Keith Ernest De Lacy AM BA (1940 - 2021)

Born 7 Aug 1940 in Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Yvonne Florence (Jarrett) De Lacy — married 22 Dec 1963 in Queensland, Australia

Died 26 Nov 2021 at age 81 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Biography

Keith De Lacy AM BA is Notable.

The Honourable Keith De Lacy AM BA was an Australian politician and businessman who promoted North Queensland at every opportunity. He was Queensland Treasurer from 1989 to 1996.

Formative years

Keith Ernest De Lacy was born on 7th August 1940 in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. He was the son of Ernie De Lacy and English-born Irene Henson. He grew up on a tobacco farm on the Atherton Tableland, in the Mareeba - Dimbulah district and attended Dimbulah Primary School and Townsville Grammar School.

As a young man, Keith held several jobs, including underground miner, tobacco farmer, college principal (in Papua New Guinea), newsagency proprietor, and served in the Citizen Military Forces from 1958 to 1959.

He received a Diploma of Agriculture from Gatton Agricultural College and then a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland as a mature age correspondence student.

Keith married Yvonne Jarrett on 22nd December 1963.

Parliamentary career

In 1970 Keith joined the Australian Labor Party's (ALP) Cairns branch, and in 1983 was elected to the Queensland Legislative Assembly as the member for Cairns. In 1986 he became Opposition Spokesman on Primary Industries, moving to Finance and Regional Development in 1988. Following the ALP's victory at the 1989 state election, Keith was appointed both Treasurer and Minister for Regional Development. He relinguished from the Regional Development portfolio the following year, concentrating on the Treasury which he held until the government's defeat in 1996.

Post-parliament

Following his retirement from politics in 1998, Keith entered into a wide range of directorships, including:

• Chair of Ergon Energy from 1999–2004
• Queensland Investment Corporation
• Securities Exchange Guarantee Corporation, a subsidiary of the ASX
• Chair of Macarthur Coal
• Chair of Trinity Property Group
• Chair of CEC Property Group
• Chair of Queensland Sugar Ltd
• Chair of Global Sugar Alliance
• Chair of Cubbie Group
• Chair of COFCO Australia
• Queensland Energy Resources
• Nimrod Resources
• Reef Casino Trust

Keith was President of the Queensland Division of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) from 2010–14 and on the national Board of the AICD during this same period. He remained on the advisory Board of both Queensland Leaders and the Graduate School of Management at Queensland University of Technology.

His book Blood Stains the Wattle , an account of the industrial disruption at Mount Isa Mines in the 1960's, was published in 2002.

Honours

For his illustrious service to Queensland, Keith deservedly received several honours, including:

• Member of the Order of Australia (AM), Queen's Birthday Honours List 2006 ^[1]
• Centenary Medal, 1st January 2001 ^[2]
• University of Queensland Gold Medal, 2000 ^[3]
• Honorary Doctorate from James Cook University
• Honorary Doctorate from Central Queensland University

Death

Aged 81 years and having been widowed for three years, he passed away as a result of cancer on 26th November 2021 in Brisbane. He is survived by his daughters, Jonnie, Jacquie and Toni, and their families. ^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ Australian Honours: AM; accessed 28 Nov 2021
2. ↑ Australian Honours: Centenary Medal; accessed 28 Nov 2021
3. ↑ UQ Gatton Gold Medal; accessed 28 Nov 2021
4. ↑ Stone, Lucy. 'Former Queensland treasurer Keith De Lacy dies, aged 81'. ABC Radio Brisbane; accessed 28 Nov 2021

See also

• Wikipedia: Keith De Lacy; accessed 27 Nov 2021.