Keith De Lacy, Death: Keith De Lacy, 81-year-old, an Australian politician and businessman, passed away on Friday, November 26, 2021. Annastacia Palaszczuk @AnnastaciaMP, Queensland Premier and Minister for the Olympics on a Twitter post extends her condolences to the family of Keith, and also extends her sympathies to his daughters and their families.”
He was born Keith Ernest De Lacy on August 7, 1940, in Cairns. He was raised on a tobacco farm in the Mareeba/Dimbulah district. He attended Gatton College and graduated with a Diploma in Agriculture and then went further to obtain a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland. He worked in various organizations, including as an underground miner, tobacco farmer, College Principal in PNG, news agency proprietor, as well as serving in the Citizen Military Forces from 1958 to 1959.
He joined the Labor’s Cairns branch in 1970 and was elected to the Queensland Legislative Assembly as a member for Cairns in 1983. In 1986 he became Opposition Spokesman on Primary Industries, moving to Finance and Regional Development in 1988. Following Labor’s victory at the 1989 state election, De Lacy became Treasurer and Minister for Regional Development. He retired from the Regional Development portfolio in 1990 but remained Treasurer until the government’s resignation in 1996. De Lacy retired in 1998.
He served as a President of the Queensland Division of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) from 2010 to 2014 and on the national Board of the AICD during this same period. He was a Director of oil shale company Queensland Energy Resources from 2009 to 2014, and Chairman of Nimrod Resources, and remained a Director of the Reef Casino Trust in Cairns. He has chaired many not-for-profits and remained on the advisory Board of both Queensland Leaders and the Graduate School of Management at the Queensland University of Technology. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), the Centenary Medal, the University of Queensland Gold Medal, and honorary Doctorates from both James Cook and Central Queensland Universities. His book Blood Stains the Wattle was published in 2002.
Keith De Lacy’s obituary and memorials will be organized by the family
My condolences to the family of former Queensland Treasurer Keith De Lacy, who has died aged 81.
I extend my sympathies to Keith’s daughters, Jonnie, Jacquie, Toni and their families. pic.twitter.com/O3A9ZgxYqK
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@a_palaszczuk) November 26, 2021