Jock Nelson

Born in Bundaberg, Queensland on 28 May 1908, John Norman Nelson was the son of politician Harold Nelson,^[1] a staunch trade unionist who had held the NT federal seat, first as an independent, and then Labor.^[2]

He was educated at state schools in Darwin, Northern Territory.^{[citation needed]}

Nelson first became a jackeroo and goldminer, and later a bore contractor at Alice Springs, Northern Territory.^[2]

After serving in the military during World War II from 1942 to 1945, he became a pastoralist.^{[citation needed]}

In 1949, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Labor member for Northern Territory,^[2] defeating the sitting independent, Adair Blain. At this time, the member for Northern Territory could only vote on matters relating to the Territory itself.^{[citation needed]}

Nelson was selected to sit on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Aboriginal Voting Rights in 1961, although he had shown no interest in Aboriginal affairs or connections with Aboriginal people.^[2] In March 1963, however, he did question the Minister for Territories (Paul Hasluck), about the granting of mining leases to Australian and French interests (the latter being GOMINCO) on the Gove Peninsula in Arnhem Land, the land of the Yolngu people. In this he was supported by Gordon Bryant. However, Hasluck responded that Cecil Gribble (Methodist Overseas Mission secretary) had agreed to the measures being taken, such as extra royalties being paid to the people However, the people of Yirrkala mission were not at all satisfied with the lack of consultation about using their land for mining bauxite, and created the Yirrkala bark petitions to be presented to the Australian Parliament. On 14 August 1963, Nelson presented the first of these petitions to the House of Representatives, which was widely covered by the press. A photograph of him holding up the petition in his office before presenting it appeared in The Canberra Times.^[2]

In the November 1963 federal election, Nelson was re-elected unopposed, the last occasion when a member was returned to the House of Representatives in this fashion.^{[citation needed]} He retired in 1966, an occasion used by the Country Party to take the seat.^{[citation needed]}

Nelson returned to pastoralism and served as the first Mayor of Alice Springs (1971-1973), before he stepped down^[3] to become the Administrator of the Northern Territory (1973–1975). He died on 20 June 1991.^[4]

A local government building centre in Alice Springs is named after him.^{[citation needed]}

• Darwin Rebellion