Ben Howe
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Howe was an Australia
n politician. He was an Australian Labor Party
member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1930 until 1932, representing the electorate of North Sydney
.
Howe was born in Darlinghurst
, and undertook an apprenticeship as an engineer at Mort's Dock. He became a fitter and turner in the tramway workshops at Randwick
from 1921 until his election to parliament in 1930. He was an active trade unionist, serving as a shop delegate, organiser and representative of the tramway section of the Amalgamated Engineering Union
. He also ran a soup kitchen with his wife in North Sydney during the Great Depression
.
Howe was the Labor candidate for North Sydney at the 1927 state election
, losing to Ernest Marks, and for the corresponding federal seat at the 1928 federal election
, losing to former Prime Minister Billy Hughes
. He was elected on his third attempt when he defeated Marks at the 1930 state election
as part of Labor's landslide victory that year. His political career was to be short-lived, however; he was easily defeated amidst the Labor defeat of 1932 by North Sydney mayor and United Australia Party candidate Hubert Primrose. He again contested North Sydney against Primrose in 1935, but was easily defeated.
Howe returned to his prior role at the tramway workshops after his defeat, and worked there from 1938 until his death in 1950.
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. He was an 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...
member of 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...
from 1930 until 1932, representing the electorate of North Sydney
Electoral district of North Sydney
North Sydney was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. Created in 1927, it replaced part of the multi-member electorate of North Shore, and was named after and included the Sydney suburb of North Sydney. It was abolished in 1962 and partly...
.
Howe was born in Darlinghurst
Darlinghurst, New South Wales
Darlinghurst is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Darlinghurst is located immediately east of the Sydney central business district and Hyde Park, within the local government area of the City of Sydney...
, and undertook an apprenticeship as an engineer at Mort's Dock. He became a fitter and turner in the tramway workshops at Randwick
Randwick, New South Wales
Randwick is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Randwick is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Randwick...
from 1921 until his election to parliament in 1930. He was an active trade unionist, serving as a shop delegate, organiser and representative of the tramway section of the Amalgamated Engineering Union
Amalgamated Society of Engineers (Australia)
The Amalgamated Society of Engineers was an Australian trade union established in 1905. In 1921, the Society was renamed the Amalgamated Engineering Union, Australian Section. The Society was most famous for its involvement in the landmark High Court of Australia case, Amalgamated Society of...
. He also ran a soup kitchen with his wife in North Sydney during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
Howe was the Labor candidate for North Sydney at the 1927 state election
New South Wales state election, 1927
The 1927 New South Wales state election to elect the 90 members of the 28th Legislative Assembly was held on 8 October 1927. During the previous parliament the voting system, which had been a form of proportional representation with multi-member seats and a single transferable vote , was changed...
, losing to Ernest Marks, and for the corresponding federal seat at the 1928 federal election
Australian federal election, 1928
Federal elections were held in Australia on 17 November 1928. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
, losing to former Prime Minister Billy Hughes
Billy Hughes
William Morris "Billy" Hughes, CH, KC, MHR , Australian politician, was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923....
. He was elected on his third attempt when he defeated Marks at the 1930 state election
New South Wales state election, 1930
The 1930 New South Wales state election was held on 25 October 1930. The election was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting...
as part of Labor's landslide victory that year. His political career was to be short-lived, however; he was easily defeated amidst the Labor defeat of 1932 by North Sydney mayor and United Australia Party candidate Hubert Primrose. He again contested North Sydney against Primrose in 1935, but was easily defeated.
Howe returned to his prior role at the tramway workshops after his defeat, and worked there from 1938 until his death in 1950.