Edward Findley
Encyclopedia
Edward Findley was an Australia
n politician and publisher.
Findley was born in Bendigo, Victoria
(then called Sandhurst) and was apprenticed as a compositor on the Bendigo Independent before moving to Melbourne
in the early 1880s to work on the Daily Telegraph, which closed in 1892. He became an active unionist and was elected president of the Australasian Typographical Union in 1897. He established a weekly newspaper, the Boomerang in 1894, but it ran for only eight issues. He helped establish the Toscin, a radical union weekly in 1896.
member for the Victorian Legislative Assembly
seat of Melbourne
in 1900 but was expelled from parliament soon after on 25 June 1901 for seditious libel
as editor of the Toscin for republishing a Dublin Irish People article on King Edward VII
. He stood at the by-election, but was not re-elected due to the conservative parties limiting the number of their candidates opposing him. He also stood unsuccessfully for the seat in 1902.
Findley won a seat in the Australian Senate
at the 1903 election. He was an honorary minister in the second Fisher Ministry
from 1911 to 1913 and was responsible in the Senate for matters handled by the Minister of Home Affairs
and the Postmaster-General
. In 1911, he married Lilian Foyle. He was defeated at the 1917 election
, but returned to the Senate at the 1922 election
. He was defeated again at the 1928 election
.
Findley was a government director of the Commonwealth Oil Refineries
Ltd—a government-owned oil retailer, established by Billy Hughes
and sold to British Petroleum in 1952—from 1930 until his death. He died in his home in the Melbourne suburb of Caulfield
, survived by his wife and one of his two daughters.
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 and publisher.
Findley was born in Bendigo, Victoria
Bendigo, Victoria
Bendigo is a major regional city in the state of Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban...
(then called Sandhurst) and was apprenticed as a compositor on the Bendigo Independent before moving to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in the early 1880s to work on the Daily Telegraph, which closed in 1892. He became an active unionist and was elected president of the Australasian Typographical Union in 1897. He established a weekly newspaper, the Boomerang in 1894, but it ran for only eight issues. He helped establish the Toscin, a radical union weekly in 1896.
Political career
Findley 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 the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
seat of Melbourne
Electoral district of Melbourne
The Electoral district of Melbourne is an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It is currently based around the localities of Carlton, North Carlton, Melbourne, East Melbourne, West Melbourne, North Melbourne, Parkville, Newmarket, Kensington and Flemington, and includes Melbourne...
in 1900 but was expelled from parliament soon after on 25 June 1901 for seditious libel
Seditious libel
Seditious libel was a criminal offence under English common law. Sedition is the offence of speaking seditious words with seditious intent: if the statement is in writing or some other permanent form it is seditious libel...
as editor of the Toscin for republishing a Dublin Irish People article on King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
. He stood at the by-election, but was not re-elected due to the conservative parties limiting the number of their candidates opposing him. He also stood unsuccessfully for the seat in 1902.
Findley won a seat in the Australian 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,...
at the 1903 election. He was an honorary minister in the second Fisher Ministry
Second Fisher Ministry
The Second Fisher Ministry was the ninth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 29 April 1910 to 24 June 1913.Australian Labor Party*Hon Andrew Fisher, MP: Prime Minister and Treasurer*Hon Billy Hughes, MP: Attorney-General...
from 1911 to 1913 and was responsible in the Senate for matters handled by the Minister of Home Affairs
Minister for Home Affairs (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Home Affairs has been Brendan O'Connor since 6 June 2009. The Home Affairs portfolio brings together agencies such as the Australian Customs Service , the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, which were previously the...
and the Postmaster-General
Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (Australia)
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy is currently Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy. He replaced Senator the Hon Helen Coonan on 3 December 2007.-Portfolio:...
. In 1911, he married Lilian Foyle. He was defeated at the 1917 election
Australian federal election, 1917
Federal elections were held in Australia on 5 May 1917. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
, but returned to the Senate at the 1922 election
Australian federal election, 1922
Federal elections were held in Australia on 16 December 1922. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Nationalist Party of Australia led by Prime Minister of Australia Billy Hughes lost its majority...
. He was defeated again at the 1928 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...
.
Findley was a government director of the Commonwealth Oil Refineries
Commonwealth Oil Refineries
Commonwealth Oil Refineries was an Australian oil companyCommonwealth Oil Refineries that operated bewtween 1920 and 1952 as a joint venture of the Australian government and the Anglo-Persian Oil Company....
Ltd—a government-owned oil retailer, established by Billy Hughes
Billy Hughes
William Morris "Billy" Hughes, CH, KC, MHR , Australian politician, was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923....
and sold to British Petroleum in 1952—from 1930 until his death. He died in his home in the Melbourne suburb of Caulfield
Caulfield, Victoria
Caulfield is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 12 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Glen Eira...
, survived by his wife and one of his two daughters.