Pat Hills

The Honourable
Pat Hills
AO
6th Deputy Premier of New South Wales
In office
30 April 1964  13 May 1965
Premier Jack Renshaw
Preceded by Jack Renshaw
Succeeded by Charles Cutler
22nd Leader of the Opposition of New South Wales
Elections: 1971, 1973
In office
2 December 1968  17 November 1973
Deputy Syd Einfeld
Preceded by Jack Renshaw
Succeeded by Neville Wran
70th Lord Mayor of Sydney
In office
1953–1956
Preceded by Ernest Charles O'Dea
Succeeded by Harry Jensen
Personal details
Born (1917-12-31)31 December 1917
Sydney, Australia
Died 22 April 1992(1992-04-22) (aged 74)
Sydney, Australia
Nationality Australian
Political party Australian Labor Party

Patrick Darcy 'Pat' Hills AO (31 December 1917 – 22 April 1992) was a New South Wales politician. He served in various high offices across the state most notably the Deputy Premier of New South Wales, Leader of the Opposition and as the Lord Mayor of Sydney.

Early life

Hills was born in the Sydney suburb of Surry Hills. He was educated at Marist Brothers High School, Darlinghurst and was apprenticed as an electrical engineer.

He was an alderman on Sydney City Council from 1948 to 1956 and Lord Mayor of Sydney from 1953 to 1956, when only in his thirties.

Political career

Hills was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the member for Phillip in 1954, representing the Australian Labor Party; he held the seat till its abolition in 1981. Then, until 1988, he served as member for Elizabeth.

He was Minister for Local Government in the cabinet of Premier Robert Heffron (1959-1964), and Deputy Premier under Heffron's successor Jack Renshaw. Following Renshaw's departure from the Labor leadership, Hills was the State Opposition Leader from 1968 to 1973; at the 1971 and 1973 state elections he was narrowly defeated by the Liberal Premier, Sir Robert Askin.

During his long Parliamentary service of 34 years, Hills served terms as Deputy Premier and as Minister in a number of portfolios including Local Government, Highways, Mines, Energy, Industrial Relations, Technology, Roads and Employment. In opposition he served as Deputy Leader for three years and Leader for five years. His many notable initiatives and achievements as a Minister include the Sydney to Newcastle Highway, the construction of the Gladesville Bridge and establishment of the State Planning Authority now known as the NSW Department of Planning. One of his major achievements was the building of the Eraring and Bayswater power stations.

He was also responsible for one of Sydney's ugliest buildings: The Hilton Hotel, which he rubber stamped. More importantly, he has been accused of sabotaging the 1948 Cumberland County Plan for Sydney, "flogging the green belt out the back door before the ink was dry".[1]

He served as a member of the Sydney Cricket Ground and Sports Ground Trust from July 1961 to December 1989, and was Chairman of the Trust during its significant expansion period from 1977 to 1989.

Up until John Robertson's resignation in 2014, Hills was the only New South Wales Labor Leader not to have been premier since World War II.

Hills died in Sydney.

Honours

Hills was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1988.[2]

The suburb of Hillsdale, New South Wales is named after Hills.

References

Civic offices
Preceded by
Ernest Charles O'Dea
Lord Mayor of Sydney
1953  1956
Succeeded by
Harry Jensen
Parliament of New South Wales
Preceded by
Tom Shannon
Member for Phillip
1954  1981
District abolished
New district Member for Elizabeth
1981  1988
District abolished
Political offices
Preceded by
Jack Renshaw
Minister for Local Government
1959  1965
Succeeded by
Pat Morton
Deputy Premier of New South Wales
1964  1965
Succeeded by
Charles Cutler
Leader of the Opposition of New South Wales
1968  1973
Succeeded by
Neville Wran
Party political offices
Preceded by
Jack Renshaw
Deputy Leader of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales
1964  1968
Succeeded by
Syd Einfeld
Preceded by
Jack Renshaw
Leader of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales
1968  1973
Succeeded by
Neville Wran
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