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Auction: 25111 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 617

(x) Four: Sergeant T. Moores, Australian Military Forces, sometime Alderman at Brisbane City Council later Minister for Transport in the Queensland Labor Party

War Medal 1939-45; Australia Service Medal 1939-45, both officially impressed 'Q 129459 T. Moores'; Coronation 1953; Jubilee 1977, very fine (4)

Thomas 'Tom' Moores was born at Gympie, Queensland on 1 July 1903. He was educated at One Mile State School in Gympie and then attended Brisbane Industrial High School. He worked as a manual training teacher at West End, South Brisbane and Dutton Park Opportunity state schools. In 1935 he went to England where he worked as a plumber until 1936 later serving in the Australian Army from 1942 to 1945.

Moores was the alderman for the Kurilpa ward in the Brisbane City Council from 1939 until 1949. When the member for the state seat of Kurilpa in the Queensland Legislative Assembly, Kerry Copley, died in 1949, Moores won the by-election and went on to represent the seat until 1957. He was one of the members of the Labor Party to defect to the newly formed Queensland Labor Party in 1957. As a member of the QLP he was appointed to the role of Minister for Transport in May of that year but lost his seat three months later.

The Queensland Parliamentary Debates of 2 August 1983 records a eulogy delivered by Hon. J. Bjeleke-Petersen.

'I am sure that all of us were saddened by the deaths of the two former members to whom I have referred. Of course, I knew both of them very well. In the case of Tom Moores, I was associated with him for the whole period of his parliamentary service of eight years. Our association as parliamentarians was to last 13 years.

Tom Moores was born in Gympie. He received his early education there and then went on to the Brisbane Industrial High School. He worked in the plumbing industry in England for two years in 1935 and 1936 and later became a manual training teacher at Brisbane's West End, South Brisbane and Dutton Park Opportunity State Schools. He was the youngest trade union leader of the Plumbers Union when he was its president in the early 1930s.

Mr Moores served with the Australian Military Forces in World War II, and also on the Queensland Rugby League Committee. He entered the political arena when he was elected alderman for the Brisbane City Council ward of Kurilpa in 1939. He served as an alderman until 1949, when he was elected to State Parliament as the Labor member for the electorate of Kurilpa at the by-election that was held following the death of the Labor member, Mr P. K. Copley.

One of the ablest of the Labor backbenchers, Mr Moores had a rapid but brief rise to ministerial rank in 1957, following the resignation of Mr J. E. Duggan from the Transport portfolio in the Gair Ministry. He was appointed a member of the Executive Council and Minister for Transport on 7 May 1957. Following the general election held on 3 August 1957, with other members of Mr Gair's Ministry, Mr Moores resigned as a member of the Executive Council and as Minister for Transport on 12 August 1957. His total period of administration was 43 days, which was the shortest on record in Queensland since the six-day Dawson Labor Ministry in 1899.

The 1957 election also ended Mr Moores career as a parliamentarian, as he was defeated for the Kurilpa seat by the Liberal candidate. On behalf of the Queensland Government and, I am sure, all honourable members of this House, I express sincere condolences to his family.'

He died in Brisbane on 15 July 1983; sold together with copied research.

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Sold for
£200

Starting price
£70