Philip Collier
Encyclopedia
Philip Collier was Premier of Western Australia
for nine years, the longest ever term for an Australian Labor Party
premier.
Philip Collier was born at Woodstock
near Melbourne
, Victoria
on 21 April 1873. The son of a farmer of the same name, he was educated locally but left school at the age of 16. He spent some time gold mining
at Steiglitz, Victoria
and then in New South Wales
, and was later construction foreman of the Greater Melbourne Sewage Company at Northcote
. On 27 June 1900, he married Ellen Heagney, with whom he would have two sons and two daughters.
Collier began to take an interest in the labor movement, joining the Labour Party
and becoming founding secretary of the Northcote branch of the Political Labor Council. He was campaign director for at least three Labour candidates in State
and Federal election, including Frank Anstey
.
In 1904 Collier moved to Western Australia
. He worked in the mines of the Perseverance Goldmining Company for around a year, becoming a member of the Boulder
branch of the Amalgamated Workers' Association, and vice-president of the Goldfields Trades and Labour Council.
On 27 October 1905, Collier was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
for the seat of Boulder
. He would retain the seat until his death nearly 43 years later. He was appointed Minister for Mines and Minister for Railways in the Scaddan Ministry
on 7 October 1911, exchanging the Railways portfolio for Water Supplies on 23 November 1914. He retained these portfolios until the defeat of the Scaddan
government on 17 July 1916. In April the following year, Scaddan resigned from the Australian Labor Party in support of Billy Hughes
's pro-conscriptionist stance, and on 9 May Collier was elected to take his place as Leader of the Labor Party and therefore Leader of the Opposition
.
Collier retained the leadership of the Labor party throughout the Liberal and nationalist
governments of Frank Wilson, Henry Lefroy
, Hal Colebatch
and James Mitchell
. During this time Collier joined with John Curtin
and J. J. Simons
in leading an anti-conscription
campaign. His public comments got him in trouble with censors
a number of times, and on one occasion he was fined under the War Precautions Act for making statements likely to discourage recruiting.
On 17 April 1924, the Labor party had a landslide election victory, and Collier became Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Forests. The Labor party was defeated by Mitchell in the election of 23 April 1930, whereupon Collier resumed as Leader of the Opposition. He won another term as Premier in the election of 24 April 1933. Simultaneously with the election, a referendum
had been held in which the people of Western Australia had overwhelmingly voted in favour of secession
from the Commonwealth of Australia
. Although the Labour party opposed secession, Collier nonetheless agreed to act on the result of the referendum by petitioning the British government for secession. The British government's refusal to act can be partly attributed to the fact that any action taken would have been in opposition to the new Government's wishes.
Collier resigned as premier and leader of the Labor party on 19 August 1936, handing over to John Willcock
. His 19 year term as parliamentary leader of the Australian Labor Party remains the longest ever, as does his 9 year term as Labor premier. Victor Courtney
(1956) describes him as "the only person Labour [sic] produced in State politics who could fairly claim to have approached statesmanship". Mitchell and Collier are together credited with achieving an unusual degree of friendship and cooperation between parties during the 1920s and 1930s, which was most clearly demonstrated by Collier recommending Mitchell's appointment as Lieutenant-Governor
in 1933.
Although no longer serving as a minister, Collier remained in parliament for a further twelve years, and was Father of the House
from March 1939. He died at Mount Lawley
on 18 October 1948, and was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery
.
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
for nine years, the longest ever term for an 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...
premier.
Philip Collier was born at Woodstock
Woodstock, Victoria
Woodstock is a bounded rural locality in Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whittlesea.-History:Woodstock Post Office opened on 9 January 1858 and closed in 1971. A Woodstock West office was open from 1877 until 1959.-References:...
near Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, 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....
on 21 April 1873. The son of a farmer of the same name, he was educated locally but left school at the age of 16. He spent some time gold mining
Gold mining
Gold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...
at Steiglitz, Victoria
Steiglitz, Victoria
Steiglitz is a small town in Victoria, west of the state capital, Melbourne, Australia, in the Brisbane Ranges. In the early 1850s gold was found near the town, and as a consequence it grew. Following the decline of the Australian gold rushes in the late 1870s the town declined. The last gold mine...
and then in 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...
, and was later construction foreman of the Greater Melbourne Sewage Company at Northcote
Northcote, Victoria
Northcote is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin...
. On 27 June 1900, he married Ellen Heagney, with whom he would have two sons and two daughters.
Collier began to take an interest in the labor movement, joining the Labour 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...
and becoming founding secretary of the Northcote branch of the Political Labor Council. He was campaign director for at least three Labour candidates in State
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
and Federal election, including Frank Anstey
Frank Anstey
Frank Anstey , Australian politician, served 38 years as a Labor member of the Victorian and Commonwealth parliaments....
.
In 1904 Collier moved to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. He worked in the mines of the Perseverance Goldmining Company for around a year, becoming a member of the Boulder
Boulder, Western Australia
Boulder was a town in the Western Australian goldfields east of Perth and bordering onto the town of Kalgoorlie in the Eastern Goldfields region. Until 1989 it was part of its own municipality. In 1989 the towns of Kalgoorlie and Boulder were merged to form the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder...
branch of the Amalgamated Workers' Association, and vice-president of the Goldfields Trades and Labour Council.
On 27 October 1905, Collier was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
for the seat of Boulder
Electoral district of Boulder
Boulder was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1901 to 1977.The district was located in the Goldfields-Esperance region, and was based in the town of Boulder and its suburbs...
