| Born and educated in Sydney, Cahill became an apprentice fitter in a railway workshop in 1907 and later joined the Workers’ Educational Association. He was dismissed from the railways in 1917 and labelled an ‘agitator’ for taking part in the railways strike. At this time, Cahill was a branch officer of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (Amalgamated Engineering Union from 1921). He was reinstated to the railways in 1922 and in 1925 was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. After 1941, Cahill held several ministerial positions, including Deputy-Premier under William McKell and in 1952 he was elected party leader and commissioned as Premier. He remained Premier until his death in 1959. |
