Family background
John Shirley was born on 30 May 1861 at Berrima, NSW, the son of Thomas Shirley and his wife Mary. He married Bridget Elizabeth Murray (1863-1955) on 25 January 1887 at Sydney, NSW, and they had two sons and three daughters. John Shirley died at Darlinghurst, NSW, on 28 September 1937, aged 76 years; he was buried at Botany Cemetery. John Shirley lived in Botany Road, Alexandria.
Occupation & interests
John Shirley was a carpenter with the Tramways Locomotive Branch for about 30 years, servicing and maintaining Sydney’s extensive tramway network.
Local government service
John Shirley was an alderman on Alexandria Council 1903-19 and 1923-37 representing the Beaconsfield Ward. His father Thomas was also an alderman on the council.
References
‘Municipal Elections’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 10 February 1903, p. 7, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14510475
‘Alderman J Shirley’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 30 September 1937, p. 6, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17401450