Joe Clark (Australian politician)

Joseph James Clark, CBE (29 July 1897 – 9 December 1992) was a Labor Party politician, serving in the Australian House of Representatives as the Member for Darling from 15 September 1934 to 29 September 1969, a term of 35 years, 14 days making him one of the longest-serving members of the House of Representatives.[1]

Joe Clark CBE
Member of the Australian Parliament for Darling
In office 15 September 1934 – 29 September 1969
Preceded by	Arthur Blakeley
Succeeded by	John FitzPatrick
Personal details
Born	(1897-07-29)29 July 1897 Coonamble, New South Wales
Died	9 December 1992(1992-12-09) (aged 95)
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Lang Labor (1934–36) Labor (1936–69)
Occupation	Tailor

Clark was born at Coonamble, New South Wales. His father was Joseph Alfred Clark, a New South Wales state MLA and tailor from Dubbo. Clark was educated at Holy Cross College at Ryde.

Prior to his parliamentary career, Clark also operated as a tailor at Coonamble and later at Dover Heights in Sydney. He went on to serve as a Coonamble Shire alderman for nine years, including three terms as mayor. He was president of the Coonamble branch of the Labor Party and was president of the Castlereagh Electorate council. He was closely associated with the N.S.W. State Labor Group under the leadership of Jack Beasley.

Clark sat on a number of industry committees and bodies, including the Australian Meat Industry Commission from 1942 to 1943, the Federal Meat Advisory Committee from 1943 to 1946, and in 1946 he led a delegation to the Iron and Steel Committee. He served as chairman of committees from 1946 to 1949.[2]

In 1970 he was awarded a CBE. Clark died on 9 December 1992. He was the last surviving MP who served during the Prime Ministerships of Joseph Lyons, Earle Page, the first tenure of Robert Menzies and Arthur Fadden.

Lang Labor members of the 14th Parliament, Old Parliament House, Canberra, 1935. Joe Clark is standing at right.