Rowland James
Encyclopedia
Rowland "Rowley" James was an Australia
n politician and coalminer. Born at Lambton, New South Wales
to Moses James and Mary Ann, née James, he was educated at public school and worked in the mines for twenty-five years (including a five-year stint in Western Australia
). On 24 July 1912 he married Gladys Mary Davies. Having served the Collie River
District Miners' Union of Workers, he returned to New South Wales
to become part of the Australasian Coal and Shale Employees' Federation.
James was elected to the Australian House of Representatives
for the Australian Labor Party
in 1928, succeeding former Labor leader Matthew Charlton
in the seat of Hunter
. He was a critic of both the conservative government of Stanley Bruce
and the Labor government of James Scullin
for not prosecuting mine-owners during the protracted miner lock-out in northern New South Wales (1929-30), which led to accusations of inciting mob violence; Smith's Weekly published his record of convictions, including drunkenness
and assaulting police.
A supporter of Jack Lang
's proposal that New South Wales should not repay interest to British bond-holders in the height of the Great Depression
, James joined Jack Beasley
's Lang Labor
Party, along with six other New South Wales MPs, who voted in opposition to defeat the Scullin government. At the ensuing elections, both Labor parties lost heavily but James easily retained his seat.
Re-admitted to the ALP in 1936, James was chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on public works
from 1943, and led the Australian delegation to the first International Labour Organisation coal-mining committee in London
in 1945. He continued to be prominent in coal-mining affairs, and his support for Prime Minister Ben Chifley
's stand on the 1949 coal strike prompted some to express a desire to expel him from the Miners' Federation.
A man who disliked convention, James was succeeded in the seat of Hunter in 1958 by ALP leader H. V. Evatt
, who was in turn succeeded by James' son Bert. James died on 4 July 1962 at Ashfield
, and was survived by his wife, daughter and three of his five sons.
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 and coalminer. Born at Lambton, New South Wales
Lambton, New South Wales
Lambton is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district.- Early days :Originally a coal-mining township, Lambton was incorporated as a Municipality , on 24 June 1871. The 1891 Census gave the population as 3,434...
to Moses James and Mary Ann, née James, he was educated at public school and worked in the mines for twenty-five years (including a five-year stint in 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...
). On 24 July 1912 he married Gladys Mary Davies. Having served the Collie River
Collie River
The Collie River is a river in the South West region of Western Australia.The river was named after Dr Alexander Collie who, along with Lt. William Preston, was the first European explorer to find the river in 1829....
District Miners' Union of Workers, he returned to 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...
to become part of the Australasian Coal and Shale Employees' Federation.
James was elected to the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
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...
in 1928, succeeding former Labor leader Matthew Charlton
Matthew Charlton
Matthew Charlton was an Australian Labor Party politician.Charlton was born at Linton in rural Victoria but moved to Lambton, New South Wales at the age of five. He worked as a coal miner after only a primary education and then married Martha Rollings in 1889...
in the seat of Hunter
Division of Hunter
The Division of Hunter is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located in northern rural New South Wales, and encompasses much of the Hunter Valley region, including the towns of Singleton, Maitland, Muswellbrook, Cessnock and Denman...
. He was a critic of both the conservative government of Stanley Bruce
Stanley 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 the Labor government of James Scullin
James Scullin
James Henry Scullin , Australian Labor politician and the ninth Prime Minister of Australia. Two days after he was sworn in as Prime Minister, the Wall Street Crash of 1929 occurred, marking the beginning of the Great Depression and subsequent Great Depression in Australia.-Early life:Scullin was...
for not prosecuting mine-owners during the protracted miner lock-out in northern New South Wales (1929-30), which led to accusations of inciting mob violence; Smith's Weekly published his record of convictions, including drunkenness
Drunkenness
Alcohol intoxication is a physiological state that occurs when a person has a high level of ethanol in his or her blood....
and assaulting police.
A supporter of Jack Lang
Jack Lang (Australian politician)
John Thomas Lang , usually referred to as J.T. Lang during his career, and familiarly known as "Jack" and nicknamed "The Big Fella" was an Australian politician who was Premier of New South Wales for two terms...
's proposal that New South Wales should not repay interest to British bond-holders in the height of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, James joined Jack Beasley
Jack Beasley
John Albert "Jack" Beasley was an Australian politician.-Early life:Beasley was born in Werribee, Victoria, but moved to Sydney with his family as a child. He had a primary education in Catholic schools then became an apprentice electrician...
's Lang Labor
Lang Labor
Lang Labor was the name commonly used to describe three successive break-away sections of the Australian Labor Party, all led by the New South Wales Labor leader Jack Lang premier of NSW .-Initial opposition to Lang's leadership:...
Party, along with six other New South Wales MPs, who voted in opposition to defeat the Scullin government. At the ensuing elections, both Labor parties lost heavily but James easily retained his seat.
Re-admitted to the ALP in 1936, James was chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on public works
Public works
Public works are a broad category of projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community...
from 1943, and led the Australian delegation to the first International Labour Organisation coal-mining committee 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...
in 1945. He continued to be prominent in coal-mining affairs, and his support for Prime Minister Ben Chifley
Ben Chifley
Joseph Benedict Chifley , Australian politician, was the 16th Prime Minister of Australia. He took over the Australian Labor Party leadership and Prime Ministership after the death of John Curtin in 1945, and went on to retain government at the 1946 election, before being defeated at the 1949...
's stand on the 1949 coal strike prompted some to express a desire to expel him from the Miners' Federation.
A man who disliked convention, James was succeeded in the seat of Hunter in 1958 by ALP leader H. V. Evatt
H. V. Evatt
Herbert Vere Evatt, QC KStJ , was an Australian jurist, politician and writer. He was President of the United Nations General Assembly in 1948–49 and helped draft the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights...
, who was in turn succeeded by James' son Bert. James died on 4 July 1962 at Ashfield
Ashfield, New South Wales
Ashfield is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Ashfield is about 9 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Municipality of Ashfield.The official name for the...
, and was survived by his wife, daughter and three of his five sons.