William Hedges (New South Wales politician)
Encyclopedia
William Whaley Hedges was an Australia
n politician. He was a Country Party
member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1927 to 1941, representing the electorate of Monaro
.
Hedges was born at Parramatta
, and was educated at Horton College in Tasmania
. He worked as a woolclasser after leaving school, and in 1909, became a grazier at Rock Flat, near Cooma
. He was an active member of the Graziers' Association, serving as Cooma district president and serving two terms as a member of their general council. He was a life member of the Farmers' and Settlers Association, and served as president of the Cooma Pastoral and Agricultural Association and the Cooma Race Club.
Hedges first ran for public office at the 1922 federal election
, when he was in an unwinnable position on the Country Party's Senate ticket. He first attempted to enter state politics in 1925, when he unsuccessfully contested multi-member Goulburn
as a Progressive
. In 1927, after the return to single-member electorates, he contested Monaro
for the Country Party, and defeated sitting Labor MLA Paddy Stokes. He narrowly held off a challenge from Stokes in 1930, and was easily re-elected throughout the 1930s. In 1941, however, he faced a resurgent Labor Party and a strong local candidate in John Seiffert
, and lost to Seiffert by 181 votes.
Hedges retired from politics after his defeat, and returned to his farm. He retired to Tuross Head
in 1950. He died at Moruya
in 1962, and was buried at Cooma.
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. He was a Country Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
from 1927 to 1941, representing the electorate of Monaro
Electoral district of Monaro
Monaro is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by John Barilaro of the National Party of Australia....
.
Hedges was born at Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
, and was educated at Horton College in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. He worked as a woolclasser after leaving school, and in 1909, became a grazier at Rock Flat, near Cooma
Cooma, New South Wales
-Education: is Cooma's only public high school, it serves the town and seven of the neighbouring rural towns and villages such as Berridale, Jindabyne, Nimmitabel, Bredbo and Dalgety....
. He was an active member of the Graziers' Association, serving as Cooma district president and serving two terms as a member of their general council. He was a life member of the Farmers' and Settlers Association, and served as president of the Cooma Pastoral and Agricultural Association and the Cooma Race Club.
Hedges first ran for public office at the 1922 federal election
Australian federal election, 1922
Federal elections were held in Australia on 16 December 1922. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Nationalist Party of Australia led by Prime Minister of Australia Billy Hughes lost its majority...
, when he was in an unwinnable position on the Country Party's Senate ticket. He first attempted to enter state politics in 1925, when he unsuccessfully contested multi-member Goulburn
Electoral district of Goulburn
Goulburn is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Pru Goward of the Liberal Party of Australia....
as a Progressive
Progressive Party (1920)
The Progressive Party was a New South Wales political party that operated between 1920 and 1927, achieving representation in the Legislative Assembly due to proportional representation. The party attracted support from conservative voters in both rural and urban NSW. As a result, its policies were...
. In 1927, after the return to single-member electorates, he contested Monaro
Electoral district of Monaro
Monaro is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by John Barilaro of the National Party of Australia....
for the Country Party, and defeated sitting Labor MLA Paddy Stokes. He narrowly held off a challenge from Stokes in 1930, and was easily re-elected throughout the 1930s. In 1941, however, he faced a resurgent Labor Party and a strong local candidate in John Seiffert
John Seiffert
John Wesley Seiffert was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1941 until his death in 1965...
, and lost to Seiffert by 181 votes.
Hedges retired from politics after his defeat, and returned to his farm. He retired to Tuross Head
Tuross Head, New South Wales
Tuross Head is a seaside village on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. It is approximately halfway between the townships of Moruya and Narooma, a few kilometres off the Princes Highway...
in 1950. He died at Moruya
Moruya, New South Wales
Moruya is a small regional centre in New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Moruya River, approximately 300 kilometers south of Sydney. At the 2006 census, Moruya had a population of 10,278 people. The town relies predominantly on agriculture, aquaculture, and tourism...
in 1962, and was buried at Cooma.