David O'Keefe | |
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Senator for Tasmania | |
In office 29 March 1901 – 31 December 1906 |
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In office 1 July 1910 – 30 June 1920 |
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Member of the Australian Parliament for Denison |
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In office 16 December 1922 – 14 November 1925 |
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Preceded by | William Laird Smith |
Succeeded by | Sir John Gellibrand |
Personal details | |
Born |
Longford, Tasmania |
21 August 1864
Died | 21 July 1943 | (aged 78)
Nationality | Australian |
Political party | Australian Labor Party |
Occupation | Journalist |
David John O'Keefe (21 August 1864 – 21 July 1943) was an Australian politician who served in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. He was a Senator from Tasmania from 1901 to 1906 and 1910 to 1920, and then represented the Division of Denison in the House of Representatives from 1922 to 1925.
Born in Longford, Tasmania, he was educated at state schools before becoming a farm worker and miner. He was involved in the labour movement as a journalist. He lived in Zeehan, Tasmania from 1892, and was editor of the Zeehan and Dundas Herald between 1894 and 1899. He was also an organiser of the Australian Workers' Union.
In 1901, O'Keefe was elected to the Australian Senate, running with endorsement from the Protectionist Party, as there was no Labour Party in Tasmania at the time; however, he joined the Australian Labor Party caucus in Parliament. He was defeated in 1906, but re-elected in 1910, serving until his defeat in 1919 (taking effect in 1920). O'Keefe served as Chairman of Committees from 1910 to 1914.
In 1922, he was elected to the House of Representatives, defeating Labor-turned-Nationalist MP William Laird Smith for the seat of Denison. He was the first Tasmanian to have served in both houses of federal parliament.