John Estell
Encyclopedia
John Estell was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Parliament from 1899 until his death and held a number of ministerial positions in the Government of New South Wales
. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party
.
Estell was born in the Hunter Valley
coal mining town of Minmi
. He was the son of a coal-miner and was educated to elementary level at Rydal
, Wallerawang
and Bathurst
public schools. His initial employment was as a steam engine driver at the Minmi Colliery in 1882. He was an office-holder in the Colliery Employees Federation from 1894 and an elected member of Plattsburg
Municipal Council from 1888 till 1901. He was the mayor in 1891, 1897 and 1899.
In 1899, during the premiership of George Reid
he was admitted to life membership of the New South Wales Legislative Council
. He resigned his Legislative Council seat to successfully contest the Legislative Assembly
seat of Wallsend
as the ALP
candidate in the 1901 general election. The previous member, David Watkins
had resigned to successfully contest the federal seat of Newcastle
after the Federation of Australia
. Estell's seat was abolished in the reduction of numbers in the Assembly following Federation but he was subsequently elected to the seat of Waratah at the 1904 State election. He represented this seat until it was also abolished in 1913, after which he again represented the re-created seat of Wallsend.
In the New South Wales Labor Government of William Holman
he was the Minister for Labour and Industry from 1914 and was also the Minister for Mines from 1915. During the ALP split over conscription in World War I
he opposed Holman and remained loyal to the party's policy of no conscription. He was subsequently dismissed from the New South Wales Government.
In 1920 multi-member seats elected by proportional representation were used for elections to the Legislative Assembly. Estell was one of the five members elected for the seat of Newcastle
. During the Labor premierships of John Storey
and James Dooley
he was the Minister for Public Works and Railways from April 1920 till April 1922 except for the short period of the first Nationalist Government of George Fuller
.
Estell retired from the Assembly at the 1922 State election but accepted a life appointment to the Legislative Council which he kept until his death in 1928.
Government of New South Wales
The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
. He was a member of the 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...
.
Estell was born in the Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
coal mining town of Minmi
Minmi, New South Wales
Minmi is an outer western suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district. It is part of the City of Newcastle local government area....
. He was the son of a coal-miner and was educated to elementary level at Rydal
Rydal, New South Wales
Rydal is a small village in New South Wales, Australia.Rydal is located about west of the state capital, Sydney and south-west from the town of Lithgow....
, Wallerawang
Wallerawang, New South Wales
Wallerawang is a small township in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately 14 km northwest of Lithgow on the Main Western railway line at the junction of the Gwabegar line. A now closed railway station opened in 1870. Wallerawang Power Station opened in...
and Bathurst
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
public schools. His initial employment was as a steam engine driver at the Minmi Colliery in 1882. He was an office-holder in the Colliery Employees Federation from 1894 and an elected member of Plattsburg
Wallsend, New South Wales
Wallsend is a western suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district. It is part of the City of Newcastle local government area.- Origins :...
Municipal Council from 1888 till 1901. He was the mayor in 1891, 1897 and 1899.
In 1899, during the premiership of George Reid
George Reid (Australian politician)
Sir George Houstoun Reid, GCB, GCMG, KC was an Australian politician, Premier of New South Wales and the fourth Prime Minister of Australia....
he was admitted to life membership of the New South Wales Legislative Council
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
. He resigned his Legislative Council seat to successfully contest the 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...
seat of Wallsend
Electoral district of Wallsend
Wallsend is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. Wallsend is a Newcastle suburban electorate, deriving its name from the suburb of the same name, covering 118.57 km² and encompassing at least part of the suburbs of Wallsend, Edgeworth,...
as the ALP
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...
candidate in the 1901 general election. The previous member, David Watkins
David Watkins (Australian politician)
David Watkins was an Australian politician and Member of the Australian House of Representatives for Newcastle from 1901 until his death in 1935....
had resigned to successfully contest the federal seat of Newcastle
Division of Newcastle
The Division of Newcastle is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. The Division is centred around the city of Newcastle, after which it is named....
after the Federation of Australia
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
. Estell's seat was abolished in the reduction of numbers in the Assembly following Federation but he was subsequently elected to the seat of Waratah at the 1904 State election. He represented this seat until it was also abolished in 1913, after which he again represented the re-created seat of Wallsend.
In the New South Wales Labor Government of William Holman
William Holman
William Arthur Holman was an Australian Labor Party Premier of New South Wales, Australia, who split with the party on the conscription issue in 1916 during World War I, and immediately became Premier of a conservative Nationalist Party Government.-Early life:Holman was born in St Pancras, London,...
he was the Minister for Labour and Industry from 1914 and was also the Minister for Mines from 1915. During the ALP split over conscription in World War I
Conscription in Australia
Conscription in Australia, or mandatory military service also known as National Service, has a controversial history dating back to the first years of nationhood...
he opposed Holman and remained loyal to the party's policy of no conscription. He was subsequently dismissed from the New South Wales Government.
In 1920 multi-member seats elected by proportional representation were used for elections to the Legislative Assembly. Estell was one of the five members elected for the seat of Newcastle
Electoral district of Newcastle
Newcastle is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales named after and including Newcastle. It is represented by Tim Owen of the Liberal Party of Australia.-History:...
. During the Labor premierships of John Storey
John Storey (politician)
John Storey was an Australian politician who was Premier of New South Wales from 12 April 1920 until his sudden death in Sydney...
and James Dooley
James Dooley (Australian politician)
James Thomas Dooley served twice, briefly, as Premier of New South Wales during the early 1920s.-Early years:...
he was the Minister for Public Works and Railways from April 1920 till April 1922 except for the short period of the first Nationalist Government of George Fuller
George Fuller (Australian politician)
Sir George Warburton Fuller KCMG was Premier of New South Wales, Australia on two occasions during the 1920s. His first term of office lasted less than one day ; his second lasted from 13 April 1922 to 17 June 1925.-Early life:Fuller was born in Kiama, New South Wales and was educated at Kiama...
.
Estell retired from the Assembly at the 1922 State election but accepted a life appointment to the Legislative Council which he kept until his death in 1928.