Sol Rosevear
Encyclopedia
John Solomon "Sol" Rosevear (4 January 189221 March 1953) was an Australia
n politician, and was Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
from 1943 to 1949.
to carter William John Rosevear and Maria, née McGuirk. He attended the local public school and worked in the timber industry. On 23 September 1916 at Pyrmont he married machinist Clara May White. Involved in the timberworkers' strike of 1929, he was subsequently unemployed and completed relief work.
and organised Ted Theodore
's campaign in 1929. After the 1931 Labor split, however, Rosevear joined the Lang Labor
breakaway and defeated Theodore for his seat of Dalley
in the elections of that year. He sat in the House of Representatives
under the leadership of Jack Beasley
until 1936, when the two factions reunited; in the second split of 1940, Rosevear was deputy-leader of the Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
.
In 1941, John Curtin
reunited the Labor Party and Rosevear rejoined the ALP. He was disappointed not to receive a cabinet post, but was appointed Speaker of the House of Representatives
on 22 June 1943. He gained a reputation as an inflexible Speaker, accused by the media and the Opposition of partisanship; journalist E.H. Cox claimed that he was "frequently drunk in the Chair". Rosevear also permitted illegal gambling in the Chamber, and participated himself.
Rosevear continued to be influential in caucus, and it was rumoured that he hoped to succeed Ben Chifley
as party leader; his "taste for grog" was seen as a disqualification by some, however. In 1949, the Chifley government was defeated and Rosevear lost the Speakership under new Liberal
Prime Minister
Robert Menzies
. He continued to sit in the House until his death of coronary occlusion
on 21 March 1953, and was survived by his wife, a son, and a daughter. A portrait of Rosevear by Joshua Smith won the Archibald Prize
in 1944.
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 was Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Parliament of Australia. The presiding officer in the upper house is the President of the Senate....
from 1943 to 1949.
Early life
Rosevear was born at Pyrmont, New South WalesPyrmont, New South Wales
Pyrmont is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Pyrmont is located 2 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney...
to carter William John Rosevear and Maria, née McGuirk. He attended the local public school and worked in the timber industry. On 23 September 1916 at Pyrmont he married machinist Clara May White. Involved in the timberworkers' strike of 1929, he was subsequently unemployed and completed relief work.
Politics
Rosevear was an official in 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...
and organised Ted Theodore
Ted Theodore
Edward Granville Theodore was an Australian politician. He was Premier of Queensland 1919–25, a federal politician representing a New South Wales seat 1927–31, and Federal Treasurer 1929–30.-Early life:...
's campaign in 1929. After the 1931 Labor split, however, Rosevear joined the 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:...
breakaway and defeated Theodore for his seat of Dalley
Division of Dalley
The Division of Dalley was an Australian 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 colonial politician William Dalley. It was located in the...
in the elections of that year. He sat in the 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....
under the leadership of 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...
until 1936, when the two factions reunited; in the second split of 1940, Rosevear was deputy-leader of the Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
The Australian Labor Party was the second Lang Labor breakaway party, associated with New South Wales Premier Jack Lang. It operated from 1940 to 1941....
.
In 1941, 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...
reunited the Labor Party and Rosevear rejoined the ALP. He was disappointed not to receive a cabinet post, but was appointed Speaker of the House of Representatives
Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Parliament of Australia. The presiding officer in the upper house is the President of the Senate....
on 22 June 1943. He gained a reputation as an inflexible Speaker, accused by the media and the Opposition of partisanship; journalist E.H. Cox claimed that he was "frequently drunk in the Chair". Rosevear also permitted illegal gambling in the Chamber, and participated himself.
Rosevear continued to be influential in caucus, and it was rumoured that he hoped to succeed 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...
as party leader; his "taste for grog" was seen as a disqualification by some, however. In 1949, the Chifley government was defeated and Rosevear lost the Speakership under new Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
Robert Menzies
Robert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
. He continued to sit in the House until his death of coronary occlusion
Coronary occlusion
A coronary occlusion is the partial or complete obstruction of blood flow in a coronary artery. This condition may cause a heart attack.In some patients coronary occlusion causes only mild pain, tightness or vague discomfort which may be ignored: the myocardium is however damaged....
on 21 March 1953, and was survived by his wife, a son, and a daughter. A portrait of Rosevear by Joshua Smith won the Archibald Prize
Archibald Prize
The Archibald Prize is regarded as the most important portraiture prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after a bequest from J. F. Archibald, the editor of The Bulletin who died in 1919...
in 1944.