James Alexander Bacon, AC (15 May 1950 – 20 June 2004) was an Australian politician who served as Premier of Tasmania from 1998 to 2004.
Bacon was born on 15 May 1950 in Melbourne;[1] his father Frank, a doctor, died when Jim was twelve, leaving him to be raised by his mother Joan.
Bacon joined the Tasmanian branch of the Labor Party, and was elected to the House of Assembly in 1996, representing the Hobart-based seat of Denison.
Other achievements included huge increases in tourist numbers, leading social policies, partnerships between state and local governments, turning Tasmanian Government entities, such as Hydro Tasmania, into profit-generating businesses (one of the election-winning strategies was to propose this as opposed to selling them), bringing two Australian Football League (AFL) clubs to play regular home and away matches in Tasmania (Hawthorn Football Club and St Kilda Football Club) and improving the general feeling of confidence in individuals and businesses within the state of Tasmania.
[1] On 23 February 2004, he announced that he would take a four-week leave of absence from his role of Premier so that he could explore treatment options.
[3] He was posthumously awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa from the University of Tasmania in August 2004.