Summary

James Bernard Keeffe (1919-1984) had a long and distinguished career in both the trade union movement and in politics. Born in Atherton, he joined the Australian Labor Party at the age of seventeen and worked in a number of trades before seeing service with the Australian Imperial Forces in World War II. In 1950-51 he was elected Secretary of the Queensland Coopers' Union and from 1951 was Secretary of the more influential Plumbers' Union. In 1956 he was elected state organiser for the Australian Labor Party. In 1960 Keeffe was appointed State Secretary and in 1962 became Federal President of the Party, a post he held until 1970. In 1965 he successfully contested the Federal Senate elections, starting a career which saw him become one of Australia's longest serving politicians and achieved the distinction of Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 1971-72. In 1983 he stood down voluntarily from the Australian Labor Party ticket, but retained an active interest at both the state and national level.

His community work was widespread and he was: an Australian Observer for the World Peace Council; an executive member of the Institute of International Affairs; a councillor in the Institute of Aboriginal Studies and a member of Amnesty International. During his long political career, he served on a number of senate sub-committees and this collection contains material relating to:

1. The environmental conditions for Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.

2. Off-shore petroleum exploration.

3. Freedom of Information legislation.

4. Constitutional development of the Northern Territory

5. Law Reform.

For an index and shelf listing of this collection see the List of Archives in the Special Collections Reading Room.