John West (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
John Edward West was an English
-born Australia
n trade unionist and politician, and a key figure in the establishment of the Australian Labor Party
.
in London
to brass finisher John Edward West and Elizabeth Ann, née Hearne. Apprenticed to a plumber, he was associated with the Ancient Order of Foresters
from the age of 17. He married Susannah Sarah Metcalfe on 18 March 1874 at Holborn
; the couple visited New Zealand
and in 1875 settled at Paddington
in Sydney
. The couple had seven daughters and two sons.
.
West had been a supporter of the Commonwealth Constitution at the Intercolonial Trade Union congresses after 1879, but did not stand for the first federal Parliament
. He was a vigorous supporter of the eight-hour day, despite the fact that he was an employer himself. He attempted to enter Parliament by standing against George Reid
in East Sydney
in 1906, but was unsuccessful; the following year he contested the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
seat of King
, again unsuccessfully. He again contested East Sydney in 1910, and won.
and Earle Page
for slow progress in constructing the temporary parliament house
in Canberra
, and also became known for his advocacy of the Australian flag appearing on all Commonwealth office buildings, his opposition of Tom Walsh and Jacob Johnson's deportation, and his argument that the association of Labor with "Bolshevism and Communism
was moonshine".
West died at midnight on 5 February 1931 at his home in Darlinghurst
, survived by his nine children. A bronze memorial in his honour at the Sydney Trades Hall
was unveiled in 1932.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-born Australia
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 trade unionist and politician, and a key figure in the establishment 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...
.
Early life
West was born on 27 January 1852 at LambethLambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to brass finisher John Edward West and Elizabeth Ann, née Hearne. Apprenticed to a plumber, he was associated with the Ancient Order of Foresters
Ancient Order of Foresters
The Ancient Order of Foresters is a friendly society which was formed in 1834. The society is now known as Foresters Friendly Society, and has approximately 70,000 members...
from the age of 17. He married Susannah Sarah Metcalfe on 18 March 1874 at Holborn
Holborn
Holborn is an area of Central London. Holborn is also the name of the area's principal east-west street, running as High Holborn from St Giles's High Street to Gray's Inn Road and then on to Holborn Viaduct...
; the couple visited New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and in 1875 settled at Paddington
Paddington, New South Wales
Paddington is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Paddington is located 3 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of the City of Sydney and the Municipality of Woollahra...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. The couple had seven daughters and two sons.
Trade unionism
West established himself as a plumber and by 1879 had founded the Operative Plumbers' Society. A delegate to the Trades and Labor Council the following year, he became its secretary in 1880 and president 1887-1907. As such, he was a key figure in the rise of the Labor movement and the establishment of 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...
.
West had been a supporter of the Commonwealth Constitution at the Intercolonial Trade Union congresses after 1879, but did not stand for the first federal Parliament
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
. He was a vigorous supporter of the eight-hour day, despite the fact that he was an employer himself. He attempted to enter Parliament by standing against 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....
in East Sydney
Division of East Sydney
The Division of East Sydney was anAustralian 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 was abolished in 1969. It was named for the suburb of East Sydney. It was located in the inner...
in 1906, but was unsuccessful; the following year he contested the New South Wales 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 King
Electoral district of King
King was an electoral district in the Australian state of New South Wales. It was created in 1904, replacing Sydney-King, and in 1920, with the introduction of proportional representation, it was absorbed into the multi-member electorate of Sydney. It was recreated in 1927, but it was abolished in...
, again unsuccessfully. He again contested East Sydney in 1910, and won.
Federal politics
West continued with his union commitments in parliament, and spent his political career on the back bench. He criticised the government of Stanley BruceStanley Bruce
Stanley Melbourne Bruce, 1st Viscount Bruce of Melbourne, CH, MC, FRS, PC , was an Australian politician and diplomat, and the eighth Prime Minister of Australia. He was the second Australian granted an hereditary peerage of the United Kingdom, but the first whose peerage was formally created...
and 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:...
for slow progress in constructing the temporary parliament house
Old Parliament House, Canberra
Old Parliament House, known formerly as the Provisional Parliament House, was the house of the Parliament of Australia from 1927 to 1988. The building began operation on 9 May 1927 as a temporary base for the Commonwealth Parliament after its relocation from Melbourne to the new capital, Canberra,...
in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, and also became known for his advocacy of the Australian flag appearing on all Commonwealth office buildings, his opposition of Tom Walsh and Jacob Johnson's deportation, and his argument that the association of Labor with "Bolshevism and Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
was moonshine".
West died at midnight on 5 February 1931 at his home in Darlinghurst
Darlinghurst, New South Wales
Darlinghurst is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Darlinghurst is located immediately east of the Sydney central business district and Hyde Park, within the local government area of the City of Sydney...
, survived by his nine children. A bronze memorial in his honour at the Sydney Trades Hall
Sydney Trades Hall
The Sydney Trades Hall is the historic Trades Hall in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The building was built and owned by the Trades Hall Association, the original trade union affiliates who built the hall in 1888....
was unveiled in 1932.