Jock Nelson

John Norman Nelson (28 May 1908 – 20 June 1991) was an Australian politician in the Australian Labor Party. He served in federal government, in the Australian House of Representatives, from 1949 until 1966.

Early life and education Born in Bundaberg, Queensland on 28 May 1908, John Norman Nelson was the son of politician Harold Nelson, a staunch trade unionist who had held the NT federal seat, first as an independent, and then Labor. In March 1963, however, he did question the Minister for Territories (Paul Hasluck), about the granting of mining leases to Australian and French interests (the latter being GOMINCO) on the Gove Peninsula in Arnhem Land, the land of the Yolngu people. In this he was supported by Gordon Bryant. However, Hasluck responded that Cecil Gribble (Methodist Overseas Mission secretary) had agreed to the measures being taken, such as extra royalties being paid to the people However, the people of Yirrkala mission were not at all satisfied with the lack of consultation about using their land for mining bauxite, and created the Yirrkala bark petitions to be presented to the Australian Parliament. On 14 August 1963, Nelson presented the first of these petitions to the House of Representatives, which was widely covered by the press. A photograph of him holding up the petition in his office before presenting it appeared in The Canberra Times. to become the Administrator of the Northern Territory (1973–1975). He died on 20 June 1991.

A local government building centre in Alice Springs is named after him.