Rex JacksonPrint Page

The Park was named in honour of Rex Jackson, former member of Heathcote in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for his contribution to Helensburgh and the City of Wollongong. 

Rex Frederick Jackson (1928 – 2011) was an Australian politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and subsequently imprisoned for conspiracy.

Jackson was the member for Bulli from 1955 to 1971 and the member for Heathcote from 1971 to 1986, representing the Labor Party. He was Minister for Youth and Community Services from May 1976 to October 1981 and then Minister for Corrective Services from October 1981 to October 1983. He was also Minister for Roads from February to October 1983.

Jackson resigned his ministerial portfolios on 27 October 1983 and from parliament on 13 August 1986. He was charged with corruption and sent to trial in 1987. The District Court found that Jackson accepted a bribe of A$12,000 in 1983 and that he conspired to organise the early release of three prisoners from Broken Hill Correctional Centre to meet gambling debts. He was initially sentenced to serve seven and a half years in custody (with three years without parole). However, in 1988 The Crown appealed to the Court of Criminal Appeal against the leniency of the sentence. Jackson was subsequently sent to prison for ten years, with a non-parole period of five years, serving time at Berrima Correctional Centre. 

Following his early release from prison, after serving three years and two months of his 10-year term, he returned to his Helensburgh home and was welcomed back by many in his community. he died in 2011. 

Location

Address:	Park Avenue, Rex Jackson Park, Helensburgh, 2508
State:	NSW
Area:	AUS
GPS Coordinates:	Lat: -34.187396 Long: 150.980044 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.

View Google Map

Details

Monument Type:	Park
Monument Theme:	People
Sub-Theme:	Government - State

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:	Saturday 2nd July, 1983

Source: MA