Arthur Hill Griffith
Encyclopedia
Arthur Griffith was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1894 until 1917 and held a number of ministerial positions in the Government of New South Wales
. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party
(ALP).
and Melbourne University. He worked as a journalist and school teacher and taught at Sydney Grammar School
from 1884 until his election to parliament.
In 1903 he resigned his seat to contest a Senate
seat for New South Wales
at the 1903 federal election. He was unsuccessful and as the by-election for Waratah was held prior to the Senate election, Griffith was denied the chance to recontest. In the following year, he was successful as the endorsed Labor candidate for the seat of Sturt (based on the mining town of Broken Hill) at the general election of 6 August. Griffith was re-elected unopposed at the 1907 election but resigned from parliament the following year in protest at being suspended by the speaker
when he protested the Speaker's alleged proceadural unfairness. He won the subsequent by-election unopposed and continued to represent Sturt until the general election of 15 November 1913. A redistribution of state electorates resulted in Griffith stepping aside for John Cann
the member for the abolished seat of Broken Hill
. He successfully contested the Sydney electorate of Annandale
, defeating the sitting member Albert Bruntnell
and William Holman
he was the Minister for Public Works from 1910 until 1915. From March 1915 until November 1916, he was the Minister for Public Education. As Minister for Public Works, he encouraged the growth of state enterprises and increased spending on railway construction. He encouraged the establishment of the BHP
steelworks in Newcastle.
he opposed the Labor Party's anti-conscription policy but did not follow Holman in joining the Nationalist Party
. He subsequently resigned from the government and was expelled from the Labor Party. He contested the 24 March 1917 election as an independent labor candidate but was defeated by William O'Brien the official ALP candidate.
Griffith was one of the best know middle-class, professional supporters of the Labor party in its first 25 years. He maintained a socialist and republican stance throughout his public career.
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
from 1894 until 1917 and held a number of ministerial positions in the Government of New South Wales
Government of New South Wales
The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
. He was a member of the Australian 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...
(ALP).
Early life
Griffith was born in Westmeath, Ireland and migrated with his family to Australia in 1871. His father was a solicitor. He was educated at Scotch College, MelbourneScotch College, Melbourne
Scotch College, Melbourne is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for boys, located in Hawthorn, an inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
and Melbourne University. He worked as a journalist and school teacher and taught at Sydney Grammar School
Sydney Grammar School
Sydney Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, selective, day school for boys, located in Darlinghurst, Edgecliff and St Ives, all suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
from 1884 until his election to parliament.
Political career
Despite residing in Sydney, Griffith was the candidate for the Labour Party for the seat of Waratah at the state election held on 12 July 1894. He was successful with 820 (44.18%) votes and was re-elected at elections in 1895, 1898 and 1901.In 1903 he resigned his seat to contest a Senate
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,...
seat for 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...
at the 1903 federal election. He was unsuccessful and as the by-election for Waratah was held prior to the Senate election, Griffith was denied the chance to recontest. In the following year, he was successful as the endorsed Labor candidate for the seat of Sturt (based on the mining town of Broken Hill) at the general election of 6 August. Griffith was re-elected unopposed at the 1907 election but resigned from parliament the following year in protest at being suspended by the speaker
Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer of the Legislative Assembly, New South Wales's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is Shelley Hancock, who was elected on 3 May 2011...
when he protested the Speaker's alleged proceadural unfairness. He won the subsequent by-election unopposed and continued to represent Sturt until the general election of 15 November 1913. A redistribution of state electorates resulted in Griffith stepping aside for John Cann
John Cann
John Henry Cann was a New South Wales politician, Treasurer, and Minister of the Crown in the cabinets of James McGowen and William Holman. From 1912 to 1914 he was the Treasurer of New South Wales...
the member for the abolished seat of Broken Hill
Electoral district of Broken Hill
Broken Hill was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. From 1894 to 1913, the Broken Hill district was covered by the electoral districts of Broken Hill, Willyama and Sturt. In the 1912 redistribution, the electoral district of Broken Hill...
. He successfully contested the Sydney electorate of Annandale
Electoral district of Annandale
Annandale was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, created in 1894, with the abolition of multi-member constituencies, from part of Balmain, and named after and including the Sydney suburb of Annandale. With the introduction of proportional...
, defeating the sitting member Albert Bruntnell
Albert Bruntnell
Albert Bruntnell was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1906 until his death and held a number of ministerial positions in the Government of New South Wales...
Ministerial career
In the New South Wales Labor Governments of James McGowenJames McGowen
James Sinclair Taylor McGowen was an Australian politician and the first Labor Premier of New South Wales from 21 October 1910 to 30 June 1913.-Early life and family:...
and William Holman
William Holman
William Arthur Holman was an Australian Labor Party Premier of New South Wales, Australia, who split with the party on the conscription issue in 1916 during World War I, and immediately became Premier of a conservative Nationalist Party Government.-Early life:Holman was born in St Pancras, London,...
he was the Minister for Public Works from 1910 until 1915. From March 1915 until November 1916, he was the Minister for Public Education. As Minister for Public Works, he encouraged the growth of state enterprises and increased spending on railway construction. He encouraged the establishment of the BHP
BHP Billiton
BHP Billiton is a global mining, oil and gas company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and with a major management office in London, United Kingdom...
steelworks in Newcastle.
Expulsion from Labor Party
During the ALP split over conscription in World War IConscription 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...
he opposed the Labor Party's anti-conscription policy but did not follow Holman in joining the Nationalist Party
Nationalist Party of Australia
The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
. He subsequently resigned from the government and was expelled from the Labor Party. He contested the 24 March 1917 election as an independent labor candidate but was defeated by William O'Brien the official ALP candidate.
Griffith was one of the best know middle-class, professional supporters of the Labor party in its first 25 years. He maintained a socialist and republican stance throughout his public career.