Arthur Manning
Encyclopedia
Arthur Gibson Manning was an Australia
n politician who served in both the Australian House of Representatives
and the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
.
Born to pastroralists Frederick and Jane Belle Manning in Wagga Wagga
, Manning was educated in public schools in Wagga and Yass
before purchasing grazing land in Narrabri
and West Wyalong
and marrying Florence Hogarth in 1899; they had no children. He became a vocal proponent for the rights of farmers and served as President of the Australian Meat Council and on the boards of the Farmers and Settlers' Association and the Graziers' Association. Manning then gained Nationalist Party of Australia
pre-selection for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Electoral district of Albury, which he won at the 1917 election. Defeated at the 1920 election, Manning remained involved in the Nationalist Party and rural affairs and was chosen as the Nationalist candidate for the federal Division of Macquarie
for the 1922 election. Manning was victorious, narrowly defeating sitting Australian Labor Party
representative Samuel Nicholls
by less than 100 votes after preferences from an independent were distributed.
Manning faced controversy during his first term in federal parliament when it was revealed in 1924 that he and fellow parliamentarian farmer William Killen
had signed cheques on behalf of the government to the Australian meat industry (in which they both had interests). This was considered by some to be in breach of section 44(v) of the Australian constitution, whereby members of parliament were banned from deriving a benefit from government actions. Following a lively parliamentary debate, a motion that Manning and Killen were in breach of section 44(v) was defeated.
Despite this, Manning retained his seat at the 1925 election
, defeating Labor candidate and future Prime Minister Ben Chifley
. In 1926, Manning was a member of the Australian delegation to the League of Nations
General Assembly, discussing, amongst other issues, Australia's administration of New Guinea
.
In 1928, Manning was opposed by Chifley again and narrowly lost following a Labor campaign that painted Manning a friend of Asian immigrants. Chifley argued that he would help keep Australia white and while Manning used his campaign speeches to deny that he was in favour of Asian immigration, the electorate was in no mood for someone they considered soft on immigration.
Out of parliament, Manning remained on the executive of the Nationalist Party and stood as the official Nationalist Party candidate for the suburban Sydney federal Division of Wentworth
at the 1929 election following the expulsion of the sitting member Walter Marks
from the party. Manning lost and returned to his life as a gentleman grazier while remaining involved in farming and political issues, including a stint as a United Australia Party
(the successor to the Nationalist Party) councillor from 1933 to 1935. He died in Sydney.
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 politician who served in both the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
and the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
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...
.
Born to pastroralists Frederick and Jane Belle Manning in Wagga Wagga
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
Wagga Wagga is a city in New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, and with an urban population of 46,735 people, Wagga Wagga is the state's largest inland city, as well as an important agricultural, military, and transport hub of Australia...
, Manning was educated in public schools in Wagga and Yass
Yass, New South Wales
Yass is a town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Yass Valley Shire. The name appears to have been derived from an Aboriginal word, "Yarrh" , said to mean 'running water'....
before purchasing grazing land in Narrabri
Narrabri, New South Wales
Narrabri is a town and seat of Narrabri Shire Council Local Government Area in the North West Slopes, New South Wales, Australia. Narrabri is situated on the Namoi River and lies northwest of Sydney. It sits on the junction of the Kamilaroi Highway and the Newell Highway...
and West Wyalong
West Wyalong, New South Wales
West Wyalong is a town in New South Wales, Australia which is the main town of the Bland Shire, located in the Central West region of New South Wales. It is located 467 km west of Sydney. It is located on the crossroads of the Newell Highway between Melbourne and Brisbane, and the Mid-Western...
and marrying Florence Hogarth in 1899; they had no children. He became a vocal proponent for the rights of farmers and served as President of the Australian Meat Council and on the boards of the Farmers and Settlers' Association and the Graziers' Association. Manning then gained Nationalist Party of Australia
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...
pre-selection for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Electoral district of Albury, which he won at the 1917 election. Defeated at the 1920 election, Manning remained involved in the Nationalist Party and rural affairs and was chosen as the Nationalist candidate for the federal Division of Macquarie
Division of Macquarie
The Division of Macquarie is 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 is named for Lachlan Macquarie, who was Governor of New South Wales between 1810 and 1821...
for the 1922 election. Manning was victorious, narrowly defeating sitting 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...
representative Samuel Nicholls
Samuel Nicholls
Samuel Robert Nicholls was an Australian politician. Born in Mudgee, New South Wales, he was educated at public schools and became a clerk and cement worker. In 1917, he narrowly defeated Ernest Carr, a Labor turned Nationalist MP, to win the Australian House of Representatives seat of Macquarie...
by less than 100 votes after preferences from an independent were distributed.
Manning faced controversy during his first term in federal parliament when it was revealed in 1924 that he and fellow parliamentarian farmer William Killen
William Killen
William Wilson Killen was an Australian politician. Born and educated in Ireland, he migrated to Australian in 1876 and became a farm worker and eventually a farmer at Corowa...
had signed cheques on behalf of the government to the Australian meat industry (in which they both had interests). This was considered by some to be in breach of section 44(v) of the Australian constitution, whereby members of parliament were banned from deriving a benefit from government actions. Following a lively parliamentary debate, a motion that Manning and Killen were in breach of section 44(v) was defeated.
Despite this, Manning retained his seat at the 1925 election
Australian federal election, 1925
Federal elections were held in Australia on 14 November 1925. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 22 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
, defeating Labor candidate and future Prime Minister Ben Chifley
Ben Chifley
Joseph Benedict Chifley , Australian politician, was the 16th Prime Minister of Australia. He took over the Australian Labor Party leadership and Prime Ministership after the death of John Curtin in 1945, and went on to retain government at the 1946 election, before being defeated at the 1949...
. In 1926, Manning was a member of the Australian delegation to the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
General Assembly, discussing, amongst other issues, Australia's administration of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
.
In 1928, Manning was opposed by Chifley again and narrowly lost following a Labor campaign that painted Manning a friend of Asian immigrants. Chifley argued that he would help keep Australia white and while Manning used his campaign speeches to deny that he was in favour of Asian immigration, the electorate was in no mood for someone they considered soft on immigration.
Out of parliament, Manning remained on the executive of the Nationalist Party and stood as the official Nationalist Party candidate for the suburban Sydney federal Division of Wentworth
Division of Wentworth
The Division of Wentworth is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It was proclaimed in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. The Division is named after William Charles Wentworth , a noted Australian explorer and statesman...
at the 1929 election following the expulsion of the sitting member Walter Marks
Walter Marks
Walter Moffitt Marks was an Australian lawyer, yachtsman and politician.Marks was born in Culwulla House, Jamberoo, New South Wales and educated at Sydney Grammar School. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1902. In September 1901 he married Florence Sandford...
from the party. Manning lost and returned to his life as a gentleman grazier while remaining involved in farming and political issues, including a stint as a United Australia Party
United Australia Party
The United Australia Party was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. It was the political successor to the Nationalist Party of Australia and predecessor to the Liberal Party of Australia...
(the successor to the Nationalist Party) councillor from 1933 to 1935. He died in Sydney.