User:Porturology/Don Day

Don Day (19 February 1924 – 18 May 2010) was an Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1971 until 1984. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP).

Day was born in Melbourne, Victoria. His father, Alfred Day, was an engineer. He was educated at Swinburne Technical College and trained as a fitter and turner. In 1941 he joined the Australian Imperial Forces as a private and later transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force to become a catalina pilot. Following his war service he settled in Maclean and established a car and farm equipment dealership. He joined the Labor party at age 28 and served in local government.

Day won ALP pre-selection and was subsequently elected as the member for Casino at the 1971 state election. He retained this seat until it was abolished in a redistribution prior to the 1981 state election. He subsequently contested and won the seat of Clarence. With the election of the Wran government in 1976, Day, one of the few rural based members of the ALP, became the Minister for Decentralisation and Development and Minister for Primary Industries. He continued in rural industry portfolios in the Wran government until his retirement prior to the 1984 state election.