Frank Walsh
Encyclopedia
Francis Henry "Frank" Walsh (6 July 1897 – 18 May 1968) was the 34th Premier of South Australia, serving from 10 March 1965 to 1 June 1967.
family in O'Halloran Hill, South Australia
. After an education at Christian Brothers College, Walsh left school at fifteen to work as a stonemason, which sparked his interest in the trade union movement. Walsh would serve as President of the South Australian Stonemason's Society and the national stonemason body and as a member of the Trades and Labour Council of South Australia, while still finding the time to continue working as a stonemason and marry on 29 December 1925.
in the safe conservative electorate of Mitcham
at the 1938 state election and while losing to the Liberal and Country League
(LCL) member, impressed senior ALP figures sufficiently to gain endorsement for the safe Labor seat of Goodwood (renamed Edwardstown in 1956). Walsh duly entered parliament in 1941 and was elected as Deputy Opposition Leader of the state parliamentary Labor Party in 1949, when it became clear no one else wanted the job. Labor had by then been in opposition in South Australia since 1933. The LCL, led by Sir Thomas Playford
, ruled South Australia
through a time of strong economic development and held power thanks to an electoral malappointment known as the Playmander
. In response, many South Australian Labor politicians despaired of ever being in government, and believed the Deputy Opposition Leader's role to be a thankless, poor-paying job.
Following the split in the Labor Party in 1955, Walsh, along with Opposition leader Mick O'Halloran
, resisted numerous overtures to join the heavily Catholic Democratic Labor Party
(DLP). Their opposition ensured that the DLP did not attain the same influence in South Australian politics that it did in Victoria
and Queensland
.
Following the sudden death of O'Halloran in 1960, Walsh was narrowly elected to the Labor leadership ahead of Don Dunstan
and followed O'Halloran's lead of preferring co-operation with the LCL to criticising them and maintained friendly relations with Playford, who treated him in a somewhat avuncular manner.
on 55 percent of the primary vote, Walsh became the first Labor Premier of South Australia in 32 years and the first Catholic Premier of South Australia. He also found himself the head of an inexperienced government, as no current ALP parliamentarian had previously served as a minister. This left him no choice but to entrust sensitive portfolios to men more used to criticising government actions. Walsh himself took the portfolios of Treasurer and Minister for Immigration.
Walsh's term as Premier was marked by increased spending on public education and the implementation of far-reaching social welfare and Aboriginal Affairs legislation, although many of these changes were spearheaded by Dunstan, and the socially conservative Walsh may well have personally opposed some of these moves.
Walsh was never comfortable dealing with the media, particularly television, and his ascension to the job of Premier only exacerbated these problems. A master of malapropisms and using complex words in the wrong context, Walsh regularly had journalists, Hansard reporters, and political ally and foe alike bewildered by his statements. To give but one example, Walsh once said in parliament "In this manner, Mr Speaker, the government has acted as if this were a diseased estate. It's not sufficiently elasticated... The government is suffering from a complete lack of apathy in the case."
His unease with the media was seen in stark contrast to his Attorney-General, Dunstan, who would prove to be a media relations master throughout his later terms as Premier.
Walsh's awkwardness with the media was further highlighted after 1966, the year Playford retired as Opposition Leader and the 37-year-old Steele Hall
took his place. A sagging economy and poor polling figures, Steele Hall's advent to convince local ALP heavyweights that Labor could not win the next election with Walsh as Premier, combined with already being aged 67, Walsh was required under party rules to retire from parliament at the next election. Things came to a head in January 1967, when South Australian Labor power-broker Clyde Cameron
publicly thanked Walsh for making the noble decision to retire to make way for a younger person. This was news to Walsh, who had made no such decision. After initially digging in his heels, Walsh eventually announced his retirement two weeks later, but not before attempting (without success) to manoeuvre his protégé Des Corcoran
into the Premiership ahead of Dunstan.
Walsh died less than two months after his retirement at the 1968 election, and was given a state funeral. While Walsh, who was considered "kindly, generous and unpretentious" by friend and foe, should be given credit for his long parliamentary service and his support for unionism and working class families, he would frequently infuriate fellow party members by habitually becoming obsessed with trivial issues to the detriment of affairs of state.
Early life
One of eight children, Walsh was born into an Irish CatholicIrish Catholic
Irish Catholic is a term used to describe people who are both Roman Catholic and Irish .Note: the term is not used to describe a variant of Catholicism. More particularly, it is not a separate creed or sect in the sense that "Anglo-Catholic", "Old Catholic", "Eastern Orthodox Catholic" might be...
family in O'Halloran Hill, South Australia
O'Halloran Hill, South Australia
O'Halloran Hill is a suburb in the south of Adelaide, South Australia, situated on the hills south of the O'Halloran Hill Escarpment, which rises from the Adelaide Plains and located 18 km from the city centre via the Main South Road...
. After an education at Christian Brothers College, Walsh left school at fifteen to work as a stonemason, which sparked his interest in the trade union movement. Walsh would serve as President of the South Australian Stonemason's Society and the national stonemason body and as a member of the Trades and Labour Council of South Australia, while still finding the time to continue working as a stonemason and marry on 29 December 1925.
Parliament
Walsh first stood for the 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...
in the safe conservative electorate of Mitcham
Electoral district of Mitcham (South Australia)
Mitcham was an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia from 1938 to 1993. The district was based in the south-eastern suburbs of Adelaide....
at the 1938 state election and while losing to the Liberal and Country League
Liberal and Country League
The Liberal and Country League was a major political party in South Australia throughout its forty year existence. Thirty-four years were spent in government, in part due to the electoral malapportionment known as the Playmander, introduced after coming to power.Created on 9 June 1932 as the...
