About Jimmy O'Dea
Lived 1935 – 2021 (aged 86). Jimmy O'Dea was a New Zealand human rights defender.
James O'Dea (19 October 1935 – 27 November 2021) was a New Zealand trade unionist and activist.
Biography O'Dea was born in Newcastle West, County Limerick, Ireland, on 19 October 1935 to an unwed mother, and placed in a Catholic orphanage. His mother later reclaimed him from the orphanage and brought him up on her own. When he was 17 years old, O'Dea moved to England to work. He subsequently moved to Australia, working in the mining industry around Alice Springs and witnessing discrimination against Aboriginal Australians.
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Important facts
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Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Jimmy O'Dea's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Jimmy O'Dea?
New Zealand trade unionist and activist
When was Jimmy O'Dea born?
Jimmy O'Dea was born on 19 October 1935 in County Limerick, Newcastle West.
When did Jimmy O'Dea die?
Jimmy O'Dea died on 27 November 2021.
What was Jimmy O'Dea's occupation?
Jimmy O'Dea was a human rights defender.
What nationality was Jimmy O'Dea?
Jimmy O'Dea was New Zealand.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Jimmy O'Dea (activist)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jimmy O'Dea. https://biography.guide/jimmy-o-dea-human-rights-defender/
MLA: "Jimmy O'Dea." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jimmy-o-dea-human-rights-defender/.
Chicago: "Jimmy O'Dea." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jimmy-o-dea-human-rights-defender/.
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