Family background
Bernard Joseph ‘Barney’ Doherty was born at Narrabri in 1896, son of Joseph P. Doherty and Maria. In 1926 he married Florence Ethel Collits at Newtown. He died at Manly on 19 March 1966, aged 69 years. Florence Doherty died at Emmaville on 20 August 1966, aged 64 years.
Occupation & interests
Doherty worked in the inner city as a hairdresser between 1930 and 1954 according to electoral rolls.
Local government service
Bernard Doherty was elected at a by-election in August 1935 caused by the death of F T Dick. In the interwar years many Glebe Labor party members were Catholic, anti-Communist, socially conservative and likely to belong to a moderate union. He was an alderman on Glebe Council from 1935 to 1937.
In 1937 Doherty dissociated himself from the action of Mayor ‘Doc’ Foley directing Council employees to demolish turnstiles and ticket boxes at Harold Park considered by Glebe Council to be a barrier across a public street (Ross Street).
References
Hogan, Michael 2004, Local labor: a history of the Labor Party in Glebe, 1891-2003, Federation Press, Annandale, NSW
Sydney Morning Herald, 2 September 1935, p. 9
Sydney Morning Herald, 2 July 1937, p. 12
Sydney Morning Herald, 24 March 1966