John Murray (New South Wales politician)

John Henry Murray
Born	(1939-07-14) July 14, 1939 Sydney, Australia
Occupation(s)	Politician, schoolteacher
Years active	1973–2003
Known for	Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Drummoyne (1982–2003); Speaker of the Legislative Assembly (1995–2003)

John Henry Murray (born 14 July 1939) is a former Australian politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the Labor Party from 1982 until 2003, representing the electorate of Drummoyne. He held the role of Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 1995 through to his retirement.

A native of Sydney, Murray completed his education at Lakemba Primary School, Canterbury Boys High School, and Enmore Boys High School. He pursued teacher training at Sydney Teachers College and the University of Sydney before embarking on a teaching career at Finley High School, Ashfield Boys High School, and Picnic Point High School. His involvement in local governance included serving as an alderman on Drummoyne Municipal Council from 1973 to 1983, during which he was mayor for four years, as well as holding a councillor position on Sydney County Council between 1980 and 1984.

Following Michael Maher’s resignation, Murray won Labor preselection for Drummoyne in a 1982 by-election. The seat was considered a stronghold for Labor, and he successfully retained it through five subsequent elections. While in opposition, he acted as Shadow Minister for Local Government and assumed the Speaker position when Labor regained government in 1995, maintaining this office until 2003.

Despite Murray’s appointment as Speaker being a result of Labor’s parliamentary majority, Liberal Opposition Leader Peter Collins questioned its validity, alleging procedural irregularities in the constitutional ballot process. Nevertheless, Paul Whelan, the Leader of the House, pointed out that no formal objections were raised during the voting procedure.