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John Clasby

1891 – 1932

Australian politician

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About John Clasby

Lived 1891 – 1932 (aged 40–41). John Clasby was an Australian politician.

John Joseph Clasby (11 September 1891 – 15 January 1932) was an Australian politician.

Clasby was born in Warragul, Victoria. He was a Catholic of Irish ancestry. He served in World War I from 1914 with the Light Horse and later with the Artillery in Egypt and in France but returned to Australia in September 1917 after being wounded and gassed. He became a commercial traveller and lecturer on his return and also a prominent member of the Commercial Travellers' Club and vice-president of the Paddington-Woollahra branch of the Returned and Services League. In 1930, he had been a prominent opponent of the "no-license" campaign, which had attempted to prohibit alcohol sales in Victoria.

In 1931, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the United Australia Party member for East Sydney, defeating the sitting MP, Eddie Ward of the Lang Labor party. Although the seat had historically been a comfortably safe Labor seat, vote-splitting between Ward and the official Labor candidate allowed Clasby to win when just over half of the official Labor candidate's preferences flowed to him. Having never fully recovered from his war injuries, Clasby's health suffered from the strenuous election campaign, and he died just a month later, at age 40, before he had taken his seat in the House. A by-election was held in February 1932, which Ward won. Clasby was buried at South Head Cemetery.

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Important facts

Born
1891, Warragul
Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Positions held
Member of the Australian House of Representatives
Also known as
John Joseph Clasby

People in John Clasby's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Clasby's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Clasby?

Australian politician

When was John Clasby born?

John Clasby was born in 1891 in Warragul.

When did John Clasby die?

John Clasby died on 15 January 1932.

What was John Clasby's occupation?

John Clasby was a politician.

What nationality was John Clasby?

John Clasby was Australian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Clasby

· Wikidata: Q16029300

· DBpedia: John Clasby

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Clasby. https://biography.guide/john-clasby/

MLA: "John Clasby." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-clasby/.

Chicago: "John Clasby." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-clasby/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-26 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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