Facts:   - parliament: australian    - successor: arthur beck    - constituency mp: denison    - death date: 16 september 1955    - predecessor: arthur hutchin    - party: australian labor party      - term end: 21 september 1940    - term start: 15 september 1934    - birth date: 24 may 1892    - name: gerald mahoney    - nationality: australian    - birth place: tasmania    - occupation: painter   Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of gerald mahoney .
The answer to this question is:
gerald william mahoney -lrb- 24 may 1892 -- 16 september 1955 -rrb- was an australian politician .born in tasmania , he was educated in that state at latrobe , becoming a painter and an official of the painters ' union .in 1931 he was elected to the tasmanian house of assembly as a labor member for denison .in 1934 , he transferred to federal politics , defeating united australia party mp arthur hutchin for the federal seat of denison .he held the seat until his defeat by uap candidate arthur beck in 1940 .mahoney became a public servant and died in 1955 .