John Michael O'Dea AM,

KCSG KCSG (channel 8) is a television station licensed to Cedar City, Utah, United States, airing programming from the classic television network MeTV. Owned and operated by network parent Weigel Broadcasting, the station maintains studios on West 16 ...

(born 11 November 1938) is an Australian solicitor and former local government politician who served as an alderman and mayor of the Municipality of North Sydney. O'Dea was a solicitor with Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers from 1960 and was a partner from 1963 until his retirement in 2006. He is the father of the Speaker of the NSW Legislative Assembly,

Jonathan O'Dea Jonathan Richard O'Dea (born 9 March 1966) is an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Davidson for the Liberal Party since 2007. Early life O'Dea was born in Sydney in 1966 to Michael O' ...

Early life and career

O'Dea was born in Charlemont Private Hospital (now The Bourbon Hotel) on Darlinghurst Road,

Potts Point Potts Point is a small and densely populated suburb in inner-city Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Potts Point is located east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney. Potts Po ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, on 11 November 1938, the son of John Cecil (Cecil) O'Dea, a solicitor, and Joy Marjorie Roche. O'Dea's grandfather was John Henry (Jack) O'Dea, a prominent bookmaker (being first President of the NSW Bookmakers' Association), property developer, and Alderman of the Municipality of Randwick from 1911 to 1923. With his father Cecil being an old boy of

St Ignatius College, Riverview Saint Ignatius' College Riverview is an Australian independent single-sex primary and secondary day and boarding school for boys, conducted in the Jesuit tradition, located in Riverview, a small suburb located on the Lane Cove River on t ...

, O'Dea received his early education there before commencing law studies at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

. In 1960 he obtained a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

, followed by a

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

in 1963 and a

Master of Laws A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject. In mos ...

in 1972. In 1960 he also joined his father's legal firm, ''Carroll & O'Dea'', becoming a partner of the firm in 1963 when he graduated from law school. He became Managing Partner in 1971 on the departure of his father. In 1963 he married Marianne Augustina Hubertina Mulders at the Riverview chapel, with Fr Charles Fraser SJ as the celebrant. They would have nine children: three boys and six girls. Following their marriage the O'Dea's moved from 857 New South Head Road, Rose Bay, and by 1968 were listed at Wollstonecraft.

Political career

When the sitting Municipality of North Sydney Belmore Ward

alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...

, John Francis Cahill, died in February 1969, a by-election was held to fill his seat. On 29 March 1969, O'Dea was elected to fill the vacancy amongst a field of 13 other candidates. O'Dea was re-elected to a second full term on council at the municipal election held on 18 September 1971. On 27 September 1972 O'Dea was elected to serve a single term as mayor, and was instrumental in progressing the controversial and ultimately unsuccessful Sabemo Ltd redevelopment proposal of the

North Sydney Council Chambers The North Sydney Council Chambers is a landmark civic complex on a block bounded by Miller Street and McLaren Street in North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Originally conceived as a Federation Arts and Crafts residence by Edward Jeaffreson ...

site, supporting Council's approval of the plan in May 1973 and unveiling the stage one plans for several office towers on the block bounded by McLaren and Ridge Streets at a cost of $47 million in June 1973. Elected to a second term as mayor on 19 September 1973, O'Dea retired from Council in 1974 when he did not contest the September 1974 municipal elections.

Later life and community service

On his departure from Council, O'Dea returned to his legal practice and was a member of the Advisory Board of St Ignatius College Riverview and St Aloysius' College, the founding Chairman of the Executive Board of

Loreto Kirribilli Loreto Kirribilli is an independent Roman Catholic comprehensive single-sex primary and secondary day school for girls, located in Kirribilli, a Lower North Shore suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established at Milsons Point i ...

, and a board member of the

St Vincent de Paul Society The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP or SVdP or SSVP) is an international voluntary organization in the Catholic Church, founded in 1833 for the sanctification of its members by personal service of the poor. Innumerable Catholic parishes have ...

, Sacred Heart Hospice and Mater Misericordiae Hospital. A long-serving member of the Catholic Parish of North Sydney, O'Dea was on the Province Advisory Councils of the Christian Brothers and the

St John of God Brothers The Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God, officially the Hospitaller Order of the Brothers of Saint John of God (abbreviated as O.H.), are a Catholic religious order founded in 1572. In Italian they are also known commonly as the Fatebenef ...

. O'Dea was the founding chair of the North Sydney Retirement Trust and the James Milson Nursing Home, North Sydney. In the

1994 Australia Day Honours The 1994 Australia Day Honours are appointments to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by Australian citizens. The list was announced on 26 January 1994 by the Governor General of Australia, Bill Hayden. The Australia Da ...

, O'Dea was made a

Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

(AM) for "service to the care of aged people, particularly through the North Sydney Retirement Trust and the James Milson Nursing Home." In 2002 O'Dea was awarded the

Edmund Rice Edmund is a masculine given name or surname in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector". Persons named Edmund include: People Kings an ...

Bicentenary Medal for his "extraordinary support given to the mission of the Christian Brothers" from the Australian Province of the Christian Brothers, and in 2006 received the Jubilee medal of the First Companions from the Australian Province of the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

. In 2006 he retired as Managing Partner of Carroll & O'Dea Lawyers and in 2008 was awarded a Papal Knighthood by

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...

as a Knight Commander of the Papal

Order of St. Gregory the Great The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great ( la, Ordo Sancti Gregorii Magni; it, Ordine di San Gregorio Magno) was established on 1 September 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election as Pope. The order is one of ...

(KCSG), for distinguished services to the Church in the Archdiocese of Sydney.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:ODea, Michael 1938 births Living people Politicians from Sydney Australian Roman Catholics Australian people of Irish descent People educated at Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview Sydney Law School alumni Australian solicitors Independent politicians in Australia Mayors of North Sydney Members of the Order of Australia Knights Commander of the Order of St Gregory the Great