Frederick Stewart (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Sir Frederick Harold Stewart (14 August 1884 – 30 June 1961) was an Australian businessman, politician and government minister. His continuing political commitment was to the establishment of a national insurance scheme and the shortening of working hours to improve social conditions during the Great Depression
, despite the opposition of his own party.
Stewart was born in Newcastle
and educated in public schools in Newcastle and worked for 20 years as an administrative officer in the New South Wales Government Railways
. In 1908 he married Lottie May Glover and they had six children. He was a prominent Methodist Lay Preacher. In 1919 Stewart developed the Sydney suburb of Chullora
and owned the Metropolitan Omnibus Company that serviced the area. He also had an early interest in aviation and broadcasting. He established radio station 2CH
and with Charles Kingsford-Smith and Charles Ulm
established Australian National Airways
.
candidate for the Australian House of Representatives
seat of Martin
at the 1929 election
and ran unsuccessfully for the state seat of Concord
at the 1930 election. He won the federal seat of Parramatta
for the United Australia Party
at the 1931 election
and held it until his retirement before the 1946 election
. He supported a shorter work week to reduce unemployment during the Great Depression
and programs to improve social conditions such as national insurance and workers' housing schemes.
Stewart was appointed Minister for Commerce
from October 1932 had responsibility for trade policy. In November 1934, he stood down to allow the Country Party
to be brought into the ministry
, with Earle Page
becoming Minister for Commerce. He refused Joseph Lyons
's offer of a junior ministry and instead became parliamentary under-secretary for employment, but resigned this position in February 1936 so that he could concentrate on his private scheme to improve social conditions. He was knighted in 1935. After the 1937 election
, under pressure from Stewart, Lyons announced a limited national insurance scheme, but Stewart refused a position in Cabinet
.
Stewart was appointed as Minister for Health
and Minister for Social Services
in Robert Menzies
' ministry
in April 1939 and continued to press for the implementation of a national insurance scheme. In November 1939, with the outbreak of World War II, he was given the additional portfolio of Minister for the Navy
and in January 1940, he became in addition Minister for Supply and Development
on Richard Casey
's appointment as Ambassador to the United States. This portfoilio was responsible for procuring supplies for the military. In March 1940, he lost the portfolios of health and the navy, but retained social services and supply and development in the second Menzies Ministry
. He was criticised over his performance in supplying the military, despite such ingenuity as finding and refurbishing 15,000 World War I uniforms and he lost the supply portfolio from October 1940 in the third Menzies Ministry
, but was appointed Minister for External Affairs
, retained social services and regained health. He held the three portfolios until the fall of the Fadden
government in October 1941. In opposition he served as chairman of the Joint Committee on Social Security in 1943 and 1944.
Stewart's first wife died in 1943 and in 1945 he married Hilda Marjorie Evelyn Dixon. He was a noted philanthropist following his retirement from parliament. He died at the Royal North Shore Hospital
, St Leonards
, survived by his wife and three daughters and two sons from his first marriage.
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...
, despite the opposition of his own party.
Stewart was born in Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
and educated in public schools in Newcastle and worked for 20 years as an administrative officer in the New South Wales Government Railways
New South Wales Government Railways
The New South Wales Government Railways was the government department that operated the New South Wales Government's railways until the establishment of the Public Transport Commission in 1972. Although later known officially as the Department of Railways, New South Wales, it was still generally...
. In 1908 he married Lottie May Glover and they had six children. He was a prominent Methodist Lay Preacher. In 1919 Stewart developed the Sydney suburb of Chullora
Chullora, New South Wales
Chullora, a suburb of local government areas City of Bankstown and the Municipality of Strathfield, is located 15 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and forms a part of the Greater Western Sydney region.-History:The suburb of...
and owned the Metropolitan Omnibus Company that serviced the area. He also had an early interest in aviation and broadcasting. He established radio station 2CH
2CH
2CH is a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia, at 1170 kHz AM. It broadcasts an oldies format, and is aimed to an older age demographic...
and with Charles Kingsford-Smith and Charles Ulm
Charles Ulm
Charles Thomas Philippe Ulm AFC was a pioneer Australian aviator.-World War I:Ulm joined the AIF in September 1914, lying about his name and age to get in. He fought and was wounded at Gallipoli in 1915, and on the Western Front in 1918.Charles Ulm was married twice. In 1919 he married Isabel...
established Australian National Airways
Australian National Airways
Australian National Airways was Australia's predominant carrier from the mid-1930s to the early 1950s.-The Holyman Airways Period:On 19 March 1932 Flinders Island Airways began a regular aerial service using the Desoutter Mk.II VH-UEE Miss Launceston between Launceston, Tasmania and Flinders...
.
Political career
Stewart failed to get pre-selection as a NationalistNationalist 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...
candidate for 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....
seat of Martin
Division of Martin
The Division of Martin was an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It was located in the inner western suburbs of Sydney, and initially included the suburbs of Concord and Mortlake, although by the time it was abolished in 1955, it had moved to cover Abbotsford, Balmain...
at the 1929 election
Australian federal election, 1929
Federal elections were held in Australia on 12 October 1929. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives were up for election, with no Senate seats up for election, as a result of Billy Hughes and other rebel backbenchers crossing the floor over industrial relations legislation, depriving the...
and ran unsuccessfully for the state seat of Concord
Electoral district of Concord
Concord was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Australian state of New South Wales, created in 1930, and named after and including the Sydney suburb of Concord. It was abolished in 1968.-Members for Concord:-References:...
at the 1930 election. He won the federal seat of Parramatta
Division of Parramatta
The Division of Parramatta 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 the locality of Parramatta. The name Parramatta has been sourced to an Aboriginal...
for the 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...
at the 1931 election
Australian federal election, 1931
Federal elections were held in Australia on 19 December 1931. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
and held it until his retirement before the 1946 election
Australian federal election, 1946
Federal elections were held in Australia on 28 September 1946. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
. He supported a shorter work week to reduce unemployment 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...
and programs to improve social conditions such as national insurance and workers' housing schemes.
