Jack Stewart (New South Wales politician)


John Julius Thomas Stewart was an Australian politician. He was a Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1957 to 1972, representing the electorates of Kahibah and Charlestown.

Early life

Stewart was born to parents Charles Thomas Stewart, a Caulker, and Mary Jane Sheen. Stewart jnr was educated at Wickham and Cooks Hill Boys' High School. He apprenticed to boilermaking at Walsh Island Government dockyard in Newcastle.
After a long period of unemployment in the 1930s Great Depression, Stewart married Eileen Dorothy Chillinsworth on 4 December 1950 to whom they had one son. He was a Freemason.

Politics

Stewart joined the Labor Party in 1926. He was a member of the Hamilton, Adamstown and Dudley-Redhead branches. He was President of Kahabah state electoral council.
Stewart won Labor pre-selection for the Electoral district of Kahibah and contested and won the seat in 1957, defeating incumbent Independent Labor Party member Tom Armstrong. He won re-election at the 1959, 1962, 1965 and 1968 elections. With abolition of the seat of Kahibah at the 1971 election, Stewart switched seats to the nearby seat of Charlestown. He won the seat but died shortly after the election.

Death

Shortly after winning the seat of Charlestown, Stewart died at his home on 19 September 1972. His funeral was held at Beresfield crematorium by Adamstown Methodist Church ministers.