervention from the party's federal headquarters, he became State Branch President.

He was later elected to the Parliament of Queensland for the state electorate of Stafford on 22 October 1983.

Murphy completed biographies on a number of Queensland Labor figures, notably T J Ryan and Bill Hayden. He was working on a biography of Andrew Fisher before his death.

Murphy was diagnosed with cancer in 1983 and died on 21 June 1984, aged 47. He died before having the opportunity to make a speech as a Member of Parliament.

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