I was born at Gunning Gap - a very small place near Yass - which is near the Capital of Australia - Canberra. I was the youngest of six sons of Irish parents and I was brought up as a child at a farming property called Bellevale - a place near Yass in the Australian state of New South Wales (N.S.W) I was educated at Yass Public School but received only a very basic school education. At the age of 15 I was apprenticed as a Blacksmith ( In Berrima - A very small Village in the Highlands of N.S.W.) and I then went to Sydney ( the Capital of the State of NSW ) where I spent a lot of time in the Libraries. I was very interested in Politics and generally interested in how everything worked. I had a keen mind and an inquiring mind and I wanted to try and see how things could be improved. You could call me a self made man. At least I educated myself and knew most all of the words in Webster's Dictionary and used them ( in particular the longest ones ) even though I could not spell all of them. In 1898 at the age of 30 I returned to Yass and married Minnie (Mary) Theresa Cassedy, a dressmaker. We remained married all our life. She died in 1962, aged 92 and was active in the family business right up till her death. We had 1 Daughter and 3 Sons. One of my sons died before me but My wife and my other 2 sons and Daughter lived after my death. In 1900 I began my political and business careers. By 1910 I had become the biggest employer in Yass with 24 staff and was building Coaches and Buggies and exporting them to South Africa. With the arrival of the Petrol Motor Car. I became one of the first persons to open a Petrol (Service) Station in Yass. I became involved in the Yass Municipal Council and was Mayor in 1904. I was Mayor three times in Yass. In 1910 I became a member of the NSW Legalistative Assembly. For 38 years until 1948. At the same time I became Member for Queanbeyan until 1913. In the year 1913 I became the member for Albury until 1948 - a period of 34 years.
In 1908 I was commissioned as a Justice of the peace.
I was known as "JJ" throughout Yass and districts and everyone knew who I was - I was loved and hated. I was a member of the Yass Hospital Board and the local Pastoral and Agricultural society as well as the Australian Journalists Association. I was a regular letter writer to the local newspapers. I was a member of the Yass and Canberra Historical Society. I was a founding member of the Yass (ALP) league.
In 1910 I represented the Yass Council in the First NSW State Government Local Government Convention.
During the early 1900's I encountered disputes with labor politics and in 1917 ran for independent even though I was a labor man. I worked hard to try and help those who I represented in Government. I enjoyed lively debate in Parliament and was regarded by some to "sail close to the wind" ( or push things to the limit. ) I was described by some as a Law unto Myself. I was re-admitted to Federal Labor.
I was very active in pushing Canberra to be the Capital of Australia. Melbourne was the previous capital and there was a big push to establish a capital between Sydney and Melbourne. Cooma was originally mentioned but I pushed for ( Canberra ) which was between Sydney and Melbourne. In 1927 Parliament House was built in Canberra - previously the place was an open plain with very few people living there.
In 1932 I moved to Canberra and established a Furniture Store. (Cusack's known to this day)
After the second world war in 1945 I began a campaign to try to make the Yass Council responsible to the Yass people. It began as a small thing but esculated when Yass Council wanted to put in an expanded Gas Works System which I thought was going to be too costly for Yass residents. I told Yass Council that it would be too costly to establish such a system and rather than that proposed I would consider a smaller system. Naturally I had a BIG problem with Yass Council and they told me to basically "get lost" Well I did'nt take to this as you would imagine a fierce dispute arose. I began a campaign to try and stop Yass Council from implementing the changes. I began a concerted effort to try and stop the Yass Council from implementing their policies. That is what I called the so called "rip off" by the council and the so called "corruption" of the council" ( which they tried to sue me for ) Things really took off after that ! I posted large signs on my Yass property all around the place (the Yass tyre service premises today) and was told by the Yass Council to remove the (so called libel)-slogans and I refused to do this - and all hell broke loose - I then lit the place up at night with hundreds of Fluorescent tubes and people came from far and wide to read the slogans. I then started handing out leaflets ( Cusack's weekly ) to Yass residents telling them I thought the council was this and that - I ran for office against W T Sheahan and lost - The council tried to condemn my building but it had become a tourist attraction - due to the slogans plastered all over the walls - much to the embarrasment of the Council - who shut off water and electricity to my place - So I hooked it up from the place next door - and I ended up in Yass Court and the Magistrate was NOT impressed. In 1949 I went to Yass court and the magistrate would have put me in Jail had it not been for my age - I was 81 years old at the time. - I smashed a fluorescent light tube on his desk and he went berserk. I told him it was to "prove a point" . Never one to be told to shut up I ran a story that week in my local leafet (called Cusack's Weekly) about the magistrate and I was served with a writ and had to publish a letter of apology in the local paper. The council eventually ended up forcing me to take down the signs after they condemned the building as "a disgrace to Yass" just before my death in 1956 where it was said In the Local Yass newspaper - " Yass is a poorer place for the loss of such a man of uncommon energy and ability "
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