Stewart was appointed Minister for Commerce
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Australia)
The current Australian Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is Senator the Hon Joe Ludwig.-Portfolio responsibilities:The minister administers his portfolio through the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and its component bodies:...
from October 1932 had responsibility for trade policy. In November 1934, he stood down to allow the Country 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...
to be brought into the ministry
Third Lyons Ministry
The Third Lyons Ministry was the twenty-third Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 9 November 1934 to 29 November 1937.United Australia Party–Australian Country Party Coalition...
, with Earle Page
Earle Page
Sir Earle Christmas Grafton Page, GCMG, CH was the 11th Prime Minister of Australia, and is to date the second-longest serving federal parliamentarian in Australian history, with 41 years, 361 days in Parliament.-Early life:...
becoming Minister for Commerce. He refused Joseph Lyons
Joseph Lyons
Joseph Aloysius Lyons, CH was an Australian politician. He was Labor Premier of Tasmania from 1923 to 1928 and a Minister in the James Scullin government from 1929 until his resignation from the Labor Party in March 1931...
's offer of a junior ministry and instead became parliamentary under-secretary for employment, but resigned this position in February 1936 so that he could concentrate on his private scheme to improve social conditions. He was knighted in 1935. After the 1937 election
Australian federal election, 1937
Federal elections were held in Australia on 23 October 1937. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
, under pressure from Stewart, Lyons announced a limited national insurance scheme, but Stewart refused a position in Cabinet
Cabinet of Australia
The Cabinet of Australia is the council of senior ministers of the Crown, responsible to parliament. The Cabinet is appointed by the Governor-General, on the advice of the Prime Minister the Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, and serves at the former's pleasure. The strictly private...
.
Minister for Health and Ageing (Australia)
The Minister for Health and Ageing is a portfolio in the Government of Australia with the responsibility for national health policy. The current Minister for Health and Ageing is Nicola Roxon...
and Minister for Social Services
Minister for Human Services (Australia)
The position of Minister for Human Services within Australian politics is currently held by the Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP. The Minister is responsible for a number of welfare agencies and administers her portfolio through the Department of Human Services and its component bodies:* Child Support...
in Robert Menzies
Robert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
' ministry
First Menzies Ministry
The First Menzies Ministry was the twenty-sixth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 26 April 1939 to 14 March 1940.United Australia Party*Rt Hon Robert Menzies, KC MP: Prime Minister, Treasurer...
in April 1939 and continued to press for the implementation of a national insurance scheme. In November 1939, with the outbreak of World War II, he was given the additional portfolio of Minister for the Navy
Minister for Defence (Australia)
The Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Stephen Smith is the current Minister.-Ministers for Defence:...
and in January 1940, he became in addition Minister for Supply and Development
Minister for Defence (Australia)
The Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Stephen Smith is the current Minister.-Ministers for Defence:...
on Richard Casey
Richard Casey, Baron Casey
Richard Gardiner Casey, Baron Casey KG GCMG CH DSO MC KStJ PC was an Australian politician, diplomat and the 16th Governor-General of Australia.-Early life:...
's appointment as Ambassador to the United States. This portfoilio was responsible for procuring supplies for the military. In March 1940, he lost the portfolios of health and the navy, but retained social services and supply and development in the second Menzies Ministry
Second Menzies Ministry
The Second Menzies Ministry was the twenty-seventh Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 14 March 1940 to 28 October 1940.United Australia Party–Australian Country Party Coalition...
. He was criticised over his performance in supplying the military, despite such ingenuity as finding and refurbishing 15,000 World War I uniforms and he lost the supply portfolio from October 1940 in the third Menzies Ministry
Third Menzies Ministry
The Third Menzies Ministry was the twenty-eighth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 28 October 1940 to 28 August 1941.United Australia Party–Australian Country Party Coalition...
, but was appointed Minister for External Affairs
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Australia)
In the Government of Australia, the Minister for Foreign Affairs is responsible for overseeing the international diplomacy section of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In common with international practice, the office is often informally referred to as Foreign Minister...
, retained social services and regained health. He held the three portfolios until the fall of the Fadden
Arthur Fadden
Sir Arthur William Fadden, GCMG was an Australian politician and, briefly, the 13th Prime Minister of Australia.-Introduction:...
government in October 1941. In opposition he served as chairman of the Joint Committee on Social Security in 1943 and 1944.
Stewart's first wife died in 1943 and in 1945 he married Hilda Marjorie Evelyn Dixon. He was a noted philanthropist following his retirement from parliament. He died at the Royal North Shore Hospital
Royal North Shore Hospital
The Royal North Shore Hospital is a major public teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, located in St Leonards. It serves as a teaching hospital for Sydney Medical School at the University of Sydney and has approximately 740 beds. It is the referral hospital for Northern Sydney and the Central...
, St Leonards
St Leonards, New South Wales
St Leonards is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. St Leonards is located 5 km north-west of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of Municipality of Lane Cove, North Sydney Council and the City of...
, survived by his wife and three daughters and two sons from his first marriage.