Reg Groom Explained

Sir Reginald Groom
Office1:7th Lord Mayor of Brisbane
Term Start1:1955
Term End1:1961
Predecessor1:Frank Roberts
Successor1:Clem Jones
Birth Date:1906 12, df=y
Birth Place:Teneriffe, Queensland, Australia
Death Place:Guyra, New South Wales, Australia
Birthname:Thomas Reginald Groom
Nationality:Australian
Party:Citizens' Municipal Organisation
Occupation:Accountant, businessman

Sir Thomas Reginald Groom (1906–1987) was Lord Mayor of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia from 1955 to 1961.

Early life

Groom was born at Teneriffe, Queensland, on 30 December 1906, and educated at Brisbane Grammar School and the University of Queensland, where he was President of the University of Queensland Union. He graduated in 1932 and joined his father's accountancy firm.

Politics

In 1943, he entered local politics as a Citizens' Municipal Organisation councillor in the Brisbane City Council. He served two terms as Lord Mayor from 1955. Despite severe budget restrictions he attempted to improve the city's infrastructure, particularly the water, electricity, and sewer networks. His successor, the Labor Party's Clem Jones, was more successful in these endeavours.

Affiliations

Groom served on several community boards and committees.

He was a member of Brisbane's Johnsonian Club, Melbourne's Athenaeum Club, and Sydney's Union Club and President (1943) of the local Rostrum club.

Later life

Following electoral defeat, Groom was knighted in 1961 and returned to a career in accountancy and business. As well as running his own accountancy firm, during the 1960s and 1970s he served as chairman of Mount Isa Mines, P&O Australia and the Commonwealth Bank, amongst others.

Reg Groom died on 28 June 1987 at Guyra, New South Wales.

See also

References

Australian Dictionary of Biography