Mick Clough

Ralph James "Mick" Clough (22 October 1927 – 12 August 2008) was an Australian politician. He was a Labor Party Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1976 to 1981, representing the electorate of Blue Mountains and representing the electorate of Bathurst from 1981 to 1988 and again from 1991 to 1999.

Private life Clough was born to Michael "Gordon" Clough and Irene Clough (née Smith) in Warialda, New South Wales on 22 October 1927. Although christened Ralph James he was known as "little Mick" after his father.

Clough attended schools in Warialda, Granville, Hornsby and then St Patrick's College, Strathfield. and was inducted into the Tasmanian Cricket Hall of Fame.

Having joined the Australian Labor Party in 1948, He entered public office as an alderman on the Blue Mountains City Council from 1974 to 1979.

New South Wales state political career In 1976 Clough again contested the seat of Blue Mountains, this time winning the election and reversing the victory of the independent sitting member Harold Coates three years earlier. Clough was subsequently re-elected in the 1978 State election.

In the 1981 State election, following an electoral boundary adjustment, He was subsequently re-elected to that seat in the 1984 State election.

At the 1988 State election, Clough lost the seat to Liberal candidate David Berry. He contested the 1991 State election, regaining the seat from Berry. Clough retained the seat at the 1995 State election. He decided not to contest the 1999 State election and retired from public life. Former Lithgow Mayor, Gerard Martin, successfully retained the seat for Labor.

Clough did not achieve a higher office during his lengthy parliamentary career. (He did, however, serve as Acting Chairman of Committees for a short time in 1997). During his terms in office his achievements included Bathurst's Macquarie Homes retirement village. He was a strong opponent of privatisation of power stations, financial deregulation and cuts to local services.

After politics

Following his retirement from politics in 1999, Clough and his wife Doreen operated the Coolawin Gardens Motel in Nambucca Heads.