(LCL) member, impressed senior ALP figures sufficiently to gain endorsement for the safe Labor seat of Goodwood (renamed Edwardstown in 1956). Walsh duly entered parliament in 1941 and was elected as Deputy Opposition Leader of the state parliamentary Labor Party in 1949, when it became clear no one else wanted the job. Labor had by then been in opposition in South Australia since 1933. The LCL, led by Sir Thomas Playford
Thomas Playford IV
Sir Thomas Playford, GCMG was a South Australian politician. He served continuously as Premier of South Australia from 5 November 1938 to 10 March 1965, the longest term of any elected government leader in the history of Australia. His tenure as premier was marked by a period of population and...
, ruled South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
through a time of strong economic development and held power thanks to an electoral malappointment known as the Playmander
Playmander
The Playmander was a form of electoral malapportionment in the Australian state of South Australia, in place from 1936 to 1968. It consisted of rural districts enjoying a 2-to-1 advantage in the state parliament, even though they contained less than half of the population, as well as a change from...
. In response, many South Australian Labor politicians despaired of ever being in government, and believed the Deputy Opposition Leader's role to be a thankless, poor-paying job.
Following the split in the Labor Party in 1955, Walsh, along with Opposition leader Mick O'Halloran
Mick O'Halloran
Michael Raphael O'Halloran was an Australian Labor Party politician, serving in the Australian Senate and as opposition leader in the Parliament of South Australia....
, resisted numerous overtures to join the heavily Catholic Democratic Labor Party
Democratic Labor Party
The Democratic Labor Party is a political party in Australia that espouses social conservatism and opposes neo-liberalism. The first "DLP" Senator in decades, party vice-president John Madigan was elected to the Australian Senate with 2.3 percent of the primary vote in Victoria at the 2010 federal...
(DLP). Their opposition ensured that the DLP did not attain the same influence in South Australian politics that it did in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
.
Following the sudden death of O'Halloran in 1960, Walsh was narrowly elected to the Labor leadership ahead of Don Dunstan
Don Dunstan
Donald Allan "Don" Dunstan, AC, QC was a South Australian politician. He entered politics as the Member for Norwood in 1953, became state Labor leader in 1967, and was Premier of South Australia between June 1967 and April 1968, and again between June 1970 and February 1979.The son of a business...
and followed O'Halloran's lead of preferring co-operation with the LCL to criticising them and maintained friendly relations with Playford, who treated him in a somewhat avuncular manner.
Premier
Following Labor's emphatic victory at the 1965 electionSouth Australian state election, 1965
State elections were held in Australia on 6 March 1965. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Country League led by Premier of South Australia Thomas Playford IV, in power since 1938, was defeated by the Australian Labor Party led by...
on 55 percent of the primary vote, Walsh became the first Labor Premier of South Australia in 32 years and the first Catholic Premier of South Australia. He also found himself the head of an inexperienced government, as no current ALP parliamentarian had previously served as a minister. This left him no choice but to entrust sensitive portfolios to men more used to criticising government actions. Walsh himself took the portfolios of Treasurer and Minister for Immigration.
Walsh's term as Premier was marked by increased spending on public education and the implementation of far-reaching social welfare and Aboriginal Affairs legislation, although many of these changes were spearheaded by Dunstan, and the socially conservative Walsh may well have personally opposed some of these moves.
Walsh was never comfortable dealing with the media, particularly television, and his ascension to the job of Premier only exacerbated these problems. A master of malapropisms and using complex words in the wrong context, Walsh regularly had journalists, Hansard reporters, and political ally and foe alike bewildered by his statements. To give but one example, Walsh once said in parliament "In this manner, Mr Speaker, the government has acted as if this were a diseased estate. It's not sufficiently elasticated... The government is suffering from a complete lack of apathy in the case."
His unease with the media was seen in stark contrast to his Attorney-General, Dunstan, who would prove to be a media relations master throughout his later terms as Premier.
Walsh's awkwardness with the media was further highlighted after 1966, the year Playford retired as Opposition Leader and the 37-year-old Steele Hall
Steele Hall
Raymond Steele Hall was the 36th Premier of South Australia 1968-70, a senator for South Australia 1974-77, and federal member for the Division of Boothby 1981-96.-Biography:...
took his place. A sagging economy and poor polling figures, Steele Hall's advent to convince local ALP heavyweights that Labor could not win the next election with Walsh as Premier, combined with already being aged 67, Walsh was required under party rules to retire from parliament at the next election. Things came to a head in January 1967, when South Australian Labor power-broker Clyde Cameron
Clyde Cameron
Clyde Robert Cameron, AO , Australian politician, was a member of the Australian House of Representatives for 31 years from 1949 to 1980, a Cabinet minister in the Whitlam government and a leading figure in the Australian labour movement for forty years.-Biography:Cameron was born in Murray Bridge,...
publicly thanked Walsh for making the noble decision to retire to make way for a younger person. This was news to Walsh, who had made no such decision. After initially digging in his heels, Walsh eventually announced his retirement two weeks later, but not before attempting (without success) to manoeuvre his protégé Des Corcoran
Des Corcoran
James Desmond "Des" Corcoran AO was an Australian politician. He was the 37th Premier of South Australia, serving between 15 February 1979 and 18 September 1979....
into the Premiership ahead of Dunstan.
Walsh died less than two months after his retirement at the 1968 election, and was given a state funeral. While Walsh, who was considered "kindly, generous and unpretentious" by friend and foe, should be given credit for his long parliamentary service and his support for unionism and working class families, he would frequently infuriate fellow party members by habitually becoming obsessed with trivial issues to the detriment of affairs of state.