| Office1: | Member of ACT Legislative Assembly |
| Term Start1: | 1 May 1990 |
| Term End1: | 15 February 1992 |
| Alongside1: | Berry, Collaery, Duby, Follett, Grassby, Humphries, Jensen, Kaine, Kinloch, Maher, Moore, Nolan, Prowse, Stefaniak, Stevenson, Wood, Whalan |
| Office2: | Member for Molonglo |
| Term Start2: | 18 February 1995 |
| Term End2: | 19 February 1996 |
| Predecessor2: | new constituency |
| Successor2: | Marion Reilly |
| Alongside2: | Follett, Humphries, Carnell, Cornwell, Tucker, Moore |
| Office3: | Attorney-General of the Australian Capital Territory |
| Term Start3: | 29 May 1991 |
| Term End3: | 18 February 1995 |
| Predecessor3: | Bernard Collaery |
| Successor3: | Gary Humphries |
| Office4: | Minister for Housing and Community Services |
| Term Start4: | 29 May 1991 |
| Term End4: | 18 February 1995 |
| Predecessor4: | Bernard Collaery |
| Successor4: | Kate Carnell |
| Office5: | Minister for Urban Services |
| Term Start5: | 15 February 1992 |
| Term End5: | 18 February 1995 |
| Predecessor5: | Craig Duby |
| Successor5: | Tony De Domenico |
| Birth Name: | Terence Connolly |
| Birth Date: | 1958 2, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Death Place: | Canberra |
| Nationality: | Australian |
| Party: | Labor Party |
| Spouse: | Dr Helen Watchirs |
| Children: | Lara and Maddy |
| Profession: | Barrister, solicitor, politician, judge |
| Alma Mater: | University of Adelaide |
| Footnotes: | [1] |
Terence (Terry) Connolly (14 February 1958 – 25 September 2007) was an Australian politician and judge.
The son of an Irish bricklayer,[2] Connolly was born in Adelaide and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts (both with Honours) from the University of Adelaide and a Masters in Public Law from the Australian National University. He was registered to practise as a barrister and solicitor in South Australia in 1982 and worked with Justice John Gallop. He moved to Canberra in 1983 and worked as a legal adviser in the Commonwealth departments of Attorney-General, Veterans' Affairs and Foreign Affairs. He was registered to practise in the Australian Capital Territory in 1985.[3] [4]
Connolly joined the Australian Labor Party in 1976 and was elected as South Australian President of Young Labor in 1978; and as National President in 1979.[1]
Connolly became a Labor Member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly in 1990 on the resignation of Paul Whalan and served as Attorney-General from 1991 to 1995. With the creation of electorates in 1995, he became a member for Molonglo. Connolly also served as Minister for Housing and Community Services from 1991 to 1995 and Minister for Urban Services from 1992 to 1995.[5]
He resigned from the Assembly in February 1996[6] and was appointed Master of the Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court. Connolly was appointed a judge of the ACT Supreme Court in January 2003.[3]
Connolly died of a heart attack while cycling atop Red Hill in Canberra;[7] and his family carried out his wishes to donate his organs for the benefit of others.[8] He is survived by his wife, Dr Helen Watchirs, the ACT Human Rights Commissioner and their two daughters; Lara and Maddy.[4]