Family background
Ambrose James Cahill was born on 21 September 1888 in Waterloo, NSW, son of Phillip Cahill and Lydia Alchin (d. 1957). He married Nellie Eileen Merchant (1891-1968) on 4 October 1913 in Redfern; she was the daughter of Alfred and Eleanor Merchant. They had a son and a daughter. The family lived at lived at 40 Raglan Street, Waterloo. Ambrose James Cahill died on 24 April 1975 at hospital (late of Redfern), aged 86 years. He was buried with his wife in Botany Lawn Cemetery. He lived at 40 Raglan Street, Waterloo.
Occupation & interests
Cahill was a storeman. He was a labor alderman with strong links with the union movement. He was elected under the Official Labor banner but in reality there was little difference in ideology with Lang Labor.
Community activity
In 1950, Cahill became an inaugural trustee of the Camperdown Memorial Rest Park.
Local government service
Prior to his election to the Sydney City Council, Ambrose Cahill was an alderman on Waterloo Council, in 1937-41 and 1945-48. He was mayor of Waterloo in 1940-41. Cahill was an alderman on the City of Sydney Council from 1948 to 1959.
He represented the Newtown Ward of the City of Sydney Council, from 4 December 1948 to 1 December 1950; Redfern Ward, from 2 December 1950 to 4 December 1953; and City Ward, 1 December 1956 to 4 December 1959. He was a member of the Health and Recreation Committee, 1949-53 and 1958-59, and its Vice-Chairman in 1949 and 1953; the Works Committee, 1949-53 and 1957-59 and its Vice-Chairman in 1957. In 1957 he was fined £50 on a charge of having bribed a fellow alderman. Cahill was elected to the Sydney County Council, 23 January 1957 to 19 January 1960.
References
City of Sydney Archives: Aldermen’s Files
Society of Australian Genealogists: AGCI index
‘Triennial Election’, The Sydney Morning Herald 2 December 1937, p. 17, http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17440160
‘Case For Ald. Cahill To Answer, Bench Rules’, The Canberra Times, 14 August 1957, p. 4
‘Court Convicts Alderman On Bribe Charge’, The Canberra Times, 15 August 1957, p. 1