John Murray (Victorian politician)
Encyclopedia
John Murray (8 July 1851 – 4 May 1916), Australia
n politician, was the 23rd Premier of Victoria.
Murray was born near Koroit, Victoria
, the son of James Murray (d.1885) and his wife Isabella, née Gordon, both Scottish
immigrants. When Murray was a child his parents settled on a farm, Glenample station, at Port Campbell
in the Western District of Victoria
. Murray attended Allansford National School and, from 1868, Henry Kemmis's Warrnambool Grammar School. Murray visited Britain when around 20 years of age and was horrified by the poverty he saw there; but returned to Victoria. Murray inherited the farm and lived there all his life. On 4 April 1888 Murray married Alice Jane Bateman at Warrnambool, eventually having six children.
In 1883 Murray opposed James Francis
for Warrnambool
in the Victorian Legislative Assembly
, but was defeated. Francis died in 1884, Murray obtained the vacant seat and held it until his death 32 years later. Murray was often opposed, and in his early days his indulgence in alcohol
threatened his career. Murray overcame this weakness and afterwards as an advocate of temperance did not hesitate to mention the danger he had been in. A typical rural conservative, he was Chief Secretary and Minister for Labour in the government of William Irvine
from 1902 to 1904, and President of the Board of Land and Works and Commissioner of Crown Lands in the government of Thomas Bent
from 1904 to 1906. After 1907, however, Murray emerged as the leader of a country faction of Bent's Liberal Party
which opposed his free-spending policies. In January 1909 he successfully moved a motion of no-confidence in Bent's government and succeeded him as Premier, also becoming Chief Secretary and Minister for Labour.
Murray was chief secretary in 1902-04 and from 1909 formal chairman of the Board for the Protection of the Aborigines.
Although the Labor Party
won the 1910 federal elections, it remained much weaker in Victoria than in other states, and at the 1911 state elections Murray's Liberals were re-elected with 43 seats to Labor's 20. But conflict between rural and urban factions of the Liberal Party remained chronic, with the urban leader William Watt
undermining Murray just as Murray had undermined Bent. By May 1912 Murray had had enough and resigned. He then accepted office as Chief Secretary in Watt's government from 1912 to 1913 and again from 1913 to 1915. Murray died in Warrnambool on 4 May 1916 after his trap-pony had bolted.
Murray was physically a big man, good-natured and well-read, an excellent speaker who used humour and irony. An able administrator with a tendency to indolence, he was a good leader in the house, often turning the laugh against his opponents, and managing difficult measures with much tact and success.
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, was the 23rd Premier of Victoria.
Murray was born near Koroit, Victoria
Koroit, Victoria
Koroit is a small rural town in western Victoria, Australia a few kilometres north of the Princes Highway, north-west of Warrnambool and west of Melbourne. It is in the Shire of Moyne local government area located amidst rolling green pastures on the North rim of Tower Hill. At the 2006 census,...
, the son of James Murray (d.1885) and his wife Isabella, née Gordon, both Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
immigrants. When Murray was a child his parents settled on a farm, Glenample station, at Port Campbell
Port Campbell, Victoria
Port Campbell is a coastal town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Great Ocean Road, west of the Twelve Apostles, in the Corangamite Shire.-History:...
in the Western District of 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....
. Murray attended Allansford National School and, from 1868, Henry Kemmis's Warrnambool Grammar School. Murray visited Britain when around 20 years of age and was horrified by the poverty he saw there; but returned to Victoria. Murray inherited the farm and lived there all his life. On 4 April 1888 Murray married Alice Jane Bateman at Warrnambool, eventually having six children.
In 1883 Murray opposed James Francis
James Francis
James Goodall Francis , Australian colonial politician, was the 9th Premier of Victoria. Francis was born in London, and emigrated to Van Diemen's Land in 1847, where he became a businessman. He moved to Victoria in 1853 and became a leading Melbourne merchant...
for Warrnambool
Electoral district of Warrnambool
The Electoral district of Warrnambool was an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.-Members for Warrnambool:-See also:*Parliaments of the Australian states and territories*List of members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly...
in 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:...
, but was defeated. Francis died in 1884, Murray obtained the vacant seat and held it until his death 32 years later. Murray was often opposed, and in his early days his indulgence in alcohol
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
threatened his career. Murray overcame this weakness and afterwards as an advocate of temperance did not hesitate to mention the danger he had been in. A typical rural conservative, he was Chief Secretary and Minister for Labour in the government of William Irvine
William Irvine (Australian politician)
Sir William Hill Irvine GCMG , Australian politician and judge, was the 21st Premier of Victoria. Irvine was born in Newry in County Down, Ireland, into a Scottish-Presbyterian family...
from 1902 to 1904, and President of the Board of Land and Works and Commissioner of Crown Lands in the government of Thomas Bent
Thomas Bent
Sir Thomas Bent KCMG , Australian politician, was the 22nd Premier of Victoria. He was one of the most colourful and corrupt politicians in Victorian history....
from 1904 to 1906. After 1907, however, Murray emerged as the leader of a country faction of Bent's Liberal Party
Commonwealth Liberal Party
The Commonwealth Liberal Party was a political movement active in Australia from 1909 to 1916, shortly after federation....
which opposed his free-spending policies. In January 1909 he successfully moved a motion of no-confidence in Bent's government and succeeded him as Premier, also becoming Chief Secretary and Minister for Labour.
Murray was chief secretary in 1902-04 and from 1909 formal chairman of the Board for the Protection of the Aborigines.
Although the 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...
won the 1910 federal elections, it remained much weaker in Victoria than in other states, and at the 1911 state elections Murray's Liberals were re-elected with 43 seats to Labor's 20. But conflict between rural and urban factions of the Liberal Party remained chronic, with the urban leader William Watt
William Watt
William Alexander Watt PC was an Australian politician who was the 24th Premier of Victoria, and later a leading federal politician and Speaker of the House of Representatives....
undermining Murray just as Murray had undermined Bent. By May 1912 Murray had had enough and resigned. He then accepted office as Chief Secretary in Watt's government from 1912 to 1913 and again from 1913 to 1915. Murray died in Warrnambool on 4 May 1916 after his trap-pony had bolted.
Murray was physically a big man, good-natured and well-read, an excellent speaker who used humour and irony. An able administrator with a tendency to indolence, he was a good leader in the house, often turning the laugh against his opponents, and managing difficult measures with much tact and success.