John Brophy Renshaw (8 August 190928 July 1987) was an Australian politician. He was Labor Premier of New South Wales from 30 April 1964 to 13 May 1965. He was the first New South Wales Premier born in the 20th century.
Early life
Jack Renshaw was born on 8 August 1909 near Wellington in central New South Wales. His parents were John Ignatius Renshaw and Ann Renshaw (née Reidy). When he was six his parents took up a selection near the town of Binnaway. Five years later his father died in a farm accident, leaving his widow to raise eight children. Following Ann Renshaw's remarriage the family prospered and came to own a fuel depot, stock and station agency and butchery in the town.
Renshaw was educated at Binnaway Central School, Patrician Brothers at Orange (where he lived with his grandmother), and then Holy Cross College at Ryde in north-western Sydney. After leaving school at the age of 14 he helped to run the family dairy property at Hampden Park, and also helped operate a milk run out of Binnaway.
Renshaw joined the Binnaway branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in 1930, and soon held office in the branch. He also served on the state and federal electorate councils in the area, including as President of the Gwydir Electorate Council from 1939 to 1949. He was active in local government, serving as a councillor (C Riding) in the Coonabarabran Shire Council from 1937 to 1944. From 1939 to 1941 he was Shire President, becoming the youngest shire president in Australia at the time. He resigned as Shire President in May 1941 following his election to state Parliament. During the late 1930s he also held a position on the Northern Executive of the Wheat Growers' Union. Renshaw found it difficult to connect with urban voters, and his problems in adjusting to the new pressures of television only exacerbated his electoral failings. By contrast, Askin showed substantial skill with the TV medium.
At the election, Labor suffered a nine-seat swing against it. The Coalition garnered the support of two conservative independents, allowing Askin to become Premier. For the first time in 24 years, the ALP was out of office in New South Wales.
With his federal party colleagues having been in opposition since 1949, Renshaw is to date the last Labor Premier who did not encounter a Labor Prime Minister during his time in office.
Renshaw suffered a second and still more severe electoral defeat at the hands of Askin in 1968. He resigned soon after this election, and was succeeded by former Deputy Premier Pat Hills. Nevertheless, Renshaw remained an important figure both in the state parliament and in Labor's ruling circles; he served as Treasurer during the first four years (1976–80) of Neville Wran's administration. After that he was the state's Agent-General in London, holding that office till 1983.
Personal life
On 12 November 1942 Renshaw married Hilda May Wall, at St Canice's Catholic Church, Elizabeth Bay; by her he had a son. Wall died in April 1964, just weeks before Renshaw was sworn in as Premier. His second wife, whom he married on 11 April 1966 at Holy Cross Catholic Church, Woollahra, was Marjorie (Meg) Mackay née Nolan (who had four children in total: one by Renshaw, three by a previous marriage). He died at the age of 77 in 1987 in the northern Sydney suburb of Northbridge.
Honours
- In the 1979 Australia Day Honours, Renshaw was named a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC).
- John Renshaw Drive, a section of road in the Hunter Valley, adjoining the Pacific Highway is named in Renshaw's honour.
- John Renshaw Parkway, a section of road in the Warrumbungle National Park, Joining Tooraweenah to Timor road, is named in Renshaw's honour.
- Jack Renshaw Bridge across the Castlereagh River at Gilgandra is named in his honour.
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