John Armstrong (Australian politician)

Infobox_Officeholder
honorific-prefix = The Honourable
name=John Ignatius Armstrong
honorific-suffix =
AC
nationality=Australian
order=Minister for Munitions
term_start=1946
term_end=1948
deputy =
predecessor=John Dedman
successor= Richard Casey
order2=Minister for Supply and Development
term_start2=1948
term_end2=1949
predecessor2=William Ashley (Australian politician)
successor2= Richard Casey
order3=72nd Lord Mayor of Sydney
term_start3=1966
term_end3=1967
predecessor3=Harry Jensen
successor3= Laurence Emmet McDermott
birth_date=Birth date|1908|7|10|df=y
birth_place=Sydney, Australia
death_date=death date and age|1977|3|10|1908|7|10|df=y
death_place=Batemans Bay, Australia
spouse=
party=Australian Labor Party

John Ignatius Armstrong AC (10 July 1908 – 10 March 1977) was an Australian politician and federal minister.

Armstrong was born in the Sydney suburb of Ultimo, New South Wales and ducated at St Bede's School, Pyrmont, and Marist Brothers' High School, Darlinghurst. In 1934, he was elected as an alderman of Sydney Municipal Council, representing the Australian Labor Party until 1948.Australian Dictionary of Biography
last=Campion
first=Edmund
authorlink=
year=1993
id=A130086b
title= Armstrong, John Ignatius (1908 - 1977)
accessdate=2008-02-02 ]

Armstrong was selected for Labor's slate of candidates for the Australian Senate for the 1937 election partly because his name would appear high on the alphabetic ballot and he was duly elected, effective from July 1938. He married Joan Therese Josephine Curran in October 1945. He was appointed Minister for Munitions in Ben Chifley's November 1946 ministry. In April 1948, his portfolio was merged the Supply functions of William Ashley porfolio to create the portfolio of Supply and Development and he was attacked by the opposition for the breadth of his powers. Following Labor's defeat at the 1949 election, he became deputy-leader of the Opposition in the Senate. He was not a member of the Industrial Groups, but as a catholic with strong business interests in picture theatres, he was under constant attack from the left of the party. He was relegated to an unwinnable fourth position on Labour's ticket for the 1961 election and left parliament in July 1962.

Armstrong was elected Lord Mayor of Sydney in 1966, but the position was abolished by the Askin government in 1967. The Whitlam government appointed him High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in 1973 and 1974. In 1977, he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia. [cite web
title =Armstrong, John Ignatius, AC
publisher =Government of Australia
work=It's an Honour
url =http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=885263&search_type=quick&showInd=true
accessdate = 2008-02-02 ] He died of a myocardial infarction in Batemans Bay, survived by his wife, a son and four daughters.

References

Persondata
NAME = Armstrong, John Ignatius
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Australian politician
DATE OF BIRTH = July 10 1908
PLACE OF BIRTH = Ultimo, New South Wales
DATE OF DEATH = 10 March 1977
PLACE OF DEATH = Batemans Bay, New South Wales