John David Jess, (15 April 1922 – 18 October 2003) was an Australian politician. Born in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, he was the son of Sir Carl Jess and Marjory Mary Jess ( McGibbon). Educated at

Melbourne Grammar School (Pray and Work) , established = 1849 (on present site since 1858 - the celebrated date of foundation) , type = Independent, co-educational primary, single-sex boys secondary, day and boarding , denominatio ...

, he was a lieutenant in the

Citizens Military Force The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, serving in Melbourne and Queensland, before becoming an estate agent. He was elected to the

Australian House of Representatives The House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the upper house being the Senate. Its composition and powers are established in Chapter I of the Constitution of Australia. The term of members of the ...

in a 1960

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...

for the seat of La Trobe, representing the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

. He held the seat until his defeat in 1972. He was instrumental in bringing about the second Royal Commission into the ''Melbourne''–''Voyager'' ship collision in 1964. He was known throughout his 12-year career in politics as the "Seeker of Justice" for his efforts in fighting for issues of justice. Jess died in 2003.

References

McCarthy (née Jess) E. (2015) John Jess Seeker of Justice the Role of the Parliament in the HMAS Voyager Tragedy 1922 births 2003 deaths Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia Members of the Australian House of Representatives for La Trobe Members of the Australian House of Representatives Australian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire 20th-century Australian politicians Australian people of German descent {{Australia-Liberal-politician-stub