Harold Coates

Harold George Coates, OBE (22 April 1917 – 9 April 2002) was an Australian politician, serving as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly during the period 1965-1976.

Political career

Coates entered public office as an alderman on the Lithgow City Council in 1945, where he served for almost forty years with only a short break.^[1] Coates was Mayor of Lithgow Mayor on three occasions - in 1947, from 1954 until 1957 and again in 1976.^[2]

Coates first contested the seat of Hartley at the 1947 election as a Liberal candidate.^[3] Coates again contested Hartley in 1962 as an independent when he came close to defeating Labor member Jim Robson. In 1965 Coates ran as an independent again and won the election on Democratic Labor Party preferences.^[4]

During the elections between 1962 and 1978, the Liberal Party didn't nominate a candidate against Coates. He was viewed as a conservative independent and generally supported the Liberal-National coalition.

Personal life

Coates was born to George Coates and Emily Ivy Coates (née Moore) in Hampton, New South Wales on 22 April 1917.

Coates attended school Lithgow High School and attended Lithgow Technical College. He was a builder by trade and went on to succeed his father in running the family business - G.Coates and Sons Pty Ltd, a hardware store and timber yard in Lithgow.

In 1939 Coates married Kathleen Winchester and they had four children.

He was a long-standing Freemason, and served as Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.^[5]

References