Roy Heferen

Stephen Roy Heferen (2 June 1898 – 9 June 1961) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1941 until 1950. During his parliamentary career he was a member of the Labor Party (ALP) but sat as an Independent Labor member between March and May 1950.

Early life Heferen was born in Coonabarabran, New South Wales. He was the son of a farmer, and after an elementary education at Moree Superior Public School worked as butcher's boy and shearer. He was a foreman with the New South Wales Government Railways between 1922 and 1926. Heferen became a wheat farmer after buying land on the Boggabilla-Camurra Railway line at Croppa Creek near Moree. He was active in local community organizations including the Aboriginal Protection Board, the Wheat Growers Association and the Farmers and Settlers Association.

State parliament Heferen's was elected to the New South Wales Parliament as the Labor member for the seat of Barwon at the 1940 by-election caused by the resignation of the incumbent Country Party member, Ben Wade, who unsuccessfully contested the federal seat of Gwydir at the 1940 election. Heferen's success in a usually safe Country party seat presaged Labor's strong showing in rural electorates at the general election held the next year. The rural successes of Labor at that election enabled the party to return to government under William McKell after a 9-year period in opposition. Heferen retained Barwon at the next 3 elections with diminishing success. At the 1947 election he defeated the Country party's Geoff Crawford by 42 votes (0.15%). He did not hold party, parliamentary or ministerial office.