Bill D'Arcy
William Theodore D'Arcy (born 31 July 1939) is a former Australian politician who served in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland. He held the Labor seat for Albert from 1972 to 1974 and represented Woodridge from 1977 to 2000.
Bill D'Arcy | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Albert | |
| In office 27 May 1972 – 7 December 1974 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Heatley |
| Succeeded by | Ivan Gibbs |
| Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Woodridge | |
| In office 12 November 1977 – 9 January 2000 | |
| Preceded by | New seat |
| Succeeded by | Mike Kaiser |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Theodore D'Arcy 31 July 1939 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Political party | Labor |
| Occupation | Teacher, Business consultant |
D'Arcy, originally from Brisbane, pursued a career as a teacher and business consultant before entering politics. His initial election in 1972 followed the death of Liberal MLA Bill Heatley, but he faced defeat in the 1974 election. He later returned to the Assembly in 1977, representing the new seat of Woodridge.
D'Arcy assumed various roles, including Opposition Spokesman on Tourism, Sport, and Racing in 1987 and Deputy Leader of the Opposition from February 1980 to 1982. In August 1998 he became involved in public controversy regarding accusations of the sexual assault of children dated some thirty five years previously, while a teacher. Though original accusations were disproven, later complaints, established by a special police task force, led to his criminal conviction in November 2000.
Attempts to sue for compensation by two victims were not upheld in civil court proceedings. D’Arcy served seven years in prison, after which he was released on parole, and resumed living with his family. He has consistently declared his innocence, calling for an independent enquiry into the circumstances of his conviction.