James Jelley

James Jelley (18 October 1873 – 4 March 1954) was an Australian politician and trade unionist. He was a Labor member of the South Australian Legislative Council from 1912 to 1933, representing Central District (1912-1915) and Central District No. 1 (1915-1933). He served as Chief Secretary in three Labor governments: John Gunn (1924-1926) and Lionel Hill (1926-1927 and 1930). He was also Minister for Railways under Gunn (1924-1925), and Minister of Marine (1930), Minister of Local Government, Minister of Immigration, Minister of Repatriation and Minister of Immigration under Hill (1930-1933). He was one of the members of the Hill cabinet expelled in the 1931 Labor split, continuing in minority government as part of the splinter Parliamentary Labor Party, but retired in protest in 1933 following Hill's decision to appoint himself Agent-General in London. He was the younger brother of Labor MLC David Jelley. History James were one of four children of John Jelley (ca.1847 – 6 June 1912), boring inspector, and Mrs. Elizabeth Stevenson Jelley (ca.1849 – 31 March 1929) who migrated to South Australia from Scotland around 1879, living initially in Wallaroo, then Port Adelaide, finally settling around 1884 at Stanley Street, Woodville. James was born in Scotland in 1873, and after arriving with his parents in South Australia in 1879 attended Lefevre Peninsula, Port Adelaide and Woodville Public Schools. He served an apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker and joined SA branch of the Furniture Trade Society of Australasia.