Arthur Samuel Drakeford (26 April 1878 – 9 June 1957) was an Australian politician and was the minister responsible for the
Royal Australian Air ForceThe Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was also responsible for the establishment of the former domestic carrier
Trans Australia AirlinesTrans Australia Airlines or TAA, was one of the two major Australian domestic airlines between its inception in 1946 and its sale to Qantas in May 1996. During that period TAA played a major part in the development of the Australian air transport industry...
and for the nationalisation of
QantasQantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
.
Drakeford was born in the Melbourne suburb of
FitzroyFitzroy is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. Its borders are Alexandra Parade , Victoria Parade , Smith Street and Nicholson Street. Fitzroy is Melbourne's...
and his first job was cleaning railway engines at
BenallaBenalla is a city of just over 9,000 people located just off the Hume Freeway in north-eastern Victoria, Australia, about southwest of Wangaratta. Its Local Government Area is the Rural City of Benalla.- Overview :...
. In May 1902 he married Ellen Tyrie, but she died in 1906. In 1903 he became secretary of the Benalla branch of the
Locomotive Engine Drivers' and Firemen's AssociationThe Australian Rail Tram & Bus Industry Union , formerly known as the Public Transport Union or PTU, was formed on 1 March 1993, through the amalgamation of the Australian Railways Union, the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen, the Australian Tramway & Motor Omnibus Employees'...
(LEDFA) and joined the
Australian Labor PartyThe 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 1908, he moved to Melbourne as an engine driver. In 1911 he married Ellen Unger. He was vice-president of the LEDFA from 1914 to 1915, its president from 1916 to 1917 and general secretary from 1918. In 1920 he became the first federal secretary of the new Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen and from 1929 to 1948 was its national president. In 1927 he became senior vice-president of the
Australasian Council of Trade UnionsThe Australian Council of Trade Unions is the largest peak body representing workers in Australia. It is a national trade union centre of 46 affiliated unions.-History:The ACTU was formed in 1927 as the "Australian Council of Trade Unions"...
on its foundation in 1927. He became president of the Labor Party's Victorian central executive in 1929.
Political career
Drakeford was elected as the member for the
Victorian Legislative AssemblyThe Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
seat of
EssendonThe Electoral district of Essendon is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It lies just north of Melbourne and covers the suburbs of Essendon, Moonee Ponds and Ascot Vale...
in 1927, but was defeated in 1932, partly as a result of his opposition to the fiscally conservative
Premiers' PlanThe Premiers' Plan was a deflationary economic policy agreed by a meeting of the State Premiers of Australia in June 1931 to combat the Great Depression.-Background:...
drawn up in response to the
Great DepressionThe 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...
. In the
1934 electionFederal elections were held in Australia on 15 September 1934. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives, and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent United Australia Party led by Prime Minister of Australia Joseph Lyons with coalition partner the Country Party led...
, he was elected as the member for
MaribyrnongThe Division of Maribyrnong is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. It is located in the north-western suburbs of Melbourne. It covers the suburbs of Moonee Ponds, Essendon, Niddrie, Keilor East, Avondale Heights, Tullamarine, Airport West, Sunshine and Brooklyn. Due to...
and held it until the
1955 electionFederal elections were held in Australia on 10 December 1955. All 122 seats in the House of Representatives, and 30 of the 60 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Liberal Party of Australia led by Prime Minister of Australia Robert Menzies with coalition partner the Country Party...
. Following the coming to power of
John CurtinJohn 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...
in October 1941 during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he became
Minister for the AirThe Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Stephen Smith is the current Minister.-Ministers for Defence:...
and
Minister for Civil AviationThe Australian Minister for Infrastructure and Transport is the Hon Anthony Albanese. On 3 December 2007 he replaced the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, the Hon Mark Vaile, who held office since August 2006, and the Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads, the Hon Jim...
and held both positions until Labor's defeat at the
1949 electionFederal elections were held in Australia on 10 December 1949. All 121 seats in the House of Representatives, and 42 of the 60 seats in the Senate were up for election, where the single transferable vote was introduced...
. He concentrated on obtaining resources for the
Royal Australian Air ForceThe Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
and attempting to sort out its leadership issues rather than intervening in military strategy. He was a member of War Cabinet from 1941 to 1946 and
Minister for the NavyThe Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Stephen Smith is the current Minister.-Ministers for Defence:...
from August to November 1946 on the resignation of
Norman MakinNorman John Oswald Makin AO , Australian politician, was a Cabinet minister, Speaker of the House of Representatives and diplomat.-Early life:...
to become Ambassador to the United States.
After the war, he concentrated on the establishment of a state-owned airline. He set up the Australian National Airlines Commission, which established
Trans Australia AirlinesTrans Australia Airlines or TAA, was one of the two major Australian domestic airlines between its inception in 1946 and its sale to Qantas in May 1996. During that period TAA played a major part in the development of the Australian air transport industry...
in 1946. Although Labor had intended this to be a monopoly, this was invalidated by the High Court under
section 51(i) of the Australian ConstitutionSection 51 is a subsecton of Section 51 of the Australian Constitution enables the Commonwealth Government of Australia both to regulate and to participate in trade and commerce with other countries and among the States. The potential reach of s51 is very broad...
, which guarantees free trade between the states. In 1947, he was in charge of the purchase of
Qantas Empire Airways LtdQantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
from
Imperial AirwaysImperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company, operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to South Africa, India and the Far East...
and its establishment as Australia's
flag carrierA flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
. 1947, he was president of the first assembly of the permanent body of the
International Civil Aviation OrganizationThe International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...
in
MontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada.
Drakeford lost his seat at the 1955 election, as a result of the 1954 Labor Party split leading to the creation of the
Democratic Labor PartyThe Democratic Labor Party was an Australian political party that existed from 1955 until 1978.-History:The DLP was formed as a result of a split in the Australian Labor Party that began in 1954. The split was between the party's national leadership, under the then party leader Dr H.V...
. He died in 1957 at his home in the Melbourne suburb of
Moonee PondsMoonee Ponds is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley.It is home to Queens Park and the Moonee Valley Racecourse...
, survived by his wife and their four daughters. The son of his first marriage, Arthur Drakeford Jr. represented the Legislative Assembly seat of
EssendonThe Electoral district of Essendon is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It lies just north of Melbourne and covers the suburbs of Essendon, Moonee Ponds and Ascot Vale...
from 1945 to 1947 and
Pascoe ValeThe Electoral district of Pascoe Vale is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.-Members for Pascoe Vale:-Election results:-See also:* Parliaments of the Australian states and territories...
from 1955 to 1958.