. He would retain the seat until his death nearly 43 years later. He was appointed Minister for Mines and Minister for Railways in the Scaddan Ministry
Scaddan Ministry
The Scaddan Ministry was the 11th Ministry of the Government of Western Australia and was led by Labor Premier John Scaddan. It succeeded the First Wilson Ministry led by Ministerialist Frank Wilson on 7 October 1911 after the decisive result of the state election held four days earlier, which had...
on 7 October 1911, exchanging the Railways portfolio for Water Supplies on 23 November 1914. He retained these portfolios until the defeat of the Scaddan
John Scaddan
John Scaddan, CMG , popularly known as "Happy Jack", was Premier of Western Australia from 7 October 1911 until 27 July 1916.- Biography :...
government on 17 July 1916. In April the following year, Scaddan resigned from the Australian Labor Party in support of Billy Hughes
Billy Hughes
William Morris "Billy" Hughes, CH, KC, MHR , Australian politician, was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923....
's pro-conscriptionist stance, and on 9 May Collier was elected to take his place as Leader of the Labor Party and therefore Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (Western Australia)
The Leader of the Opposition in Western Australia is the leader of the largest minority political party or coalition of parties in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia. By convention, he or she is generally a member of the Legislative Assembly...
.
Collier retained the leadership of the Labor party throughout the Liberal and nationalist
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...
governments of Frank Wilson, Henry Lefroy
Henry Lefroy
Sir Henry Bruce Lefroy KCMG was the eleventh Premier of Western Australia.-Biography:Lefroy was born in Perth, Western Australia on 24 March 1854. His father was Anthony O'Grady Lefroy, Colonial Treasurer of Western Australia for over 30 years...
, Hal Colebatch
Hal Colebatch
Sir Harry Pateshall Colebatch CMG , better known as Sir Hal Colebatch, was a long-serving and occasionally controversial figure in Western Australian politics...
and James Mitchell
James Mitchell (Australian politician)
Sir James Mitchell GCMG was the 13th Premier of Western Australia, serving on two occasions, the Lieutenant-Governor of Western Australia for 15 years and the 22nd Governor of Western Australia....
. During this time Collier joined with John Curtin
John Curtin
John Joseph Curtin , Australian politician, served as the 14th Prime Minister of Australia. Labor under Curtin formed a minority government in 1941 after the crossbench consisting of two independent MPs crossed the floor in the House of Representatives, bringing down the Coalition minority...
and J. J. Simons
Jack Simons
John Joseph Simons was an Australian businessman and politician, best known for establishing the Young Australia League....
in leading an anti-conscription
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...
campaign. His public comments got him in trouble with censors
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
a number of times, and on one occasion he was fined under the War Precautions Act for making statements likely to discourage recruiting.
On 17 April 1924, the Labor party had a landslide election victory, and Collier became Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Forests. The Labor party was defeated by Mitchell in the election of 23 April 1930, whereupon Collier resumed as Leader of the Opposition. He won another term as Premier in the election of 24 April 1933. Simultaneously with the election, a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
had been held in which the people of Western Australia had overwhelmingly voted in favour of secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
from the Commonwealth of 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...
. Although the Labour party opposed secession, Collier nonetheless agreed to act on the result of the referendum by petitioning the British government for secession. The British government's refusal to act can be partly attributed to the fact that any action taken would have been in opposition to the new Government's wishes.
Collier resigned as premier and leader of the Labor party on 19 August 1936, handing over to John Willcock
John Willcock
John Collings Willcock was the 15th Premier of Western Australia.-Early life:John Willcock was born at Frogmoor , New South Wales on 9 August 1879. The son of miner Joseph Willcock, he was educated at Sydney High School before emigrating to Western Australia in 1897...
. His 19 year term as parliamentary leader of the Australian Labor Party remains the longest ever, as does his 9 year term as Labor premier. Victor Courtney
Victor Courtney
Victor Desmond Courtney was a Western Australian journalist. From small beginnings in a partnership in a weekly sporting newspaper, Courtney ended up as the managing director of The Sunday Times and owner of a network of thirty regional newspapers.-Works:* Random Rhymes, Perth, the author.* ...
(1956) describes him as "the only person Labour [sic] produced in State politics who could fairly claim to have approached statesmanship". Mitchell and Collier are together credited with achieving an unusual degree of friendship and cooperation between parties during the 1920s and 1930s, which was most clearly demonstrated by Collier recommending Mitchell's appointment as Lieutenant-Governor
Governor of Western Australia
The Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australia's Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:* presiding over the Executive Council;...
in 1933.
Although no longer serving as a minister, Collier remained in parliament for a further twelve years, and was Father of the House
Father of the House
Father of the House is a term that has by tradition been unofficially bestowed on certain members of some national legislatures, most notably the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. In some legislatures the term refers to the oldest member, but in others it refers the longest-serving member.The...
from March 1939. He died at Mount Lawley
Mount Lawley, Western Australia
Mount Lawley is an inner suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Most of the suburb lies within the Local Government Area of the City of Stirling and small portions are in the City of Vincent and City of Bayswater...
on 18 October 1948, and was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery
Karrakatta Cemetery
Karrakatta Cemetery is a metropolitan cemetery in the suburb of Karrakatta in Perth, Western Australia. Karrakatta Cemetery first opened for burials in 1899, with Robert Creighton. Currently managed by the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board, the cemetery attracts more than one million visitors each...
.