Maurie Sheehy


Maurice Patrick Sheehy was an Australian politician, and a member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Melbourne Province. As a young man, "Maurie" Sheehy was an Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood in the Victorian Football League. As an older gentleman, Sheehy was a politician, better known as Patrick Sheehy.

Sports notoriety

Sheehy began his sports career at Collingwood in 1914. After just two games he crossed to Fairfield where he spent the 1915 football season. The Northcote District recruit returned to Collingwood the following year and went on to appear in four Grand Finals. A back pocket in their 1919 premiership team, Sheehy also participated in the club's losing 1918, 1920 and 1922 Grand Final sides. He left Collingwood to coach Northcote in 1923.

Political career

Sheehy joined the Labor Party in 1911. He was a Richmond, Australia city councillor ; and twice mayor.
Sheehy had also contested the federal seat of Kooyong as the Australian Labor Party candidate in 1951, losing to the incumbent Robert Menzies.
Sheehy was elected to the Victorian State Legislative Council for the seat of Melbourne in June 1952, and served until his defeat in June 1958. He represented the Labor Party from 21 June 1952 until March 1955. When the party split in March 1955, Sheehy became a member of the Democratic Labor Party until his defeat on 20 June 1958.
Sheehy was a Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works Commissioner from 1950 until 1956, and he also served for a time as a member of the Richmond Girls' Secondary School Council.