Albert Gardiner
Encyclopedia
Albert Gardiner was an Australia
n Labor Party
politician
. He held the distinction of being the party's sole Senator
between 1920 and 1922.
Gardiner was born in Orange
, New South Wales
and educated at Flanagan's School. He was apprenticed as a carpenter at 15. In 1890, he moved to Parkes
and worked on the gold battery at the Hazelhurst mine.
member for Forbes
, although he refused to sign Labor's solidarity pledge in 1893. In 1894, with the abolition of Forbes, he was elected the member for Ashburnham
, but was defeated in 1895. He stood unsuccessfully for Ashburnham in 1898 for the Free Trade Party
and Orange
in 1901 as an independent. In 1897, he divorced his first wife Ada Evelyn Jewell, who he had married in 1892, and he married Theresa Alice Clayton in 1902. He was elected member for Orange in 1904, but lost the seat in 1907.
From 1910 to 1926, Gardiner was a Senator for New South Wales in Federal Parliament
. He was appointed Vice-President of the Executive Council
in 1914 and Assistant Minister for Defence in 1915. He resigned from the ministry in opposition to conscription
before the first plebiscite on conscription
in October 1916. After the Labor split over the issue, he became Labor leader in the Senate and the only Labor Senator from 1920 to 1922. A filibuster
in 1918 delivered Federal Parliament's longest speech at 12 hours and 40 minutes (the combined Parnell-Bressington filibuster
in the South Australian upper house went for over 13 hours), this forced the introduction of a time limit on future speeches. In 1926, he lost his Senate seat, but he filled a casual vacancy for five months in 1928, despite expulsion from the Lang
-led state branch of the party. He unsuccessfully contested Dalley
as an independent Labor candidate in 1928. He then unsuccessfully contested the State seats of Waverley
in 1932 and Canterbury
in 1935 as an Official Labor candidate, that is recognised by the Federal Labor Party, but not the State branch.
Gardiner died at Bondi Junction
, survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He held the distinction of being the party's sole Senator
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
between 1920 and 1922.
Gardiner was born in Orange
Orange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and educated at Flanagan's School. He was apprenticed as a carpenter at 15. In 1890, he moved to Parkes
Parkes, New South Wales
- Transport :Parkes has a local bus service provided by Western Road Liners, which acquired Harris Bus Lines in March 2006. The Indian Pacific also stops twice a week, as well as the Broken Hill Outback Xplorer service, run by CountryLink, which heads to Broken Hill on Mondays and Sydney on...
and worked on the gold battery at the Hazelhurst mine.
Political career
In 1891, Gardiner was elected as an Australian Labor PartyAustralian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
member for Forbes
Electoral district of Forbes
Forbes was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, created in 1880, replacing Lachlan, and named after and including Forbes. In 1894, with the abolition of multi-member electorates, it was abolished and replaced by Lachlan and...
, although he refused to sign Labor's solidarity pledge in 1893. In 1894, with the abolition of Forbes, he was elected the member for Ashburnham
Electoral district of Ashburnham
Ashburnham was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, originally created in 1894 in the Parkes area and named after Ashburnham County. In 1920, with the introduction of proportional representation, it was absorbed into Murrumbidgee, along with...
, but was defeated in 1895. He stood unsuccessfully for Ashburnham in 1898 for the Free Trade Party
Free Trade Party
The Free Trade Party which was officially known as the Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association, also referred to as the Revenue Tariff Party in some states and renamed the Anti-Socialist Party in 1906, was an Australian political party, formally organised between 1889 and 1909...
and Orange
Electoral district of Orange
Orange is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Andrew Gee of the National Party of Australia....
in 1901 as an independent. In 1897, he divorced his first wife Ada Evelyn Jewell, who he had married in 1892, and he married Theresa Alice Clayton in 1902. He was elected member for Orange in 1904, but lost the seat in 1907.
From 1910 to 1926, Gardiner was a Senator for New South Wales in Federal Parliament
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
. He was appointed Vice-President of the Executive Council
Vice-President of the Executive Council
The Vice-President of the Federal Executive Council is a position in Australian federal governments, whose holder acts as presiding officer of the Federal Executive Council in the absence of the Governor-General....
in 1914 and Assistant Minister for Defence in 1915. He resigned from the ministry in opposition to conscription
Conscription in Australia
Conscription in Australia, or mandatory military service also known as National Service, has a controversial history dating back to the first years of nationhood...
before the first plebiscite on conscription
Australian plebiscite, 1916
The 1916 Australian plebiscite was held on 28 October 1916. It was the first non-binding Australian plebiscite, and contained one question concerning Military Service....
in October 1916. After the Labor split over the issue, he became Labor leader in the Senate and the only Labor Senator from 1920 to 1922. A filibuster
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
in 1918 delivered Federal Parliament's longest speech at 12 hours and 40 minutes (the combined Parnell-Bressington filibuster
Parnell-Bressington filibuster
The Parnell-Bressington filibuster is a record-breaking filibuster that occurred in the South Australian upper house, the Legislative Council, on 8 May 2008, involving SA Greens MLC Mark Parnell and No Pokies MLC Ann Bressington....
in the South Australian upper house went for over 13 hours), this forced the introduction of a time limit on future speeches. In 1926, he lost his Senate seat, but he filled a casual vacancy for five months in 1928, despite expulsion from the Lang
Jack Lang (Australian politician)
John Thomas Lang , usually referred to as J.T. Lang during his career, and familiarly known as "Jack" and nicknamed "The Big Fella" was an Australian politician who was Premier of New South Wales for two terms...
-led state branch of the party. He unsuccessfully contested Dalley
Division of Dalley
The Division of Dalley was an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. It was abolished in 1969. It was named for the colonial politician William Dalley. It was located in the...
as an independent Labor candidate in 1928. He then unsuccessfully contested the State seats of Waverley
Electoral district of Waverley
Waverley was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, originally created in 1894, with the abolition of multi-member constituencies, out of part of Paddington, and named after and including the Sydney suburb of Waverley. In 1920, with the...
in 1932 and Canterbury
Electoral district of Canterbury
Canterbury is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Linda Burney of the Australian Labor Party.-History:...
in 1935 as an Official Labor candidate, that is recognised by the Federal Labor Party, but not the State branch.
Gardiner died at Bondi Junction
Bondi Junction, New South Wales
Bondi Junction is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bondi Junction is located 6 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the Waverley....
, survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.