John Elden McLeay was born in Adelaide on 30 March 1922 and educated at Scotch College, Adelaide. The son of Sir John McLeay (Speaker of the House of Representatives, 1956-67), he was also a nephew of Senator George McLeay (CP 206).
In 1941, McLeay enlisted in the Australian Imperial Forces and served in New Guinea as a Gunner with the 13 Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery (1942-43). Discharged in October 1945, he joined the family company McLeay Brothers Limited and, in 1949, became its Managing Director. He also served on the Unley City Council as a Councillor (1949-57 and 1964-70), Alderman (1957-63) and as Mayor (1961-63).
McLeay was elected to the House of Representatives in November 1966, succeeding his father as Member for the South Australian seat of Boothby. He retained the seat for 14 years, retiring three months after the October 1980 general election.
During the Gorton and McMahon Governments, McLeay served on the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Privileges (1969-71) and the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs (1970-71) and was Assistant Minister to the Minister for Civil Aviation (1971-72). In September 1971, he led the Australian delegation to the 59th Conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union held in Paris and, from 1974, was a member of the Liberal Party Executive, South Australian Division. Immediately prior to the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor Government, McLeay was a member of the Opposition Shadow Ministry and Spokesman on Housing and Construction (June-November 1975).
In the second Fraser Ministry, McLeay was appointed Minister for Construction (1975-78) and Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence (1975-80). He was subsequently Minister for Administrative Services (1978-80). After the October 1980 election, however, he asked not to be considered for the new Ministry and returned to the back bench.
McLeay died in December 2000.
Sources:
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No S 262, 22 Dec 1975; No S 268, 5 Dec 1978
Parliamentary Handbook 1982, pp 135-6
Prime Minister's Press Release, 2 Nov 1980
Who's Who in Australia 1980, p 565