Nelson Lemmon

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Nelson Lemmon (22 March 1908 – 20 March 1989) was an Australian politician and government minister. He was responsible for establishing the Snowy Mountains scheme.[1]

Nelson was born at Williamstown, Victoria, the son of John Lemmon (1875-1955), Australian Labor Party politician and Australian Labor Party member for Williamstown in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1904 to 1951.[2] He was educated at Williamstown State School and Longerenong Agricultural College. He became a farmer in Ongerup, Western Australia and married Ada Mary Jackel in 1930.[3][4]

[edit] Political career

Nelson won the House of Representatives seat of Forrest for labor as the 1943 election. He was Minister for Works and Housing in Ben Chifley's November 1946 ministry until his defeat by Gordon Freeth at the 1949 election. He was responsible for the commencement of the construction of the Snowy Mountains scheme a complex of dams, power stations and tunnels in southern New South Wales to produce hydroelectric power and divert water for irrigation to inland areas along the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers.[5] He chose William Hudson as commissioner of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Authority and refused to follow the normal procedure of putting forward three alternatives to cabinet.[6]

Lemmon was also responsible for commencing a substantial program of construction of houses for ex-servicemen returned from World War II. At the 1954 election he won the seat of St George in Sydney from Bill Graham and there was press speculation that he would run for Labor leadership. However, the Labor Party split in 1954 and Nelson lost to Graham at the 1955 election.[3]

Lemmon returned to being a horse trainer and breeder in Robertson, New South Wales. He was survived by his wife and a son and a daughter.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Members of the House of Representatives since 1901. Parliamentary Handbook. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved on 2008-02-04.
  2. ^ Smith, Ann G. (1986). Lemmon, John (1875 - 1955). Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved on 2008-02-04.
  3. ^ a b Hawke, Bob (4 April 1989). Death of Hon. Nelson Lemmon. Hansard. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved on 2008-02-04.
  4. ^ "Ada toasts her 105th birthday", Bayside Bulletin, 14 January 2008. Retrieved on 2008-02-05. 
  5. ^ The Snowy Vision and the Young Team - The First Decade of Engineering for the Snowy Mountains Scheme. The spirit of the Snowy—fifty years on. Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. Retrieved on 2008-02-04.
  6. ^ Sparke, Eric (1996). Hudson, Sir William (1896 - 1978). Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved on 2008-02-05.
Political offices
Preceded by
Hubert Lazzarini		 Minister for Works and Housing
1946 – 1949		 Succeeded by
Richard Casey
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by
John Prowse		 Member for Forrest
1943 – 1949		 Succeeded by
Gordon Freeth
Preceded by
Bill Graham		 Member for St George
1954 – 1955		 Succeeded by
Bill Graham


Persondata
NAME Lemmon, Nelson
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Australian politician
DATE OF BIRTH 22 March 1908
PLACE OF BIRTH Williamstown, Victoria
DATE OF DEATH 20 March 1989
PLACE OF DEATH