Thomas Price
Encyclopedia
Thomas Price was a stonecutter, teacher, lay preacher, businessman, stonemason, clerk-of-works, union secretary, union president and politician. He served as Labor
's first Premier of South Australia from 1905 to 1909, and was the first leader of a stable Labor government in Australia.
He was born in Brymbo
, Denbighshire
, Wales
, and emigrated to Australia
with his family in 1883. There he quickly became involved in trade union
activity, and was elected to the Lower House of South Australia in 1893, becoming Labor leader in 1899.
Price came to power at the 1905 election
in a minority government
, after increasing his party's representation from five to 15 in the 42-member lower house. With the support of eight liberals headed by Archibald Peake
, Price forced conservative Premier Richard Butler
to resign. Price retained the premiership at the 1906 double dissolution election
with an additional four seats in the House of Assembly. Price obtained the double dissolution on the issue of reform to the Legislative Council
. The council continued to be intransigent to reform, however Price accepted the council's compromise proposal of a £17 householder franchise. Labor's left wing criticized him for this compromise.
He introduced many social reforms including free state secondary schools, the formation of wages boards and a minimum wage, establishing the Municipal Tramways Trust through nationalisation, the costly administration of the Northern Territory was surrendered to the Federal government, and reform (though limited) of the upper house.
He died of phthisis (tuberculosis
) and diabetes at Mount Lofty
on 31 May 1909. He was given a state funeral and buried at Mitcham
Cemetery.
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...
's first Premier of South Australia from 1905 to 1909, and was the first leader of a stable Labor government in Australia.
He was born in Brymbo
Brymbo
Brymbo is a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is a village situated in the hilly country to the west of Wrexham town, largely surrounded by farmland....
, Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, and emigrated to 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...
with his family in 1883. There he quickly became involved in trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
activity, and was elected to the Lower House of South Australia in 1893, becoming Labor leader in 1899.
Price came to power at the 1905 election
South Australian state election, 1905
State elections were held in Australia on 27 May 1905. All 42 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent conservative government led by Premier of South Australia Richard Butler in an informal coalition with the liberals was defeated by the United Labor...
in a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
, after increasing his party's representation from five to 15 in the 42-member lower house. With the support of eight liberals headed by Archibald Peake
Archibald Peake
Archibald Henry Peake was an Australian politician and the 25th Premier of South Australia, serving on three separate occasions in the 1910s.-Early life and career:...
, Price forced conservative Premier Richard Butler
Richard Butler (Australian politician)
Sir Richard Butler was an Australian politician and Premier of South Australia.-Early life:Butler was born at Stadhampton, near Oxford, England, elder son of Richard Butler, pastoralist, and his wife Mary Eliza, née Sadler. The family emigrated to South Australia, arriving in Adelaide on 8 March...
to resign. Price retained the premiership at the 1906 double dissolution election
South Australian state election, 1906
State elections were held in Australia on 3 November 1906. This was a double dissolution election, and in the South Australian House of Assembly, all 42 seats were up for election. The incumbent United Labor Party government led by Premier of South Australia Thomas Price defeated the opposition led...
with an additional four seats in the House of Assembly. Price obtained the double dissolution on the issue of reform to the Legislative Council
South Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly...
. The council continued to be intransigent to reform, however Price accepted the council's compromise proposal of a £17 householder franchise. Labor's left wing criticized him for this compromise.
He introduced many social reforms including free state secondary schools, the formation of wages boards and a minimum wage, establishing the Municipal Tramways Trust through nationalisation, the costly administration of the Northern Territory was surrendered to the Federal government, and reform (though limited) of the upper house.
He died of phthisis (tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
) and diabetes at Mount Lofty
Mount Lofty
Mount Lofty is the highest point in the Mount Lofty Ranges. It is located about 15km east of the centre of the city of Adelaide in South Australia and gives unrivalled panoramic views of the city and the Adelaide plains and foothills. It was first climbed by a European when explorer Collet Barker...
on 31 May 1909. He was given a state funeral and buried at Mitcham
Mitcham, South Australia
Mitcham is a suburb of Adelaide in the City of Mitcham.Created as a village separate from Adelaide , it was ancillary to a sheep station at Brown Hill Creek belonging to the South Australia Company. Prior to European settlement the area was inhabited by the Kaurna aboriginal people...
Cemetery.