Joshua Arthur
Encyclopedia
Joshua George Arthur was an Australian politician who represented the Electoral district of Hamilton (1935–50) and the Electoral district of Kahibah
(1950–53) for the Australian Labor Party
.
, New South Wales
. He was educated at Adamstown
Public School, Newcastle
High School and Sydney
Teachers College, graduating in 1924. He taught for the New South Wales Department of Education from 1925 until 1935, in the Wellington, Sydney and Newcastle districts.
He served in the second Australian Imperial Forces. Enlisted in 1940, served in North Africa
and on the staff of the Minister for the Army
from 1943 until 1945.
at the 1950 State election. But resigned from the seat of Kahibah on 19 August 1953 causing the Kahibah state by-election, 1953
after a Royal Commission
was set up to investigate the association between Arthur and R. A. Doyle who was involved in company fraud and other dubious business dealings. The Royal Commission subsequently found that some of his dealings with Doyle had been improper but not corrupt.
Arthur was Minister for Tourist Activities and Immigration from 21 September 1949 until 30 June 1950 under Premier James McGirr
. He was Secretary for Mines and Minister for Immigration 30 June 1950 until 23 February 1953 under Premiers McGirr
and Joseph Cahill
.
Electoral district of Kahibah
Kahibah was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales created in 1894 with the abolition of multi-member districts from part of the electoral district of Newcastle and named after the Newcastle suburb of Kahibah. It was abolished in 1920, with the...
(1950–53) for 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
Born to Joshua Arthur, a blacksmith, and Ethel May Embleton in AdamstownAdamstown, New South Wales
Adamstown is a 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....
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. He was educated at Adamstown
Adamstown, New South Wales
Adamstown is a 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....
Public School, 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...
High School and 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...
Teachers College, graduating in 1924. He taught for the New South Wales Department of Education from 1925 until 1935, in the Wellington, Sydney and Newcastle districts.
He served in the second Australian Imperial Forces. Enlisted in 1940, served in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and on the staff of the Minister for the Army
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:...
from 1943 until 1945.
Political career
Arthur was the member for Hamilton winning the seat at the 1935, 1938, 1941, 1944 and 1947 State elections. Arthur transferred to the seat new seat of KahibahElectoral district of Kahibah
Kahibah was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales created in 1894 with the abolition of multi-member districts from part of the electoral district of Newcastle and named after the Newcastle suburb of Kahibah. It was abolished in 1920, with the...
at the 1950 State election. But resigned from the seat of Kahibah on 19 August 1953 causing the Kahibah state by-election, 1953
Kahibah state by-election, 1953
A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Kahibah on 31 October 1953. It was triggered by the forced resignation of Labor MLA Joshua Arthur, and was won by independent candidate Tom Armstrong.-Background:...
after a Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
was set up to investigate the association between Arthur and R. A. Doyle who was involved in company fraud and other dubious business dealings. The Royal Commission subsequently found that some of his dealings with Doyle had been improper but not corrupt.
Arthur was Minister for Tourist Activities and Immigration from 21 September 1949 until 30 June 1950 under Premier James McGirr
James McGirr
James McGirr was the Labor Premier of New South Wales from 6 February 1947 to 3 April 1952.A Catholic, McGirr was the seventh son of John Patrick McGirr, farmer and Irish immigrant, and Mary McGirr, whose maiden name was O'Sullivan. Born in Parkes, New South Wales, he grew up on a dairy farm near...
. He was Secretary for Mines and Minister for Immigration 30 June 1950 until 23 February 1953 under Premiers McGirr
James McGirr
James McGirr was the Labor Premier of New South Wales from 6 February 1947 to 3 April 1952.A Catholic, McGirr was the seventh son of John Patrick McGirr, farmer and Irish immigrant, and Mary McGirr, whose maiden name was O'Sullivan. Born in Parkes, New South Wales, he grew up on a dairy farm near...
and Joseph Cahill
Joseph Cahill
John Joseph Cahill was Premier of New South Wales in Australia from 1952 to 1959. He is best remembered as the Premier who approved construction on the Sydney Opera House, and for his work increasing the authority of local government in the state.-Early years:Joe Cahill, as he was popularly known,...
.